Local Bands: is Releasing a Pressed CD Worth the Expense?

In a world where bands are signed after being discovered on Myspace, recording original material is a must for any band that wants to become popular.  Bands such as My Chemical Romance, Gym Class Heroes, Boys Like Girls, and Valencia are examples of bands who were given the opportunity to reach their dreams through the music website Purevolume.com.  Although the internet helped these bands become popular, having music available at shows was another way for them to get their music out.  In this context, an important financial decision bands need to make is whether to sell their original music as a pressed disc or give it away for free.  A “pressed” disc is one that includes professionally made artwork and cover along with the songs.  The minimum cost for bands making a pressed CD is usually between $3,500 and $4,000.  Making music available to the public in this fashion can be very expensive for a band and requires that the band be very dedicated so that the effort is not wasted by the band breaking up.

If a band wants to release a pressed CD independently, the quality of the recording better be outstanding.  Although it does not need to sound like it was recorded by a major label, it should not sound like it was recorded inside a garage where the band was practicing.  The average cost of a higher-end quality recording studio is about $55 an hour.  This includes the cost of the producer, recording equipment, and mixing and mastering the recording.  Assuming that a band will release a typical EP containing eight songs, they will be in the studio a minimum of 45 hours to record the music and vocals and to mix and master the product.  Thus, by simply recording the music, the band has already incurred $2,475 in expenses.

If the band wants people to be interested in buying their music, the visual aspect of the CD must also be appealing.  A band should not simply Google search an image that they think best suits their image, because they increase the possibility of a copyright infringement lawsuit.  Therefore, they should hire a talented artist to create custom art for their CD.  The cost of an artist who designs art that fits a band’s image and sound will usually cost between $300 and $500 for local unsigned bands.  It may seem like an unnecessary cost, but in order to appeal to more people than your immediate fan base, the artwork must be desirable to the public.

The final cost of creating a pressed CD is the actual pressing of the disc by a company that prints CDs.  The average cost of pressing a CD for 1000 copies is $850.  Why would a band do this rather than just simply use a home-printer and CD burner to put out an EP?  Once again, it is for the visually pleasing aspect of a CD; chances are if a person thinks you are not dedicated enough to press a CD with custom artwork, they will not want to pay money for your music.

Adding the $2,475 cost of recording, the $300 minimum cost of custom artwork, and the $850 cost of pressing 1000 discs, the cost of releasing a pressed CD is $3,825.  If a band sells these CDs for a cost of $5, they will need to sell 765 copies in order to break even.  Although this is an achievable feat, it can be a very daunting task for an up and coming local act.  Finding anyone to pay for music today is difficult for signed acts, much less independent ones.  Unless a band is completely sure that they are capable of selling at least 765 copies of their CD, recording and pressing is not the best option.

When it comes to getting music out there in an economical fashion, the best option is for a band to record the three or four best songs they have written and give the discs away for free.  This way the only relevant expense is the hourly recording fee discussed above.  In order to cover this expense, bands newer to the local scene should sell merchandise such as T-shirts, which have a profit margin of about 50%. 

Although it may appear that it is a waste of time and money to record music only to give it away for free, getting the band’s music and name out there is much more important for profits in the long run than by making $5 for each CD.  Therefore, if a new band wants to get their name out and make a few dollars, the best route would be releasing free music and selling merchandise rather than charging for both.