[Dixielandjazz] Disk Makers

[vaxtrpts at aol.com]

Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2006 03:51:42 -0500
From: Lowell Busching <verbose at daktel.com>
Subject: [Dixielandjazz] Disk Makers

Can someone on the list confirm for me the validity of a news article in 
the business section of a local area paper over the weekend concerning 
the company called "Disk Makers" head quartered in Pennsauren, N.J. with 
their plant outside Philly? Is this the company used by bands to 
produce  the CD's sold to "unsuspecting" customers at the festivals and 
jazz parties for $10-20 ?  If not, they should be based on the last 
paragraph of the article.
Sounds like a pretty good profit margin to me even allowing for other 
overhead. 
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Yes, Lowell, this company has been around a long time.  The Draga/Vax Connection did our CD through them quite a few years ago.
They have offices and plants in other places too.  They do a very good job.
I do have to comment on your "unsuspecting customers" comment, though.  There are MANY costs in producing a CD, not just the pressing itself and the packaging.
Maybe in trad jazz, the musicians all record for "free," but there are still recording studio costs, mastering, etc.  Even if the band records live at a performance, there are still costs that have to be incurred.  These all have to be figured into the sales price of a CD.
If you are talking about big bands and/or union scale recording sessions, the costs can be enourmous.  The musicians are not in a "co-op" situation, and must be paid. Most big bands will never sell enough product to cover all their costs. They record to get their music out to be heard.
Also, especially at trad jazz festivals, the pay is not very good, so the recording sales really do help the musicians make a more "livable" salary.  Please also remember that more and more festivals are taking $2-$4 for each CD that a band sells.  Then there are the sales taxes that we have to pay.  A price of $15 - $18 is actually reasonable, when you consider the enjoyment that a fan gets from hearing the music many times over.
Mike Vax
PS - just a note --- I don't need a lecture from Tom Wiggins about how we are all "doing it wrong" with regard to how we market our own CD's, because we don't make as much as he does.