How much did your CD cost to make?

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miroslav said:
Do you ever play out....band....open mic....anything?
If you do, bring a stack to every gig, $5-$10 each....and I bet you'll sell enough in no time to at least cover your cost for the 1000.

Some people will call them "vanity CDs" when people get the usual 1000 made, and 950 of them end up in the garage or basement.
Maybe....but getting them done professionally VS burning and printing/sticking lables on them yourself, etc....is a big difference, IMO.
Not to mentoin...if you ARE peddling them around, the pro CDs just look about 10 times better, and no matter how much we may hate it or avoid it, there is a big "image" component to selling yourself or even just your songs.

Besides....you live once...enjoy. ;)
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Plus, places like Amazon and Pandora want to see printed CD's, not burned CD's. I have yet to take the plunge financially on getting replicated CD's, but maybe this next one I will.
 
Get the best of both worlds. Printed CD-R's for cheap. I use kunaki and they're printed CD-R's. Printed CD, full jewel case, two side insert and tray. They look pro, sound perfect, and cost $1.70 per.
 
The cost isn't so much the on-CD printing, but more for the CD sleeves/inserts....especially with the multi-panel stuff.

Also, most consumer color-printable CDs are done by inkjet printer...which is not waterproof ink.
Maybe not much of an issue under most circumstances, but I have seen them get smeared or even fade if left out in direct light for too long.
With silk-screen printing, it's on for good, and has that commercial-quality look.

There's a lot of options to choose from....so it depends on individual tastes, goals and budgets.
Most of the CD makers offer partial services too....like if you want to do all your own CD duplication, but have them make/print the sleeves/inserts. You can even send them the CDs, and they will package them if needed...etc.
 
I used Kunaki too - I can get a single CD manufactured or a 1000.
 
I was checking out the Kunaki website. Their price is similar to others, $1/CD...they just don't require the larger amounts, but then, you also have to keep reordering.
They also say they don't use inkjet printers....but I could not find any info on how they do print to the CDs.
If they use printable CDs, then it's not a silk-screen print.

Seems OK, and a nice option for smaller quantities...though it feels a bit odd, since there are no people to work with, just their computerized system, but it looks pretty workable. I've did a lot of multimedia work at wone time, so creating the CDs and designs is not that big a deal. When I used DiscMakers, I didn't use their designers....I set up all the layouts myslef.

I'll look at Kunaki more closely to see what pros/cons there are VS DiscMakers or similar before I do my next CD.
Their website doesn't have a lot of details, it's kinda of bare-bones, so I didn't notice if they offered the "Eco-Wallets"....the non-plastic jackets that have 2-4-6-8 panels, as needed. I like using those so you can print out more info. For song-selling, including the lyrics is a good idea, and you need at least a 6-panel jacket to cover 10-12 songs, or you need a multi-page insert if you are going to go with the jewel case. I really like the Eco-Wallets, like these:

CDs and DVDs in Eco-Wallets
 
I used Kunaki before and I really like the quality. I did the basic 2-panel layout. Don't know if they have a waterproof print process, but I do know Taiyo Yuden makes a waterproof inkjet printable cd-r.

Ooops, when I said printing in the previous post, I meant replicating; like how regular cd's are made. "Printing" has a different connotation in the industry I work in. Sorry for misleading there.
 
Chili said:
I used Kunaki before and I really like the quality. I did the basic 2-panel layout. Don't know if they have a waterproof print process, but I do know Taiyo Yuden makes a waterproof inkjet printable cd-r.

Ooops, when I said printing in the previous post, I meant replicating; like how regular cd's are made. "Printing" has a different connotation in the industry I work in. Sorry for misleading there.
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I'm sure they do a good finished product...though they do use some different processes than what you get at DiscMakers and similar places.

Kunaki uses duplication instead of replication. May not be an issue with a few discs, but replication is safer with quantity, since all the discs are identical from a single glass master rather than when duplicated/burned in multiple burners. I see that with Kunaki, if you have any disc errors or playback issues with some players, it's kinda left up to you to figure out what is the cause. With replication, they check for errors before creating the glass master, and after that, every disc is identical and guaranteed to play in anyone's/everyone's CD player.

AFA the printing, it's not the crappy inkjet stuff, but it is just basic semi-glossy photo-printing on CDs, which is probably a nice quality, but not the same thing as CD silk-screening...and AFA their inserts/jackets, they are also digital photo printing, which is not the same as multi-color offset printing used in commercial hardcopy production.

I deal with this stuff all the time at my day gig as we do a lot of electronic publications....but also a lot of traditional hardcopy publication, and there is a difference between look/quality of the two.

Kunaki is a self-service system. You can probably buy the basic digital printers/duplicators/wrappers and do the same thing yourself at home.
Diskmakers and similar, is a staffed production company using industry standard processes for replication and printing.


Anyway, whatever works for you...use it, just be aware of the differences.
Lots of options out there. :)
 
miroslav said:
I'm sure they do a good finished product...though they do use some different processes than what you get at DiscMakers and similar places.

Kunaki uses duplication instead of replication. May not be an issue with a few discs, but replication is safer with quantity, since all the discs are identical from a single glass master rather than when duplicated/burned in multiple burners. I see that with Kunaki, if you have any disc errors or playback issues with some players, it's kinda left up to you to figure out what is the cause. With replication, they check for errors before creating the glass master, and after that, every disc is identical and guaranteed to play in anyone's/everyone's CD player.

AFA the printing, it's not the crappy inkjet stuff, but it is just basic semi-glossy photo-printing on CDs, which is probably a nice quality, but not the same thing as CD silk-screening...and AFA their inserts/jackets, they are also digital photo printing, which is not the same as multi-color offset printing used in commercial hardcopy production.

I deal with this stuff all the time at my day gig as we do a lot of electronic publications....but also a lot of traditional hardcopy publication, and there is a difference between look/quality of the two.

Kunaki is a self-service system. You can probably buy the basic digital printers/duplicators/wrappers and do the same thing yourself at home.
Diskmakers and similar, is a staffed production company using industry standard processes for replication and printing.


Anyway, whatever works for you...use it, just be aware of the differences.
Lots of options out there. :)
Click to expand...

Oh, I know all this. I understand Kunaki is still just CD-R's and printed sleeves. My take is: it is a big step up from doing it at home. You're correct, not the same as DiscMakers or other replicating facilities out there.

I might go the DiscMaker route on my next CD. It really depends on how good I think it will be when I'm at the point where I need to decide. I might start gigging with a friend, so maybe have an outlet to sell more and it might be worth spending the extra bucks.
 
Chili said:
Oh, I know all this. I understand Kunaki is still just CD-R's and printed sleeves. My take is: it is a big step up from doing it at home. You're correct, not the same as DiscMakers or other replicating facilities out there.
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Right. Kunaki is bang-for-your-buck. Not Best-Buy Warner Bros big budget, but not burn your own shit at home and write on it with a sharpie either. It looks great and is cost-effective in an era in which no one listens to CD's anymore, and those that do only use them to rip em into their itunes account.
 
CreateSpace - division of Amazon, duplicated CDs with plastic trays, inserts and printed CDs, upfront you only pay for a sample to make sure everything is good. Then you buy as many as you want, and they 'print to order' and offer downloads on Amazon as part of the package.
 
I use Kunaki also and some of the members here have ordered my CDs. I think they're great. I can order 10 at a time for a buck apiece and the shipping is eight bucks. Sad that the postal service gets almost as much as they do. But as far as working with a machine, I've gotten used to it. I looked into the company and there are no humans. Just machines. All the profits of the company go into rent, light, depreciation and lube oil. There are no humans sitting back smoking cigars, although I think that the machines are learning to do that too. Martinis are next.
 
Xeries said:
I use Kunaki also and some of the members here have ordered my CDs. I think they're great. I can order 10 at a time for a buck apiece and the shipping is eight bucks. Sad that the postal service gets almost as much as they do. But as far as working with a machine, I've gotten used to it. I looked into the company and there are no humans. Just machines. All the profits of the company go into rent, light, depreciation and lube oil. There are no humans sitting back smoking cigars, although I think that the machines are learning to do that too. Martinis are next.
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Another thing I like about Kunaki is there is no inventory. They print on demand. Someone orders your CD, they print it up, seal it up, and ship the bitch out. It's awesome.
 
My last CD cost $0.19 to make

All the gear was purchased for 3 CDs ago project and guitars amps and pedals I would have anyway for playing out and practicing, so if I look at it that way then the most recent one and the two before that had no capital expenditure involved except to buy 100 blank CD-Rs from Costco for $19. The last piece of Gear I bought was almost a year ago and that was a guitar pedal. So the last individual CD I made cost $0.19. I don't sell or give out CDs, only do downloads to those foolish enough to want to hear me again, so those hundred CDs should last me the rest of my life :), I'm not going to need to print too many more of my latest projects
 
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Bristol Posse said:
My last CD cost $0.19 to make

All the gear was purchased for 3 CDs ago project and guitars amps and pedals I would have anyway for playing out and practicing, so if I look at it that way then the most recent one and the two before that had no capital expenditure involved except to buy 100 blank CD-Rs from Costco for $19. The last piece of Gear I bought was almost a year ago and that was a guitar pedal. So the last individual CD I made cost $0.19. I don't sell or give out CDs, only do downloads to those foolish enough to want to hear me again, so those hundred CDs should last me the rest of my life :), I'm not going to need to print too many more of my latest projects
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Not quite the same thing! I will burn a CD every time I have a new song (or songs) mixed, to listen to on other systems. As I'm up to about 14 songs for my next album, I've probably used 20-30 discs already!
 
Greg_L said:
Get the best of both worlds. Printed CD-R's for cheap. I use kunaki and they're printed CD-R's. Printed CD, full jewel case, two side insert and tray. They look pro, sound perfect, and cost $1.70 per.
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Greg, Sell me one. First I want to hear your stuff, second, I want to see what you get for $1.70. so let me know the full retail price, and let me know how to order it.

thanks
 
I just purchased 1,000 CD's in Jewel Cases with 2 panel insert and tray card for only $1.40 per CD at We Print Discs. They provide high quality outputs and definitely a perfect alternative to branded names like discmakers and cdbaby.
 
I think it cost me for the CD materials of my last project about $200
Pics of stuff I did for it last time
The mic I bought for the project was a blue spark so around another $200
I mix and master myself so free.99

I bought a Macbook also so I can record on the fly so let's call that a fixed cost of $1100 not applicable to this project
A T Shirt Press $300 another fixed cost and t shirts / press paper was like $150 for a nice lump of shirts with a new printer for like $150

So the project all in all TECHNICALLY cost me around $2,000

But to press a cd from now in the future should run me about $200 now.
 
Late to this party, but I ahven't been here in months, so.....

It depends on how you do your accounting. For example, before I started my first CD, I had purchased about $3000+ in recording gear. If you count the gear I bought for that CD, the cost to produce the CD's, and to pay the musicians, that is another $3000 or so. So I would normally say "my first CD cost me $3000" even though I can get away with "it cost me $6000". Some things I have purchased just because, others I purchased for a specific project and ended up using for other projects too. It all depends on how you want to do your books.
 
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