Advice needed.

J

Jhae

New member
Okay, here's the deal...i'm going to be distributing about 4 mixtapes this year about every 2 months to the streets. These tapes will feature local acts from around town that i'm trying to build street cred with/word of mouth advertising. I will simply be giving them out to whoever I run into, at events and what not. My question to you is that since these tapes are strictly unnofficial releases, how much effort would you guys put into the overall packaging?

We were going to go with a nice digipack case, but though, what the hell, why are we investing all this money into something that will essentially be free and "for the streets." So how far would you guys go quality wise? Jewel case/paper labels/sticker on the case with a tracklisting? I want to come off with a "unnofficial" vibe, if you can catch my drift.

Are paper labels/slimeline jewel cases still something to avoid even in an instance like this? Let me know...
 
Paper labels suck. They look totally non-pro IMHO.

To keep the budget happy, think about DiskFaktory.com - 100 discs with thermal printing on the disc for around $80. Then you can just throw them into poly-window paper CD envelopes.

It's not "fancy" but it's not "crappy" - Know what I mean?

John Scrip - www.massivemastering.com
 
I want 500 cd's. do you think it would be more cost effective just to buy my own thermal printer? They're like 100 bucks.
 
If it would let you print more than just a line of text, certainly. If it's (the one I can't think of that only lets you put one line of text in and then flip it around and do another), I don't know if that would cut it.

However, as long as you can get all the relevant info on it, (Artist, track names, times, and CONTACT INFO), then why not.

John -
 
yeah tahts' the catch, i don't think i could fit all that info on there. Maybe the cd title, and our URL/Phone Number. Song's and times wouldn't be an option... Think that's a bad idea?
 
Packaging is one of the most important things in marketing.

That said, I think it would be better to focus on the material packaging rather than the actual physical packaging in this case.

What that means is that, I as a listener would rather have a bunch of HOT songs on a CDR that a collection of mediocre songs in a professional package.

My humble advice is to only put your strongest songs on the CD as you only have one chance to make a first impression and no one knows in whose hands the discs will eventually end up.

Copyright your hot material before making it freely available.
 
Another disadvantage to paper labels is that they get stuck in some car CD players, especially in-dash changers.

I would go the DiskFaktory (sic) route if I were you. You can design the CD's printing online, and although it would be plain text, you will be able to fit all your info on there. Plus, you're saving yourself the immense amount of time it takes to burn and print 500 discs. You can upload the songs online, even, although I'd opt for sending them a disc.

My opinion:
  • Have DiskFaktory do the discs and make sure ALL of your contact info, track names, and artist names are on the disc itself.
  • Print up a really nice cardstock flyer to go with the disc (or have Kinkos do it)
  • Pick up some plain, white disc envelopes (with the clear window so you can see the disc) at an office supply store.
  • Attach the disc envelope (with the disc inside, of course) to the flyer by the lip of the envelope so that the disc shows and all they have to do is flip it up and slide the disc out. You can do this with double-sided scotch tape you can get at the same office supply store from which you get the envelopes.

DiskFaktory's Bulk Pack special

I wish they wouldn't spell it "DiskFaktory." It's a "factory" that makes "discs." Oh well...
 
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For and against...

It's a difficult one.
On the one hand what impression does it give of your band/music if you give away some cheapo home produced cassette looking thing?

Think about the things that sell in our world, some partly because of the packaging. If the packaging looks nasty then it is more likely to get thrown away without ever being played? Depends on the mentatliy/attitude of the person who gets it in their hand i guess.

I was given a CDR recently by a friend who 'knows a guy' who knows a guy who writes songs... the songs are great and the recording is a really professional standard, but somehow I don't value it as much as i would if it were professionaly produced with proper artwork and a printed CD with a pro label, etc, etc. Just psychology I guess. If the guy had spent a few $$$ on getting it professionaly produced. In a world where 'success breeds success' then you need to give people the impression you are being succesful and getting somewhere, a cheap prodcut doesn't give that impression i guess.

On the other hand some people like to get hold of 'home produced' items which are not from big business, so you might gain for these people by prodcuding an obviously amateur looking product?

Your call, or maybe if you have no money you have no choice anyway!!
 
THAT's actually the dilema - You need to make a "pro" looking product CHEAP.

You CAN do it - However, "plain" may be in the forecast. That's not bad -

"Plain" is better than "cheesy" any day in my book. It's all in the details. Short & sweet info, use the "PROMOTIONAL COPY" indicator if you have room for it.

I worked in radio for a lot of years... The stuff we'd get from the labels... Some of it was TimesNewRoman on a paper label slapped on a cassette. Sure, it was "cheap," but it wasn't "bad."

Know where I'm coming from here?
 
yah... cheap, not cheesy.

exactly. I understand where you're coming from.


paper labels scream cheesiness. and there's liability involved with warping in a cd deck. Even if we can't fit the track listing, maybe we can place a track listing on a sticker, and apply it to the slimline jewel case... how's that sound?
 
Here's an idea

If your budget can't stretch to getting the CDs professionaly printed how about this...

Find someone artistic with a very good handwriting style, someone who knows calligraphy. Get them to write on each individual CD the minimal information you need, then get them to write a jewel case in the same handwriting. If its only a limited number of copies, say 50, maybe they'd do the CDs for a few drinks? NOTE: The wouldn't have to write each jewel case only the master copy then get it reproduced.

Would probably look better than a 'cheesy' label (bit like getting a nice home made birthday card rather than a factory made one?)

Obviously for large numbers this wouldn't work!
 
Re: Here's an idea

glynb said:
Find someone artistic with a very good handwriting style, someone who knows calligraphy. Get them to write on each individual CD the minimal information you need, then get them to write a jewel case in the same handwriting. If its only a limited number of copies, say 50, maybe they'd do the CDs for a few drinks? NOTE: The wouldn't have to write each jewel case only the master copy then get it reproduced.

Would probably look better than a 'cheesy' label (bit like getting a nice home made birthday card rather than a factory made one?)

Obviously for large numbers this wouldn't work!
Click to expand...

He wants 500 CDs. I still think the DiskFaktory is the way to go. It would save a lot of time and work, would cost $395 plus shipping, and would do a nice job in any CD player (I'd make sure to find a way to fit the track listings, however small the type).

Regarding hand-labeling, I agree that it can be nicely done, and a hand-labeled CDR is better than one with a paper label that won't come out of my CD changer. Really, the paper labels don't have to be warped to get stuck in there (I've devised a method of getting them out fairly quickly, but it is a pain in the ass). It has something to do with the little roller/capstan wheels that eject the CD not being able to get traction on the paper or something. I've seen this happen on a number of decks where the CD slides into a little slot and is "grabbed" by the CD deck to take it inside to play.

O'course, I think most people who have this issue will just not play your paper-labeled CD in their car, but is this what you're going for? I, like many others I know, do most of my music listening in the car.

Paper labels don't always scream cheesey, especially if it's a single font (maybe the title in a different color) and neatly done label. They get cheesey when people try to get elaborate with them. It doesn't end up looking elaborate, it ends up looking like a sad compensation for paper labels.

Since starting a webzine a couple months ago, I've gotten zillions of promo packs in the mail. The best ones, in my humble opinion, are the professionally-duplicated, thermal-printed CDR demos (short of a commercial-ready CD, that is).

Christopher
 
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