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Have you just finished recording your new album or put the finishing touches on your first demo? It's time to ask yourself the right questions about pressing your future CDs!
And since we're nice at Distrolution Merch, we're going to help you choose how many CDs to press, and how!
To start with, you should know that 75% of your sales happen during concerts. When you return to your merch stand to sell your products, you create a connection with your fans, and it's this special moment that will make them want to buy. Taking the time to chat with them, signing CDs is really important, especially for your band's image!
Moreover, nowadays, the CD remains a collector's item that the most passionate music fans keep in their library at home. Your band's CD represents you as it combines your music with your visual identity. It contains all the necessary information about your band. It's therefore a real professional business card that gives credibility to your band.
How many CDs should you order?
There are 3 factors that will help you choose how many CDs you should press:
- your budget,
- your popularity,
- the frequency of your concerts
Obviously, Slipknot isn't going to press as many albums for their European tour as the local black metal band for their release party in a bar!
In our opinion, pressing 100 pieces is really the minimum, it's preferable to go for 300 or 500 pieces to make it more profitable for you and ensure you have sufficient stock. The unit cost also drops considerably.
Keep one thing in mind: it's better to have too many and store them, rather than miss out on sales during a concert when that's the time you have the best chance of making sales. The stock will never be wasted! You'll always need them to sell online or at your next gigs, give them as business cards to concert or festival promoters, send them to the media for promotion, or even offer them with your future collector's edition albums!
At Distrolution Merch, we offer CD production starting from 50 copies for duplication and pressing from 300 copies.
It's more advantageous to press than to duplicate. The production cost is lower and a pressed CD will last longer than a duplicated one. Regarding the printing of your artwork on the disc, we use a offset four-color printing process that allows us to print any type of visual, from photos to illustrations or simply a logo on a plain background. You can let loose on the design!
What about the options, shall we discuss them?
Now that you have a more precise idea of the quantity of CDs to press, it's important to choose the format. Digipack, digisleeve, digifile, jewel case or cardboard sleeve?
We tend to prefer the first 3 options because it's important to offer your fans a CD that looks great!
The cardboard sleeve is very suitable for a demo, but doesn't look very professional for an album. The jewel case is inexpensive, but breaks and scratches easily. Moreover, it doesn't allow for a global artwork between the front and back of the CD.
To avoid these frustrations for your fans, opt for a digipack or digisleeve instead. It looks less cheap, you can really let your imagination run wild with your artwork, and it's more durable. One last advantage, and not the least, is that they are better suited for shipping as they are lighter and don't break. It's perfect for your online sales or promo mailings. And if you're organizing a release party and need CDs as well as vinyl and promo items, we have a super cool Release pack to offer you! It contains digipack or digisleeve CDs, vinyl records, flyers, posters, and square or round stickers. You can choose the quantity you want, and since it's a bulk order, you pay less than buying individually, so take advantage of it!
Shall we begin?
Now that you have all the information to determine the number of CDs you should press, all you need to do is choose your packaging, place your order, and wait for it to be delivered directly to you! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask us. We'll respond as soon as possible. If you liked the article, feel free to share it on social media! And if you want to stay informed about news, such as new blog posts, new products, or promotions, sign up for the newsletter just below.
