Member's thinking on when/how to package releases?

[rabbitsquirrel]

I wasn't sure if this was exactly the best place to post this discussion, but I was curious about other member's experience and methodologies when coming to releasing their work. With how easy it is to put music out, both on social sites like SoundCloud and as packaged releases, such as Bandcamp, in addition to personal websites, etc., I was wondering how people approach the if, when, and where of releasing their music. Do you post WIP tracks, and tracks as you finish them, or do you tend to complete an album/project, and then release it all at once? Do you work with a netlabel or similar, or do you ever reach out for reviews?
Personally, I tend to put stand alone pieces on SoundCloud, and build larger, unified pieces that I then put on Bandcamp, with sometimes putting select tracks/excerpts on SC. I have been making a lot of work recently, including a couple near complete projects, which I am trying to decide how to release.

I would really appreciate hearing other people's experiences/opinions/ideas!

[Pyne]

Put your album's mp3s and artwork on USB flash drives, and randomly leave them in various public restrooms.

[IOK-1]

Put your album's mp3s and artwork on USB flash drives, and randomly leave them in various public restrooms.

//Thread

[rabbitsquirrel]

Put your album's mp3s and artwork on USB flash drives, and randomly leave them in various public restrooms.

//Thread

I now know what I must do.

[S1gnsOfL1fe]

It depends on what you feel is the best format for your work. Through my own experience, I've found that having both digital albums and physical CD's works well because some people just like that "physical copy" arriving in the mail. Especially when shipping overseas. Bandcamp is obviously the way to go these days for self publishers...but you really have to be your own marketing machine if you want to move albums and justify actually paying the price to get CD's printed.

As far as netlabels and reviews go, that is again entirely up to you. Some labels will put out music for free, others charge for it and give you a percentage. You can reach out for reviews, and I have in the past, but these days most review sites are totally swamped with submissions it might take you 1 to 3 months to get your review posted. There are some sites charging for reviews nowadays which many artists disagree with, but it makes total sense. People LOVE to have their stuff reviewed and fans love to read them.

I hope that helps! Get creative if you are going to do a physical release. Think about what YOU would personally want to get in the mail and work towards that format. I think the best in the game right now is either Ultimae Records or my goodness, has anyone else heard of Dronarivm from Russia? Their limited edition CD's are the best I've ever seen.

http://dronarivm.com/

Good luck to you! Let me know if you have any more questions.

Cheers,

-S1gns

[GaryG]

Do you post WIP tracks, and tracks as you finish them, or do you tend to complete an album/project, and then release it all at once?

Maybe it's a generational thing (grew up buying physical albums) but I only really 'get' music if it's packaged up and 'released' (not neccessarily physically either). I can browse someones SC account for ages listening to random tracks but feel I'm missing the overall picture or intent very often. Give me the same tracks with some cover art and a bow on top and I'll have a point of reference so to speak.

Y'know? Maybe it's an attention span thing, easier for me to focus on a collection or something...?

So, yeah, complete projects (whether album or ep) are what I focus on (or would if I ever completed anything... ) Or mini album! Remember that concept? Twenty minutes or so of music, think I may have bought the first ever when it came out (Brian May and friends 'Starfleet'... :eek

[rabbitsquirrel]

It depends on what you feel is the best format for your work. Through my own experience, I've found that having both digital albums and physical CD's works well because some people just like that "physical copy" arriving in the mail. Especially when shipping overseas. Bandcamp is obviously the way to go these days for self publishers...but you really have to be your own marketing machine if you want to move albums and justify actually paying the price to get CD's printed.

As far as netlabels and reviews go, that is again entirely up to you. Some labels will put out music for free, others charge for it and give you a percentage. You can reach out for reviews, and I have in the past, but these days most review sites are totally swamped with submissions it might take you 1 to 3 months to get your review posted. There are some sites charging for reviews nowadays which many artists disagree with, but it makes total sense. People LOVE to have their stuff reviewed and fans love to read them.

I hope that helps! Get creative if you are going to do a physical release. Think about what YOU would personally want to get in the mail and work towards that format. I think the best in the game right now is either Ultimae Records or my goodness, has anyone else heard of Dronarivm from Russia? Their limited edition CD's are the best I've ever seen.

http://dronarivm.com/

Good luck to you! Let me know if you have any more questions.

Cheers,

-S1gns

Thanks! That is a lot of great information! Everything you said rings true with my (very limited) experience so far, which is reassuring. I am getting close to finishing my first physical release, which is going to be digital/limited cassette, and done through Bandcamp, which is part of the reason behind my thinking about all of these questions.

Also, I checked out Dronarivm, and they produce some gorgeous work! The attention to detail of the releases reminds me of the vinyl releases in the posthardcore scene in the late 90s/early 2000s.

Thanks again for sharing your experience!

[rabbitsquirrel]

Do you post WIP tracks, and tracks as you finish them, or do you tend to complete an album/project, and then release it all at once?

Maybe it's a generational thing (grew up buying physical albums) but I only really 'get' music if it's packaged up and 'released' (not neccessarily physically either). I can browse someones SC account for ages listening to random tracks but feel I'm missing the overall picture or intent very often. Give me the same tracks with some cover art and a bow on top and I'll have a point of reference so to speak.

Y'know? Maybe it's an attention span thing, easier for me to focus on a collection or something...?

So, yeah, complete projects (whether album or ep) are what I focus on (or would if I ever completed anything... ) Or mini album! Remember that concept? Twenty minutes or so of music, think I may have bought the first ever when it came out (Brian May and friends 'Starfleet'... :eek

This has been my feeling as well, where releases are for appreciation and SoundCloud is for exploration. I have a lot of pieces though that are on SoundCloud and not part of a release, so I have been debating the idea of going through those pieces and almost anthologize them into releases, and them maybe taking them down from SoundCloud. Part of me though feels weird about packaging up a collection of all pieces that have been previously released, and that it may take away from releases that where developed as a cohesive piece. ...And I a probably over-thinking it!

Also, some of my favorite albums fall into the 15-25 minute range!