When people print your own discs at home, they usually use a sticker label that can feed through an ink-jet printer. So when people call in about a CD or DVD project they think that we might be doing the same.
Since we are doing much more then a few discs at a time we use more professional means of printing directly on the discs. We use four different types of printing - Prism, Everest, Silkscreen and Offset printing.
Prism (Black Text Imprint) -
The Prism printer is used for short run projects with a black text based imprint. Images or detailed graphics don’t print on the Prism, so your best bet is using text and if you have a simple all solid black logo that will work as well. This also prints the best on the silver surface of the disc.
Everest (Full Color Thermal) –
This is another one of our short run printers, but the Everest prints full color onto the disc. This works best for printing full color images onto the disc face. The Everest is great for photos and detailed logos and graphics. It doesn’t work great for large areas of solid black however, so when designing for the Everest think of full color images and colors on the lighter end of the spectrum.
Silk Screen (1-3 color)
Silk Screen printing on disc, is used for medium to large runs, 500 and up. Silk Screen works great for solid colors and uses the Pantone Color Matching system (see below for more info) for inks when printing. Silk Screen designs are better when they are simple and straightforward and you want to stay away from items like gradients and detailed graphics or photos.
Offset Printing (Full Color CMYK printing)
Offset printing is our full color option for medium to large runs. Great for photos and complex graphics, Offset printing is similar in detail and clarity as full color paper printing. This printing method is however not great for large areas of solid colors.
Some things to think about when designing your imprint -
Matching paper print to your disc imprint -
If you are using a similar color from your paper print on your disc imprint, due to the different nature of imprint surfaces and paper it is difficult to get a spot on match. We do our best to match them, but expect some variance in the colors.
Designing imprints in Photoshop –
While Photoshop is a great photo editing tool, it isn’t the best program for text. Illustrator and Indesign are much better at handling text and your text will be much cleaner. If you have to design your imprint in Photoshop, you might want to stay away from any real small text or text with thin lines. It’s not such a big deal when doing Offset or Everest Printing, but when doing Silk Screen printing it can effect the print quality.
Pantone Color Matching System -
When Silk Screen Printing we use inks from the Pantone Matching System. If your not familiar with Pantone Colors and you design your Silk Screen imprint with CMYK colors we can pick a Pantone Color that closely represents your color. However some CMYK colors don’t translate as well, so starting with Pantone colors does work the best.
If you have any questions about your imprint or setting up your artwork, feel free to call the Copycats art department with questions or concerns we would be glad to help you out. Just call 612-371-8008 or 888-698-8008 and ask for the Art Department. Or you can ask your salesperson and they will you in touch with us.
Does your album simply have too much rock and roll goodness to cram onto one CD? Too much for even two CDs? Don’t fret; you have options. They make jewel cases that are standard sized, but have a hinged tray to store another disc. You can even store three CDs in one standard sized jewel case (you won’t have a tray card, though).
If you have even more discs to package with your replicated CD project, you can also use a quad box. The quad box is as thick as two standard sized jewel cases, and it can store anywhere from one to six discs. It’s also useful if you have a booklet that is larger than 28 pages, because that’s the largest booklet you can package with a standard sized jewel case and still get it to close.
Sales rep Adam Wachter shows the different multi-disc jewel cases available:
When you receive a quote for a CD duplication package, you’re going to notice these numbers describing the printed insert: 4/4, 4/1, or in some cases, 4/0.
These numbers refer to the color print on each side of your paper insert. When an insert is printed four over one (4/1), the four means full color and the one means black and white. A 4/1 insert is full color on one side with black and white printing on the other side.
I stumbled across this article at Music Think Tank that gave advice on how to make instant money by playing music. Most of their advice consisted of playing, playing, and more playing. They advised to take on as many gigs as possible, not just live shows with your band (although they recommended plenty of that, too). But the biggest point that stuck out to me was the advice to play covers.
In the article, they say it’s a good way to practice and play different styles of music as your band is starting out. Once your band gets more experience and recognition, then you can start pushing your own original music.
I’d like to look at this from the reverse angle. If you are a band that has some solid playing experience and have written a solid catalog of original songs, try playing a cover and give it your own unique spin. I have a friend who plays in a screamo band (I really hate that term, but I can’t think of a better way to describe it). They’ve been playing and touring the country for about five years now. This summer, they were in a studio and recorded a cover of a hit pop song that was getting a lot of radio play at the time. They posted it on their MySpace page and it blew up. They had over 15,000 plays of this song after only three days! There were loads of new friend requests each day from people saying they loved the cover, and quite a few more who said how much they loved the band. That’s a whole new slew of fans just from playing a cover song.
Here is how I would do it:
Pick a song that’s compatible with your own fanbase, but crosses genres and potentially draws new fans.
Put in a solid effort when writing and recording this cover. Nobody will want to listen if it sounds terrible!
Acquire mechanical use licenses so you can legally distribute and sell this recording. Let’s say my friend from the example 10,000 downloads of this track over that weekend; if their cut after paying the publishers and distributors (iTunes, Amazon) is around $0.50, they would have made $5,000 that weekend! I realize that not every cover would generate that type of response, and a 2/3 conversion rate from plays to downloads is pretty generous (especially since the 15,000 plays probably were not all unique plays), but any additional income stream can help an independent musician, no matter how small.
Push your original music on website visitors who come to hear your cover. If you are using a MySpace page, set up one of your own tunes to auto-play when a visitor hits your site. This will increase the chances of new fans hearing, liking, and/or buying your other tracks or CDs.
Make sure you splash your tour schedule and other merchandise all over your site so new fans have more opportunities to support you.
So what’s you opinion? Does your band play cover songs? Or do you think it’s wrong to capitalize on the coattails of another song’s success?
How much would you pay for a CD Package at COPYCATS Media? In these challenging economic times, we decided to let the free markets decide the price. We’re auctioning off a 1000 retail-ready CD replcation package on eBay. Bid now and potentially save hundreds of dollars on your next CD project! Check it out here
Are you an independent musician who is recording and releasing a new album? Get your album professionally replicated, printed, and packaged by COPYCATS Media. Your CD copies will be pressed from a glass master, meaning they are of the highest quality. This is a full, post-production package. If you record an album, we’ll handle everything else, including audio mastering and graphic design. The entire package includes the following:
1000 replicated CDs from a glass master
Full color, off-set imprint on the disc face
4 panel, full-color printed insert with tray card
Jewel case packaging with choice of a black or clear tray
Top spine sticker and barcode
Full assembly and poly-wrap
Free ground shipping within the United States
Free graphic design
Regular retail price for this full package would be nearly $2,000! Here’s your chance to get an outstanding low price on a full CD package.
The winning bidder may redeem this service when they are ready. It does not have to be used immediately. For example, if the winner does not plan to record a new CD until next year, they can get the design and manufacturing done at that time.
The winning bidder will receive all of the services/items listed above. Other options are available (expedited shipping, larger quantity, audio mastering, etc.), but will come at an additional fee.
When ordering a CD replication package with jewel cases, you have a choice between using a clear or black tray. If you opt for the clear tray, you can also print on the inside of your tray card. Actually, you can print on the inside of your tray card if you opt for a black tray, but it won’t be visible.
Sales rep Adam Wachter shows some examples:
For more informational videos, please visit our YouTube page.
The question I have is this: are these applications used only by existing fans, or do they actually reach out to new listeners? I think it depends on the application. Artists like Lady Gaga have their apps instantly featured in the iTunes application store, and as a result sail right to the top of the most downloaded list. This portrays the image that their music must be good. A consumer does not even need to download the application. Just by seeing the artist on the list of most downloaded applications, they will remember their name.
Apple has always been quick to promote musicians like this, but what if you’re not as popular as Lady Gaga or The Jonas Brothers? In this case, its less likely that your app will take off. Without being promoted by Apple or having a fan base that will immediately go download your application, there is not much chance of growing your audience from the app store. Most features included in these applications are bonus content that fans want, such as interviews, new tracks, exclusive music videos, etc. Consumers simply will not want to pay money for these things unless they are already fans. For this reason, in my opinion, the app store cannot help grow your fame, unless you already have a reasonableamount of following, or are featured by Apple themselves.
You can get jewel cases in two basic sizes: standard and slim. The slim jewel case is half as thick as the standard sized jewel case, which will make for a lighter package and save storage space. However, the slim jewel case can not display a tray card, so your package will have less print space.
Watch the short video below to hear Ricky Coles explain the differences between these two types of jewel cases:
COPYCATS Media is now releasing a series of video blogs made by the Sales Reps themselves to explain various tricky or hard to understand aspects of your CD Duplication project.
The first video blog in our series is by Zac Boyd, explaining the different inserts available for jewel cases.
Check out our YouTube Page for more instructional videos.
The Twin Cities are never short on musical talent, and Sounds of Blackness is proof of that. The Grammy Award-winning group crosses multiple genres by infusing gospel, jazz, soul, R&B, and hip hop.
Founded in 1969 at Macalester College in St Paul, Sounds of Blackness have released 11 records, including the album, The Evolution of Gospel, whichreceived a Grammy in 1992. Their newest release, The 3rd Gift: Story, Song, and Spirit, will hit stores on August 25th. It includes a mix brand new songs along with some traditional songs and a new recording of the hit, “Optimistic.”
If you want to check them out before their new album hits stores, they will be making TV appearances on local TV news shows in the Twin Cities. Here’s where you can see them:
August 15th, 9 AM on KSTP-TV’s Morning Show with Sheletta Brundidge
August 24th, 10 AM on KARE 11-TV’s Minnesota Showcase
They will also be holding CD Release party at the Mall of America on August 25th. Come down to the Rotunda at 6:30 PM. The performance is free and open to the public. You can check out the video below to hear a new recording of “Optimistic,” which will be on their new album.
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In the article, they say it’s a good way to practice and play different styles of music as your band is starting out. Once your band gets more experience and recognition, then you can start pushing your own original music.
