[Dixielandjazz] More OKOM Profits - the "How To"

Sat Mar 15 09:55:57 PDT 2008

For all of the following work, I suggest using Nero Ultra 8. It has all the  
various programs you need to accomplish all the following. If not, do the best 
 you can with what you're used to.

First you need to import all of your presently recorded material into your  
computer. There have been various tech discussions here as to how to accomplish 
 this regardless of format. Import everything as MP3 format, and I suggest 
using  a bit-rate of 128 kbps. You could go to 192 kbps, but that would probably 
only  be a benefit if all of your material is already on CDs and if you 
didn't have  more than would exceed the capacity of on CD as the finished product.

Be sure to place each individual album in its own folder named with the  
original title of the album. And singles you've released, import them into a  
folder labeled "Singles".

Keep all of your individual folders in one main project folder.

Once everything has been imported to you need to begin to process each  
individual song.

First, you have to "Normalize" every single song. I use Nero Wave Editor.  
It's very simple to do and it's automatic. Normalizing the songs basically make  
them all the same playback levels. As you go from album to album, you'll 
notice  that, in most cases, there's a huge variation as to the playback levels 
between  different albums. This process levels that all out so a person can play 
through  the entire disc without major annoyance and having to constantly 
ride the volume  level.

As you go through this process with each individual song, you also need to  
make sure all the information for each song is correct.

It should be assigned the same track number as it had on the original  
release. Single digit track numbers should be preceded with a zero. The track  
number should be followed by the original title of the song.

You should then RIGHT CLICK on the file (track) and bring up the  PROPERTIES 
BOX, then SUMMARY tab, then ADVANCED tab.

You will want to make sure that all of the information here is correct and  
change anything that needs to be change. The info here should include:

Track Number
Song Title
Album Title
Artist

When this song is played on a digital device, all of this information will  
be displayed, so make sure it's correct and looks professional.

When all of your songs and albums have been processed, you are then ready  to 
burn you disc. As the individual folders already have the name of the album,  
I suggest just burning them on the disc in alphabetical order.

All the customer has to do is to select the album they wish to listen to  and 
they can hear all the songs of that album play back in the same order as  
they did on the original release.

The packaging can be very simple; a one piece cover for the front  with the 
inside containing basic info. I used slimline CD cases and  printable CDs.

The title of the collection was:

The
COMPLETE
Kerry Christensen
Collection
Version 1.0

The "Version" number allowed for future updates available for purchase at  an 
"update price" and Kerry recorded new material.

The inside of our front cover was like this:

******************************************************************************
***

This disc will play on any computer.

To load your iPod, MP3 player or cell phone,
you must first load the  contents of this disc on your computer and make the 
transfer from there.

This disc is playable on all DVD players that play MP3 CDs.

As Kerry records new CDs,
you may upgrade this disc to the newest  version
for a nominal charge by returning this disc to Kerry
at any of his  performances or by mail at the following address:

Kerry Christensen
1454 East Springdell Circle
Provo , Utah  84604
Phone 801 - 226 - 5204

On the web:
KerryChristensen.com

The back cover was like this:

******************************************************************************
***

The  COMPLETE Kerry Christensen - Version 1.0

The following CDs are in  MP3 format on this disc:
An Evening To Remember – 24 Songs
By Request – 18  Songs
Christmas Quiet – 16 Songs
Hooked On Yodeling – 22 Songs
Hymns Of  Grateful Praise – 22 Songs
On The Western Yodel Express – 12 Songs
Swiss  Cowboy – 18 Songs
Volksmarsch – 16 Songs
Wandering Star – 13  Songs
Yodeling From The Old West To The Alps – 20 Songs
Yodeling Over The  Edge – 16 Songs

Kerry Christensen
1454 East Springdell Circle –  Provo, Utah 84604 – Phone 801 - 226 –  5204
KerryChristensen.com

******************************************************************************
***

I manufactured these discs all here on my machine, labels and all. I  printed 
the label directly to disc. I then had the product shrink-wrapped  locally.

Due to the nature of the product, and the profit margin, you could just as  
easily have these mass produced very inexpensively and get an even more  
professional appearance, although ours looked very good.

You can handle the copyrights however you customarily deal with that  issue.

One final benefit - as long as you've gone through the time & effort to  
process all your material, you may wish to consider selling these tracks,  
individually or as albums, as MP3 downloads online.

Hope this is helpful to someone!
Bill
414-777-0100
BillSargentBands.com

Just released:  "The Best Of Bill Sargent Bands - Volume 1"

Available at:  http://billsargentbands.com/recordings.htm

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