[Dixielandjazz] Private CD replication

[Stephen Barbone]

Typical costs in the USA for glass master replication etc., (without
shopping hard) are:

For 1000 units.
Replication CDs, imprinted w/full color         $700
6 panel inserts and tray panel                         $350
jewel case                                                       $250

Sub Total                                                    $ 1300

Artwork by a graphic artist adds $35 per hour (takes about 3 hours) and
there would be a charge of about $200 for artwork film.

If you add in $600 in recording charges, balancing etc., done outside,
you come up with about $2205 exclusive of "licensing" fees for songs.

A little Do It Yourself, or hard shopping can reduce costs to about
$1600, or $1.60 per CD. If you are selling them at $15 net + shipping,
your break-even is is sales of 107 CDs. That should easily be reached in
a month if you are doing local gigs.

E.G. We've self produced 2 CDs in 12 months, and plan a third shortly,
perhaps "live" with 8 year old jazz violin sensation Jonathan Russell,
for whom we've created some paying gigs. We are well past break-even on
the first two. Because of licensing and recording costs, the average
cost was $2177 each on those CDs. Your own CDs at $2.17 a pop, or less,
are a bargain, but if you look at it regarding "break-even", they are
even a bigger bargain. Break-even in this instance was sales of only 146
CDs, per release.

You can put them into local record stores all day long on consignment
with a $14.99 sell price with $10,00 coming back to you when sold. In
"local" outlets, if one has any fan base at all, one will sell 5 CDs the
first month and a couple per month thereafter. (local meaning within a
50 mile radius). It is found money so don't let "consignment" scare you.

University Book Stores are also a great outlet. Our most recent CD
recorded at a local University Jazz Concert in 2003 and released in
January 2004 is moving out of their bookstore as fast as I can replenish
them. The break-even number at a $10 sales (remember they keep $5) is
218 units sold there. It is entirely possible that we will hit that
number in the bookstore alone if the current trend continues. If so, our
own sales at $15 net are 100% PROFIT.

There are a lot of ways to make money with a jazz band. The key being
developing a young audience in the local area. Once that is done, all
things are possible. Then, put the following song into the play book:
"I've
Got What It Takes, But It Breaks My Heart To Give It Away,"

Cheers,
Steve Barbone
Barbone Street Jazz Band