The Release
A cappella recording has become a big business within a budding industry. Indeed, given the improvements in recording and distribution technology, and the increase in professional services available to groups interested in recording, it seems like groups at all levels, from small high schools to major universities to post-collegiate social groups to full-fledged pros are releasing new recordings each year.
In Recording Recommendations, we offer our two cents on best practices in recorded a cappella.
In this edition, our focus is on the release
Recordings take time—for most groups a matter of months, if not years. Groups should be proud of their final products and do everything they reasonably can to publicize their work, whether it’s playing to the local community or trying to build an audience on a more national (or even international) stage. Thus, when a group thinks about putting out an album, it should put some real thought into what it will do upon release to steer as many ears as possible to their recording.
Like so many facets of marketing nowadays, effective advertising starts with social media. Groups should be prepared to unleash a flurry of activity via Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and not be afraid to tag everyone from the original artists who first performed the songs the group has recorded; people who helped make the album—donors, producers, friends, family; and media outlets. Taking a step back, groups may also consider harnessing the social media power of crowd sourcing funding for their recording. Sites like Kickstarter are great for developing funds for a recording project, but also have the benefit of giving people a stake in your album well before it’s released, and a platform to keep an audience updated on your progress.
On top of bolstering awareness, groups should think about communicating why people should care. For this pursuit, offering up a sample of your work can do the trick, and recording a music video of one or more of your songs to release on YouTube leading up to the release is a great way of both getting attention and showcasing what your group is capable of.
To take your marketing from the Internet to the street, your group may also consider the merits of a release concert—drawing people together to celebrate what your group has accomplished, show off your skills live, and, of course, sell albums. While digital distribution may have arrived as the dominant means of buying and selling music, never underestimate the immediacy of getting an audience to hand over cash for the instant gratification of a hard copy CD—and particularly the fact that hard copy media may still appeal to an older demographic of family and faculty who may attend a show.
Once your CD is out, it’s important to follow up. You can both earn recognition and get the word out to even more potential listeners by soliciting reviews from RARB or The A Cappella Blog; you can nominate your work to all manner of awards and compilations. On top of all of that, don’t forget to continue selling your work into the future. Did you land a track on Voices Only? Don’t just Tweet about that news—remind your followers how they can buy the full album. Is Black Friday coming up? If you have direct control over your sales, consider offering a sale at a time when people are already in a consumer mindset.
When it comes to recording, groups should focus on putting out the best product possible. In the aftermath, groups are best-served to get their work into the earbuds of as many listeners as possible. It all starts with the release.