| While you may hear a lot of negative comments | | | | Sufjan Stephens has produced several popular |
| towards the music industry over illegal online | | | | concept albums. Remember, even bands like Led |
| music distribution, they do have cause for | | | | Zeppelin and Pink Floyd did concept albums. |
| concern. Since the advent of Napster and other | | | | These are fun albums to produce, but they're also |
| file sharing communities, the record industry has | | | | fun to collect. They're not something you want |
| lost hundreds of millions of dollars in sales. Some | | | | for one song. |
| of blame can be placed on their conservative | | | | Creative Packaging |
| approach to promoting artists, opting for the | | | | This may be the most costly tip, but it is also a |
| "American Idol" instead of the avant-garde artists | | | | lot of fun. Companies such as Invisible Creature |
| who can excite the next generation like the | | | | specialize in creating one-of-a-kind packaging for |
| Beatles or Van Halen in decades past. They also | | | | albums. A lot of people like creative packaging, |
| failed to use the internet to distribute music | | | | and love to collect it. Think about what Apple did |
| before the rampant distribution began. But one | | | | with their iPod packaging, it is an adventure just |
| thing is clear, the CD is on the way out. | | | | opening up the box. Project 86's latest album, |
| Over the last several years the Compact Disc | | | | Rival Factions, used a blue jewel case to hides and |
| has experienced negative growth in the market. | | | | revels different elements in the liner notes, much |
| In fact the Vinyl LP has actually remained selling | | | | like what you used to find in cereal boxes. |
| while the CD is lowing steam. A couple reasons | | | | With the right packaging, fans will need to own |
| for this are online distribution, and the fact that | | | | your album, not just download a few songs. |
| many consumers now use the CD as a medium | | | | Digital Distribution |
| to rip music from to their iPod or similar portable | | | | We all want to sell complete albums, but we can't |
| music device. | | | | afford to ignore digital delivery. Services such as |
| While I lament the fact that nobody sits down | | | | TuneCore can get your album sold through |
| and listens to an album anymore, instead using | | | | iTunes, Rhapsody, Amazon, eMusic and more |
| music as a soundtrack to their own lives, there | | | | while you get 100% of the sales. This is the |
| are still ways to distribute your next album. You | | | | future of music sales. Radiohead most famously |
| have to use a little creativity and think outside the | | | | provided their album for sale on their website |
| box, but you can make it work | | | | independently. Some people aren't collectors and |
| USB Flash Drive | | | | don't really care about a single experience, they |
| Don't think you would be the first to do this. You | | | | just want a few songs. Indulge them. |
| would simply be in the company of established | | | | High-quality Multi-channel Audio |
| artists such as Matchbox Twenty who last year | | | | Not everyone has access to high-quality recording |
| released a full length album on a USB bracelet. | | | | equipment, but those that do should consider |
| The great thing about the USB drive is you can | | | | releasing their albums on master-quality for those |
| include extra features easily such as videos, liner | | | | who really love their music. Blu-ray Disc is the |
| notes, or even alternative file types such as | | | | newest audio disc format which allows |
| lossless FLAC or multi-channel audio. The price of | | | | uncompressed audio in up to 7.1 multi-channel |
| USB drives has dropped to dollars each, so it's not | | | | surround sound. More and more homes are |
| too much more than CD replication. Plus, the USB | | | | including surround sound systems and Blu-ray is |
| drive can be used for other things (such as | | | | exploding on the market, thanks to the |
| storing personal files for work or school) after | | | | Playstation 3. Even two-channel audio sounds |
| your fan has moved it to their iPod. | | | | better in high-quality. |
| There are several services offering USB drives in | | | | Additional features can be added to Blu-ray |
| bulk loaded with your content and even printed | | | | releases, such as live footage, documentaries and |
| with your name or logo. Call around for the best | | | | whatever else you can fit on the 50GB space |
| price. | | | | provided. Artists who have released on Blu-ray |
| Concept Albums | | | | include Nine Inch Nails, Dave Matthews, John |
| Online distribution has increasingly made the single | | | | Legend, and Shakira, amongst many others. |
| popular again. Now that you can chose which | | | | But don't think you're stuck to Blu-ray. Record |
| songs you want and which songs are junk, many | | | | companies such as Linn Records are providing |
| people will download their preferred songs and | | | | master quality downloads on their website. Online |
| leave the rest alone. I'm going to assume you put | | | | music stores like MusicGiants [ are also providing |
| all of your effort into every song already to not | | | | lossless audio downloads and multi-channel audio |
| create filler, but what some artists are trying is | | | | downloads. |
| the concept album. | | | | Get Started |
| Concept albums center around an idea or theme. | | | | This is only the beginning. Get creative and try |
| Thrice recently released the first part of a | | | | new things. Music and art are going to have |
| two-part concept collection. Each box includes two | | | | coalesce to keep it in the physical realm, so think |
| EPs, so the set will have four discs, one for each | | | | like an artist and a businessman. This is your time |
| element: fire, water, earth, and air. Similarly, | | | | to shine. |