The B# Newsletter (For Musicians)

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| The B# Newsletter | April 21, 2007

Publisher: MuBiz.com
http://www.MuBiz.com
Editor: Kenny Love
Primary Email: kennylove@...
Web Site Sign-Up: http://yahoogroups.com/group/BSharpNews
Email Subscribe: BSharpNews-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Email Unsubscribe: BSharpNews-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
List owner: BSharpNews-owner@yahoogroups.com

Copyright © 2007 MuBiz.com All Rights Reserved

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"The B# Newsletter" is a FREE music industry newsletter
published by MuBiz.com. It is focused toward independent
musicians and recording artists. Its intent is to inform and
enlighten artists through articles, resources, products, and
services that will significantly enhance them in their music
careers. Additionally, it offers Op-Ed/Commentary on various
Music industry headline news.

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IN THIS ISSUE…

I. Editor's Blurb


II. CD Cover Design Myths Debunked (Part 1 of 2)
(and other must-know CD design info for the indie musician)

By Guest Author Jane Denny


III. Music Business & Career Resources/Products/Services

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I. Editor's Blurb

As many of you are aware, I have written several articles on
the importance of the visual presentation of CD covers to
promote and sell your music in advance and long before a
single note is heard.

However, after reviewing Ms. Jane Denny's first part of her
two-part article below, you will quickly realize that I have
hardly scratched the proverbial surface of the importance of
CD covers' visual impact.

After reviewing her discussion of the intricate mechanics of
cover design, you will assuredly come away with a healthy
respect for the design process.

Additionally, Ms Denny is the Art Director for The Mad Hand
Arts, Graphics and Design in New York. Her clients include
the highly popular music industry directory, The Indie Bible,
as well as numerous independent recording artists.

NOTE: If you are an author who would like to contribute a
"unique" article that helps musicians and recording artists
succeed in their careers, please feel free to send it to me
for consideration of publication within the B# Newsletter.

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II. CD Cover Design Myths Debunked (Part 1 of 2)
(and other must-know CD design info for the indie musician)

By Jane Denny


I have been a digital design professional for 15 years. I've
specialized in CD cover and package design for nearly 10 of
those years. I'm also a musician with a certification in audio
arts and an early career in recording studio management.
So, I know the music (and art for music) businesses from
almost every angle.

My goal in writing this article is to give the indie musician a
closeup view of the CD cover design process while dispeling
the most common misconceptions that can muddy the
waters for both musicians and me when they find their way
to my door.

Hopefully, after reading this article, you will have a better
than average understanding of the process, know what to
expect, and can avoid some of the common pitfalls I see so
many musicians fall into on their way to me.

Myth #1: The Art work can wait until the end.

A common misconception and mistake musicians make is
thinking that the CD package design can be left until the
end of the production AND assuming it can be done in a
jiffy.

Wrong! If time is no issue, sure, you CAN leave it until the
end of the recording process, and creatively, it's ideal if you
have the luxury of going into the art phase when all the
material is done, and you're drawing on that and the overall
experience for inspiration. But I've never known a project
that wasn't time sensitive, and the graphics can take a big
chunk of time. It is a process, after all, and not a fast one.

To illustrate my point, consider the average CD package.
It's a 6-piece, jewel case package (jewel case means the
typical plastic cover on most retail CDs) consisting of the
cover, usually three interior booklet pages, on-cd art (i.e.,
disk art), a tray card (i.e., back cover), two spines, and
sometimes something on the back of the tray card, i.e.,
under the CD.

Now, consider the elements typically found on each of
those pieces. A photo or some kind of graphic for the
cover, the title, and byline in stylized text. More often than
not, the photo needs retouching or effects of some kind.
Maybe there's no photo at all, but original art needs to be
created.

Page 4 of the booklet is what you see on the left when you
open the jewel case. There, most people want to have
some credits, special thanks, copyrights, usually more
photos or a continuation of the graphic theme from the
cover, which means more photo retouching or design.

Page 2 and 3, i.e., the centerfold of a 4-page booklet, are
usually reserved for lyrics, a photo montage, reviews, or
whatever more in-depth information the artist wants to share.
Lyrics are a big time guzzler. They involve typesetting for
what can be 7-12 large paragraphs, and fitting it all into a
very limited space neatly and legibly.

Then, there is the disk art. Here, you usually have a reprise
of what's on the cover, or some variation on, or evolution of,
that idea. There are also usually band and label logos,
copyrights, infringement warnings, Digital Audio Disk and
Compact Disk logos on the CD.

On the tray card, there is usually another photo requiring
retouching or more graphics in the continuing theme of the
package. Here, there will be song titles, run times, label
logo, contact info, copyrights and infringement warnings
again, etc., etc., etc.

So far, I'm talking only about the fundamental things I have
to collect and place as the designer. I haven't even
mentioned the creative development phase, or the back
and forth process of proofing and revisions with the client
(there are always revisions). This or that to be moved and
tweaked, this color boosted, that typo fixed, etc.

More often than not, there is more than one band member
who needs to be consulted on each design decision.
Sometimes, four or five collaborators need special thanks
included. So, don't be surprised if you send the same piece
back and forth 6 times before it's perfect (you see the clock
ticking).

I've never had a CD cover project take less than two weeks.
And that's when we're in close touch, all on the same page,
the concept is manifesting nicely, and everything goes right.
Sometimes, Murphy's Law kicks in, everything goes wrong,
and it can take two or three months. So, if you have even a
hint of a concept for where you want the graphics to go, it's
really best to start as soon as possible into the overall
process.

Myth #2: My friend who has Photoshop can do it.

Oh, lordy. If I had a nickel for every tissue I gave a
musician who said that...

CD package design, in the real world (and when I say real
world, I am assuming you're using a professional
manufacturer like Oasis or Disk Makers), is a minefield of
technical specifications and requirements which cannot be
navigated by lay folk, and which cannot be overlooked.

I don't want to overstate my own worth, or disparage your
friend's talents, but unless s/he has more than a passing
familiarity with the intricacies of the print process, color
modes, resolutions, separations, bleeds, crop marks, etc.,
you're in for a world of heartache if you give this job to your
friend.

I can't tell you how many musicians wind up back at my
door in the end, grudgingly, having used a friend, or having
paid a young design intern who produced a mess, and even
more unwilling than when they started to pay what the
package design is worth. Or even worse, tearing their hair
out because they tried to do it themselves and found
there's just too much they don't understand.

Case in point: The young lady singer who came to me with
computer files she had created to minutely specific artistic
details, and which she wanted to use as the pieces of her
CD package. She had spent untold hours on this, and had
every detail of every piece exactly as she wanted it. All she
needed from me was to fit the images to Oasis CD's
templates, and she was ready to go.

NOT! On close inspection, I saw that she had created her
files in screen color mode, at very low resolution, without
layers, and saved them all as jpegs. That may all be Greek
to you (which makes my point for me), but in English, it
was a complete disaster. None of her files could be used.

Things intended for print need to be in 4-color (CMYK)
mode, not screen color (RGB). She couldn't be expected
to know that. Things intended for print must be created,
from scratch, at a resolution of 300 dots per inch or more.
72 dots per inch, the default resolution of most computer
monitors, yields very poor quality in print. She couldn't be
expected to know that either.

All the elements flattened into a single layer made it so
nothing could be changed, even one letter of one word,
without changing the whole. Finally, saving the files as
jpegs, rather than saving them as indigenous files,
compressed the images (i.e. removed data from the files)
and they were beginning to pixelate.

Ay yay yay. The whole thing, if we were going to go with
this design idea, had to be recreated from scratch. A lot of
it couldn't possibly be recreated exactly (as any of you will
know having done more than one take of a song). And of
course, hearing all this, she was so horrified, there was no
making her happy, no matter what I would have done. She
had painted herself into a corner before I was ever in the
picture.

I'm sure it would have been a tedious process for both of us
if she had tried to direct me in the creation of those minute
details from scratch, but had she hired me before she tried
doing this on her own, it would have gotten done right the
first time and she wouldn't have had the heartbreaking
experience of falling in love with an image that could not be
used or fixed.

[---End Part 1 of 2---]
_________________________________________________

Editor's Note: Jane Denny is the Art Director for The Mad
Hand Arts, Graphics and Design in New York. Her design
clients include the highly popular music industry directory,
The Indie Bible, as well as numerous independent recording
artists. Be sure to read Part 2 of this article in tomorrow's
edition. An extensive portfolio of Jane's work can be seen
on her website at http://www.themadhand.com

Related Short Story:

Read "The Case Of The Great CD Cover Mystery"
http://www.MuBiz.com/CDMystery.html

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* As always, your comments regarding this article are very
much appreciated, so please feel free to send them to
kennylove@...

Again, if you are an author who would like to contribute a
"unique" article that helps musicians and recording artists
succeed in their careers, please feel free to send it to me
for consideration of publication within the B# Newsletter.

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Get a complete list of articles by checking the "Messages"
section in the B# Newsletter on Yahoo! Groups at
http://yahoogroups.com/group/BSharpNews

=====

Music Dish articles by Kenny Love:
http://www.musicdish.com/kennylove/

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III. Music Business & Career Resources/Products/Services

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[---CHEAP ADVERTISING SPACE---]

The B# Newsletter now has over 2,000 dedicated
musicians as subscribers. If you own a music
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Your ad will include an ALL CAPS headline and 6
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To purchase your ad via http://www.PayPal.com,
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address.

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1. http://www.MuBiz.com
(MuBiz.com Hqtrs.)

2. http://www.MuBiz.com/KL-ProPer.html
All About Me (Professionally & Personally)

3. http://prweb.com/releases/2006/10/prweb466569.htm
(Billboard News on The B# Newsletter)

4. http://prwebpodcast.com/releases/pod466569.htm
(My Billboard Radio Interview)

5. http://www.MuBiz.com/aboutMuBiz.html
(MuBiz.com's Mission Statement)

6. http://www.MuBiz.com/licensingyoursongs.html
(How To Get Your Music On Film & TV Soundtracks)

7. http://www.MuBiz.com/MultiSpeak.html
(This is THE Single Most Important Link for Doubling,
Tripling & Quadrupling YOUR Music $ales INSTANTLY!)

8. http://www.MuBiz.com/services.html#RECORD_PROMOTION
(MuBiz.com's Promo/Pub.)

9. http://www.MuBiz.com/GigPromo.html
(MuBiz.com's Gig Promo)

10. http://www.MuBiz.com/services.html#Video_Scripting
(MuBiz.com's Video Scripts)

11. http://www.MuBiz.com/Finalized.mp3
(MuBiz.com's Radio Commercial)

12. http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/bsharpnews
(The B# Newsletter)

13. http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/klmb101
(MuBiz.com's Online Classes)

14. http://www.MuBiz.com/klmuzres.html
(My Music Resumé)

15. http://www.MuBiz.com/writeres.html
(My Writing Resumé)

16. http://www.MuBiz.com/hiphopbts.html
(Huge Library of Hip Hop Beats)

17. http://www.MuBiz.com/proprod.html
(Get the secrets of leading studio producers)

18. http://www.MuBiz.com/Bandit.html
(Here is the inside info on getting signed to record labels)

19. http://www.MuBiz.com/musiclicense.html
(Here's how to get your music on movie & TV soundtracks)

20. http://www.MuBiz.com/zzounds.html
(Lowest Priced/Highest Quality Equipment For: Musicians & Singers!)

21. http://www.NysaLove.com
(Original Art work for your CD Cover or Music Business)

22. http://www.MuBiz.com/StunRing.html
(Be Safe & Protect Yourself On The Road, At Gigs & On Tour!)

23. http://www.MuBiz.com/schgrant.html
(Want A Music Degree, But Think You Can't Afford College? Think
Again!)

24. http://www.MuBiz.com/lifegrant.html
(Starving Musician? Never Heard Of It! What's That? Click the
above link to learn how you can get FREE money from the government
for your music career without the need to get a boring suicidal day job!)

25. http://www.MuBiz.com/4life.html
(Life's All-Problem-Solving Resource!)

26. http://www.MuBiz.com/OnlineGigs.html
(Book Your Own Gigs & Get Gig Offers)

27. http://yahoogroups.com/group/klmb101
(Online "Real-Time" Music Business Class!!!)

28. http://www.MuBiz.com/F4.html
(Absolutely FREE Digital Electronics!)

29. http://www.MuBiz.com/bb-bf.html
(Bob Baker's Masterpiece On Taking Advantage
Of & Effectively $elling Music on MySpace)

30. http://www.MuBiz.com/MusicBlogPower.html
(Learn HOW to Blog Your Music To Riche$!)

31. http://www.MuBiz.com/viralmusic.html
Increase Your Music Buyers Dramatically!

32. http://www.MuBiz.com/mustsee.html
Musicians' Must-Have Survival Products

33. http://www.MuBiz.com/services.html#CD_COVER
CD Cover Concepts

34. http://www.MuBiz.com/KLFiction.html
(My "Other" Life)

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Some Humor, Perhaps?

"The Case Of The Great CD Cover Mystery"
http://www.MuBiz.com/CDMystery.html

"Nightmare on L Street"
http://www.MuBiz.com/nightmare.html

Scary Review 1
http://www.musicdish.com/mag/index.php3?id=2132

Scary Review 2
http://www.musicdish.com/mag/index.php3?id=4780

"Attack of the Killer Musicians!"
http://www.musicdish.com/mag/index.php3?id=4525

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Got Questions, Issues, Answers, News, or anything
of value to add to the content of "The B# Newsletter?"
If so, we encourage you to please feel free in contacting
us at: BSharpNews-owner@yahoogroups.com

Also, if you are aware of any fellow independent
musicians and recording artists who might benefit from
this newsletter, why not inform them about it? Or better
yet, why not forward them a copy of this edition for them
to preview?

Thank you for reading us...until next time…

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| The B# Newsletter | April 21, 2007

Publisher: MuBiz.com
http://www.MuBiz.com
Editor: Kenny Love
Primary Email: kennylove@...
Web Site Sign-Up: http://yahoogroups.com/group/BSharpNews
Email Subscribe: BSharpNews-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Email Unsubscribe: BSharpNews-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
List owner: BSharpNews-owner@yahoogroups.com

Copyright © 2007 MuBiz.com All Rights Reserved

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