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Portabile Music Trier (PMT) — How to Make a CD:
An Example from Real Life Diese Seite in Deutsch

Description of a CD production from A to Z ...


[ Start ] [ EXAMPLE ] [ Legal Aspects ] [ Practical Information ] [ Postproduction ]

   ... of Ringo Sax and his ‘Jazz Monsters’
 

1. The band ‘The Jazz Monsters’ has successfully performed some gigs and decides to produce a ‘Best Of’ album because everybody tells them they would buy a CD if there was one to buy.

2. Band leader Ringo Sax has already heard about the PORTABILE Jazz label in Trier/Germany. And because nobody in the band exactly knows how to produce a CD and what it might cost, they decide to contact the friendly people of this Jazz label.

3. The label people listen to the band’s ideas and especially to some demo music, and then they start working. — Soon Ringo realises that he made a clever step because the given advice is not only cost-free but also saves him a lot of unnecessary actionism and quite some money!
 

4. Preproduction: Advice to the band by the label experts
 

4.1. Firstly: Which studio is suitable for the band’s needs? The label has of course some connections to studios, but besides the price it is also important to check beforehand whether the studio can fulfill the needs of ‘The Jazz Monsters’ — both concerning the Rap Jazz they are performing, and the fact that the band has 34 active musicians ...
 

4.2. Secondly: Studio costs: Ringo Sax is almost horrified when he hears about the studio prices per day, especially when he realises that one recording day might not be enough to tape the planned 10 titles. — And he was not at all aware that after the Lrecording session one or more mixing sessions will follow, and after this a mastering session ... etc. pp. — But now he is happy that he did talk to the label people which gave him a precise idea about the production chain.
 

4.3. Thirdly: The studio sessions: After long internal discussions and money calculations, ‘The Jazz Monsters’ ‘do it’ and go to the studio. And they are quite happy when they hear that the studio boss offers them a big discount when he realises that their label is PORTABILE. Together with some sponsor money and great idealism it will work out somehow, thinks Ringo — and in the end, it’s not the money that counts but the success with your fans ...
 

4.4. Fourthly: Cover, CD copying: The band is very satisfied with the label work and decides to ask them for their professional help for the rest of the production. They close a ‘Bandübernahme-Vertrag’, and they now talk about the graphical realisation of the CD cover, done by PMT’s graphic designer: Besides that, all necessary data are already available: the label’s label code, the band logo, some technical specifications and so on. — All this is done in a few weeks, and because the label also has very good connections to the CD copying and cover printing firm, one day some boxes with 1.000 brand new ‘Jazz Monsters’ CDs are delivered — just in time for a planned promotion tour. — Perfect coordination!
 

Even though already now the cooperation with the label has saved a lot of time and money for the band — the label’s core business really starts at this point:
 

5. Postproduction: Label actions after the CD production:
 

Selling CDs only after a gig is tough work — ‘ The Jazz-Monsters’ realises very quickly, and usually only 2–3 CDs are sold per evening anyway. Besides that, the band has to take care that there is a selling point, somebody has to stand there etc. ... After having ‘sold’ (or given away) the first 125 CDs (to friends and relations), it now goes very, very slowly ...
 

5.1. Good that the band gave the first 100 CDs to the label! Suddenly some band members notice that their CDs are standing in some shops in town, that they are sold at concerts of the local Jazz Club, and that there is the online label shop possibility of PMT.
 

5.2. And one day a journalist of a Jazz magazine calls Ringo asking for an interview. Having received the ‘Monster’ CD from the label and knowing that PORTABILE stands for quality he popped it in the CD player and really liked what he heard. Also his colleague who works at Jazz Channel 1 wants to promote the ‘Monsters’ and gives 10 minutes for a band presentation. — It seems that the good label work now pays off ...
 

5.3. When Ringo one day finds a catalogue of ‘his’ label in his letter box and in it his own CD in a prominent place, he is totally convinced that is was a brilliant idea to cooperate with PMT. — But at this moment, he is already planning the second CD, of course labelled by PORTABILE.
 

It should be quite clear now: If you want to do all the described steps by your own, you easily will have a full-time job. — Better get the professional help of a label like PMT!
 

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Update: 04.12.2022 21:02:58
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