The Problem: Packaging vs. Cost (helpful suggestions wanted)

[Antiques]

Ok, so here's the scenario.

http://www.antiquesaredead.org

We are a group called Antiques and we just finished mastering our third album, which we are pretty happy with and proud of. We released our last two albums first in a CD Digipack and then in a short-run duplication with homemade materials. I thought both packaging situations turned out pretty well and had a nice personal touch to them. We did a lot with a little money.

Here's our issue: We just hate CDs and modern CD production. When I go into a store and pay $15 for a little round piece of plastic in a jewel case, it pisses me off. There are examples of bands who buck the trend of CDs sucking as a format (I'll get to that later.) But, ultimately, this time around, we decided to try and save up as much money as we could to do a vinyl-only pressing with a digital download from our website.

Problem is, it seems no matter how much money we raise, it is just not going to be enough. Our lowest estimates are unaffordable, centering between $1500 and $2000 for 250 vinyl, labels, white sleeves, shipping, lacquers, and reference copies. One color jackets are $675 and are pretty much out as an option at this point. We would likely forgo that in favor of plastic sleeves and folded posters, yet I still believe we are around $1500 or more with this method. Having already spent money on studio and mastering costs and being full-time students and (in one case) parents, we feel absolutely tapped and we're watching the dream of putting this thing out in a creative manner slip away. We had also intended on doing a small, handmade guidebook on one-color tan paper with black type.

We have amassed a particularly good amount of art, typed materials, written stories, lyrics, etc. that we are proud of. I understand that we could create a perfectly minimal, reductionist CD in a sleeve and it would work in our budget and we would put it out tomorrow. But I just don't want to do that. I think the evolution of packaging is leaving the CD in the dust. I want a true piece of art, something someone could hold in their hands and feel great about paying money for. I want something to hold the piece of music which is directly corollated in theme and synchronicity so that the album as a whole is complete, whole piece of work.

The other option we thought of is to make a short run of just the guidebook with the CD affixed to the back page in a cardstock sleeve. I envision something like this: http://buenaventurapress.com/books/bookBPB-19.php only way less expensive and smaller in scale, 30 pages at the most, lighter in weight, etc. I feel there might be a way to get away with making this for under $1000 with CD Replication and printing.

I would appreciate anyone's advice on what we could do to make a unique statement for $1000 or less. Furthermore, if anyone has any recommendations on cheap vinyl packaging companies, has ever released a book/cd before, or knows of some other way we could cut the cost while still making the packaging an experience of it's own, I'd like to hear it.

[Corey Y]

Your best bet when it comes to getting a reasonable price on vinyl with packaging is quantity. I released a split 7" with my last band and the cost of 500 records packaged ended up being $100 more than $250. When it comes to manufacturing you get a significant discount with increased quantity. It's not very profitable to do short runs for vinyl. If you can do any aspect of it yourself or know someone who can, do it. I've known some bands who made all their own packaging, inserts, etc. and made them look very nice. It just depends on how committed and resourceful you are. If you want everything produced professionally by someone else shop around and see if you can get a cheaper price by buying the records, sleeves, inserts, etc. all separately. That's what my last band did with that split. We saved money and spent our free time assembling hundreds of 7"s with single fold inserts and plastic baggies.

If all else fails, start eliminating custom options and decide what your essentials are. When it comes to buying almost anything you've got affordability on one side of the scale and options on the other. You've got to take from one side to add to the other.

[Peterson Goodwyn]

If you haven't already, take a look at Aardvark Mastering. Their prices for mastering and plating seem to be cheaper than what most of the plants ask. Also, United Vinyl in Nashville is the cheapest I have found for pressing.

And I definitely agree with Corey about going the DIY route for packaging. See if you can get a bunch of blank sleeves for cheap and paint / silk screen them yourself.

Best of luck.

[signorMars]

another plus to going the DIY route with the packaging is that you can save a bit of upfront cash because you don't have to make the full run worth of artwork at once. you can have 1000 records pressed but only make 250 copies worth of art at first and then make more as you sell the first few.

[theposterkid]

You should NOT have to pay $675 for 250 one-color jackets. This is what my band recently used:

http://www.iloveimprint.com

[Nick Sevilla]

The other option we thought of is to make a short run of just the guidebook with the CD affixed to the back page in a cardstock sleeve. I envision something like this: http://buenaventurapress.com/books/bookBPB-19.php only way less expensive and smaller in scale, 30 pages at the most, lighter in weight, etc. I feel there might be a way to get away with making this for under $1000 with CD Replication and printing.

This is a lot of material, thus you will not get it for under 1000 for a run. You need to be a little more realistic, perhaps.

Maybe you and your band need to get together, stick to your budget (1500) and create a package that falls within this budget. Limit what you want to / need to say in print, and also the color options. Any time you want a booklet for a CD / Vynil, the cost will skyrocket. Try a 3 or 4 page insert maximum, with 4 colors maximum.

Amazon, if you are able to get an agreement with them, will make CDs as they get sold, thus not charging you for the making of said CD, until it sells. This means no money up front from you, Amazon takes the manufacturing cost directly from each sale.

Maybe contact them and find out the details.

Also, online music selling can be an interesting option, if you do not wish to manufacture. You can make a digital jacket, which purchasers can elect to download and print themselves, should they want to. You can save it as a PDF format file, and then you have the freedom to have a 56 page full color extravaganza, if you and your band feel like making one that big.

Cheers[/quote]

[@?,*???&?]

Are you complaining because it costs money to run a business?

Shop quotes from various places, but it's pretty much a fact that 1000 copies of vinyl or CDs is $1500 to $2500.