Tony Tyler

Prepare MP3s

TonyT — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 04:55:37 +0000

I was speaking with one of my clients the other day who just finished her new album. Once she completed the mastering, she asked her engineer to make .mp3 files for each track. This saved her lots of time and energy allowing her to focus on promoting her music and adding tracks to her Facebook account, her MySpace page, and to the bizmo microstore on her website. Her mastering engineer controlled the quality and consistency of the encoding process. The engineer also added the ID3 tags and album art to each track. Don’t skip this important step! Once you release the MP3 version of your music and it ends up on someone’s iPod, you’ll want them to know who you are and where to find more of your music.

Graphics

TonyT — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:30:36 +0000

Designing for CD or DVD is not an easy task. At least 2 different printing methods are used for the same project, the materials are usually printed on a gang run press (more about this on a future post), and they must conform to an exact size in order to be packaged. As a full service replication facility, we receive numerous graphic files on a daily basis across a wide spectrum of industries. Over the years, we have seen the same mistakes made by Graphic Design Professionals and the Do It Yourselfer alike and have come up with some tips to save you time and money on your next CD or DVD project.

1. Design your project on the replicators template. We are all pretty similar, but expect some minor differences especially when printing sleeves, wallets, or Digipaks.
2. Be sure to provide final art files in a software program that is supported by the replicator. Most programs will cross platform these days for Mac or PC and most replicators will offer a range of options. Pay attention to the version of the program. Many replicators will not upgrade until a new release has been tried and tested, deemed free of bugs, and is compatible with all their equipment.
3. Embed your fonts and images. Or, for a smaller more manageable file, be sure to include them on the disc itself and link them to your file
4. Always provide a printed proof. If not, your replicator has no way of really knowing if the file is printing properly, if the fonts look correct and if all the images have loaded.
5. Proof read your material. Don’t wait until after it is in production to take this important step. Have a friend or colleague also proof the material for you. You’ll be surprised what a 2nd set of eyes will pick up.
6. A little extra time up front will save lots of time and aggravation in the end. Every replicator should be able to provide a template and plenty of pre-production support. If they don’t, find a new replicator. Take the time to ask all the questions you have in order to prepare the files for the best possible outcome.

Your feedback on this information is welcome. Your questions are encouraged.

Welcome

TonyT — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 19:25:56 +0000

Welcome to my Indie Music blog on MusicQuench.com! This is my first post…ever…anywhere…so please be gentle! I’m really excited to be involved with the launch of MusicQuench and look forward to watching it grow. As this blog evolves, I hope to be a resource for you in answering your questions or sharing ideas on CD and DVD Duplication and Replication, Graphic Design, Printing, Audio Mastering, CDROM Programming, and DVD Authoring. These are the areas in which I work every day for a wide variety of individuals and corporate concerns. I can bring real world insight and a unique perspective so bring it on!