Music is difficult to figure out, and it is created in the most abstract ways. People still think it is an exclusive medium limited to a specific category of people with a particular set of skills and connections within the industry. But all that can be classified as baseless conclusions. The world we currently live in has availed us plenty of access to technology and information, reducing most of the barriers to entry into music. At this point, it is pointless to think that you cannot create music on your own.
Creating a music album can be a very overwhelming task, but if you break down the whole process into steps, you will successfully design your album. Below are some of the steps you can follow to produce your music album.
Write and Select Songs for Your Album
As an artist, you can choose one of the many approaches to create your album. You may choose to pass some intentional information through an album and decide to write songs with that in mind. On the other hand, you may settle on the idea of writing songs only when you are planning to do an album. Whatever method you choose to implement when creating your album, you should consider whether your songs belong together. It would be best if you had it in mind that the album creation point is not about making great songs, but you also need to focus on the themes and what they say musically.
Calculate Your Budget
As you produce your album, you do not need to reach the completion of a sage before you realize that you do not have enough money to move through the next step. Before you commence recording, to avoid such disappointments, make sure that you have your budget figured out concerning the number of songs you want in your album. You have to consider if you will hire some musicians or cover all the parts by yourself. Consider the costs to be incurred if you will be outsourcing your production equipment, production personnel, creators for the album artwork, distribution costs, and promotion costs if you choose to include it in your budget.
Get a Music Program
One crucial component in production is a system. You need to find yourself a plan that will perform all the complicated processes in making music. Specifically, you will need a digital audio workstation (DAW), a program used to create music. There are many music programs to select from. Hence, it would be best to find it powerful, less complicated, and fun to use simultaneously.
Set Up a Recording Space
Acquiring recording space could be the easiest step in the whole process, and that is some good news. It does not matter if you have limited options. There are a few things to consider that will ensure your project runs smoothly. The first thing to focus on is room to accommodate your equipment and soundproofing to control noise levels inside and outside the space. You can choose between using bass traps, diffusers, and acoustic panels for proofing purposes. As you work on these, do not forget to pay attention to the amount of time you will need to use the space as long as you do not have to shift your equipment mid-way through the recording process.
Create a Schedule
Planning how much time your album needs to be complete is not a simple task. It can be an overwhelming task to come up with estimates, but it is all a matter of trying. One rule of thumb to stick with; ensure you complete each stage before you jump onto the next task. You are required to figure out the amount of time you need to record a song. Also, consider if you will be breaking down the recording process or covering all your songs at once. Once you are done setting up the general timeline and your schedule is all set up, mark the free time you will have dedicated to your album and stick to the program. But this does not mean that your schedule is fixed; you can adjust the plan to your wishes.
Mixing and Mastering
The mixing process should be undertaken by you or your producer once you record, compile, and edit your songs. The mixing process is costly, so you will save a lot of money if you choose to mix for yourself. Consider mixing as an augmentation of the production process, this way, you get enough control. To avoid losing objectivity by mixing your music, it is highly recommended that you find a mastering engineer to check for neutrality. Outsourcing mastering services are good because a professional engineer has good ears, and they can pick out things you missed while you did your mix. They can help you make a few adjustments before a final master.
Release Your Album
One important thing to do before releasing your album is to register the songs in your album with a few companies; this process is to ensure you get paid royalties. Reach out and to a publishing rights organization so that you can sign up for songwriting royalties. To be awarded publishing royalties, you need to sign up with publishing admin companies. Some digital distribution companies also offer add-ons for publishing admin services. This whole process is known to be very time-consuming, but it is worth the sweat.
Create and Visual Cover
Presenting your album to the public may appear to be an easy task, but it is a step that needs a lot of attention. The first thing people will notice when you present your album will be the album cover. At this point, you must budget for someone to create a captivating piece of artwork to match the theme of your album. If that is not possible, there are plenty of websites that can provide templates for creating your album cover.
Distribute Your Album
After the album cover is put in place, you can choose to distribute your music individually or find a distribution company to send your music to various outlets. Your albums need to be uploaded four weeks before their official release date. This early delivery gives your distributors sufficient time to go through the album and provide reviews before they approve it for public consumption.
Develop a Promotion Plan
This process can be achieved in various ways. You can create a music video for one of your songs to alert people about your project. The video could be a lyric video, and it still works fine as long as you get to add a website link to where listeners can access the album. Get some graphic designers to create posters and flyers for you; once they are ready, you can post them on social media or your website.