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Monday, January 30, 2012

Secrets to a Successful Tour and Life on the Road

Part of what makes musicians work so hard and sacrifice so much is to attain the goal of making a decent living off the music they make. When you're an aspiring musician, you want to take part in the glamorous lifestyle of being on the road, seeing different cities, meeting different people, and going on adventures.

The fact of the matter is, however, life on the road and touring as a musician is a tough experience when you're first starting out. Imagine a road trip in a cramped van with 5 other people for hours on end, book-ended by sometimes having to sleep on the floor in a sleeping bag. And then starting all over again the very next day. Many bands that have otherwise gotten along perfectly have ended up breaking up after their first long tour. So, in this post, we will point out some "tricks of the trade" to make your tour experience a bit more comfortable.

- Be prepared to spend more money than you make. The cost of the van rental, food, gas, the occasional emergency such as a flat tire - all of these things end up coming out of the band's wallet and the money you'll make at shows and with your merch might cover half of those expenses. Touring is an essential part of expanding your band's fan base, and it is also a large monetary investment that is well worth it if you want your band to succeed beyond playing in your local town.

- Bring the same personal belongings you would bring on a camping trip. Bring as much clean clothing as you can fit. You'll thank yourself for those extra clean socks and underwear after only a couple days. Toothpaste, soap, deodorant, and aspirin are essential. Bring more than one pillow because you might lose the other. Same goes for an extra jacket. Touring is essentially an urban camping trip. So, remember the cell phone charger too.

- Don't expect to have much time to see sights. While the idea of stopping at Venice Beach to play in the sand or go to the top of the Empire State Building may sound amazing, the reality is that you probably won't have time to do such things. Some clubs request that the touring band be at the venue at 3 or 4 oclock to load in and do sound check. Plus, take into account the traffic patterns of unfamiliar cities and stopping for gas and food, as well as the fact that if you're trying to conserve money, you won't want to waste the extra gas to drive an hour out of the way to visit a sight. Remember, you're on official band business so any extra frills come after any band-related business.

These are just a few tips for touring. Being on tour with a band is an adventure most people never get to experience. It is one of those things that may seem like a tough burden and at times may make you wonder if it's really worth it. However, when you come back home after a long slog on the road with your bandmates - tired, hungry, and feeling like you could take 5 showers in a row - you'll realize how much you have grown, both as a person and as a band.

Labels: cd, complete package, duplication, dvd, print, replication

posted by Disc2day at 9:26 AM 0 Comments

Friday, January 20, 2012

The Truth Behind Online Music Piracy

The topic of online music piracy has always been a contentious issue for many years now, and especially lately due to federal legislation that was briefly gaining momentum that would have curtailed certain freedoms on the internet. While there are certainly strong merits as to why the internet should be completely free and open to everybody, music piracy is the one area that has been surrounded by more myths than anything else. While we here at Disc2Day strongly support freedom of speech and a free and open forum to share thoughts, ideas, and inspiration via the internet, we also feel it is important to discuss why online music piracy isn't as glamorous as it seems.

The sharing and distribution of free music on the internet may seem like a drop in the bucket when comparing it to other injustices that occur in today's society. However, there are downsides to obtaining your music free of charge that aren't widely shared until it's too late:

- Audio quality: Most (if not all) free music files on the internet are in a compressed, low quality file format, in order to save server space and reduce download times. While it may not matter to some, the difference is noticeable if you compare to an actual artist-approved master recording. The highest quality audio file is usually .wav format, whereas the files obtained for free on the internet are usually compressed, low quality .mp3 format. So, if you're looking to download a classic album and listen through headphones to get the most out of your listening experience, you will be selling yourself short and sacrificing quality.

- Virus/trojan horse attacks: It is very easy to infect your computer with a virus and/or trojan horse if you don't know the ins and outs of protecting your computer. What may appear to be a legitimate, professional-looking file hosting site might actually be a haven for hackers and viruses. You are almost guaranteed to infect your computer with a virus if you make repeated attempts to obtain free music.

- Impact on the music industry: While it may seem insignificant that one person can have an impact on the music industry simply because he/she wants to download one song, multiply this by the thousands and it can be an important issue. The more music is distributed freely on the internet (without the artist's and/or record label's consent), the higher the costs rise for CDs, records, and other officially licensed products distributed by the artist and the record label, which results in more money out of your pocket when you go to purchase an item legally. This can also carry over into other products as well, not just music. Also, if you are an aspiring musician yourself, looking to shape your career around the music industry, you can probably relate. For example, would a painter allow his or her paintings to be copied and distributed without any consent or monetary reward for the hard work he or she put into it?

While it is virtually impossible to stop the tide of the availability of free music on the internet, we feel it is important to discuss why, in the bigger picture, it is more beneficial to both you and the artist to legally purchase content.

Labels: cd, complete package, duplication, dvd, replication

posted by Disc2day at 1:50 PM 0 Comments

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Happy New Year from Disc2Day!

From all of us here at Disc2Day, we would like to wish everybody a happy new year! As everybody starts packing away their decorations and getting back to work and school, we look forward to being your preferred manufacturer of CD/DVD duplication packages, as well as your first choice for posters, business cards, and flyers. For the coming New Year, here are a few pointers to help your CD/DVD complete package project go smoothly:

- For packages of quantities over 500, "replication" is used to manufacture your discs. Replication is the industry standard disc making process that you typically see when you purchase a new CD at a store.

- For packages of quantities under 500, "duplication" is used. Duplication is a more expedient process of manufacturing discs, but with zero loss in quality. Duplication discs have a different method of applying the art on the disc face, as well as a different surface onto which the audio is copied.

- You have more choices for packaging besides a jewelcase. We offer digipaks, cardboard sleeves, eco-friendly cardboard wallets, and even simpler options such as white paper sleeves and "clam-shell" style plastic cases. And that is just for CDs: DVDs also have other options available besides the standard black DVD case - digipaks, cardboard sleeves, and jewelcases are also available for DVD packaging projects.

- Remember that the better quality art files you give to us, the better quality your CD/DVD/Print project will turn out! We highly recommend submitting layered Photoshop .psd files at 300 dpi in a CMYK color mode. However, since Photoshop is a very complex and time-consuming program and may not be the best choice if you are in a rush, we can accept .pdf or .jpg files - as long as they are 300 dpi resolution and in a CMYK profile.

- When submitting an audio master, make sure all the information on your master disc is 100% accurate and meets your standards. The best audio quality for master discs are .wav audio files. If you need us to create a master disc for you, please submit your audio files in .wav format with a detailed track listing so we know exactly what order your tracks go in.

- Plan ahead! It is very common, especially when you are in an independent band, to get a show scheduled and discover a few days before the show that you are down to 5 CDs - not good! If you sell CDs at shows in your merchandise booth, make sure to always have somewhere between 50 - 100 CDs in stock. And, if you find out that you are down to a small quantity of CDs, make sure to place your order for more CDs a week beforehand just so you are guaranteed to receive your CD/DVD packages on time.

With these pointers in mind, your next CD/DVD complete package project will be an easy and fun experience!

From all of us here in sunny Arizona, happy 2012!

Labels: business card, cd, cd packaging, cd printing, complete package, duplication, dvd, flyer, posters, replication

posted by Disc2day at 9:28 AM 1 Comments

Friday, December 9, 2011

Holiday Season 2011

The holiday season is upon us once again, and for us here in Central Arizona we may not have the winter wonderland that is commonly associated with this time of year - but we still like to decorate our cacti with lights and ornaments!

For those of you that are in a band, or for those that are involved in film making or production, this time of year is ideal for getting your CD duplication or DVD duplication & replication complete package into production! There are numerous specials, deals, and sales for both duplication and replication projects, whether you are looking for a gift or simply want to take advantage of great prices for your own complete package project!

Be sure to check back with us regularly to get the latest updates for CD duplication and CD replication complete package news and specials, which are updated frequently.

From all of us here at Disc2Day, Happy Holidays!

Labels: cd, complete package, duplication, dvd, replication

posted by Disc2day at 12:40 PM 2 Comments

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Featured Artist: The Blues Review Band from Chandler, AZ! Playing Live This Weekend - Sat. Oct.15th At The Public House Garage

The Blues Review Band was formed out of Bluesman Mike's passion for the blues. In New Year of 2007 he decided to go back to his roots by spending his birthday gift on a bass guitar and soon started jamming with a great friend and co-founder of the band, Doug Hill. It was one of those evenings while they're jamming that they decided to form The Blues Review Band. The 1st original members were Scott Stuk (drums), Avi Edelson (Keyboard), Doug Hill (Lead guitar) and Bluesman Mike on vocals and bass. Soon, they're all over the valley doing their love and passion - playing the blues and becoming one of the hottest blues bands out!!! They all had a blast playing all over town but Scott had to go to college and their full time jobs required both Doug and Avi to leave the band. Now Bluesman Mike is jamming and doing gigs with Bobby Nealy, a seasoned and veteran keyboard player from Phoenix, AZ who has been playing for the last 30+ years including playing with the likes of Archie Bell and the Drells, along with his new lead guitar player who is another veteran by the name of Sugar Bear, from Philadelphia who incidentally has been performing for the last 20+ years as a studio musician as well as on stage, a producer, and song writer. To round out, and keeping the band on the one, is his new but also a veteran drummer, Kenny Spencer from Ohio.

To listen to songs and get more info about the band, check out their myspace page: www.myspace.com/thebluesreviewaz

If you find yourself in the Phoenix area this coming weekend, please be sure to check these guys out when they play live at The Public House Garage, Saturday Oct. 15th from 9:00pm till 1:00am! Public House Garage is located at 4855 E. Warner Rd. #A31B Phoenix, AZ 85044. The venue's phone number is (480) 940-6455.

Labels: blues, cd, featured artist, local, music

posted by Disc2day at 1:14 PM 0 Comments

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