In a detailed piece on MusicianWages, Cameron Mizell discusses considerations that need to be taken and choices that must be made when creating a budget for your new album.
The piece tackles such issues as hiring professionals verses getting favors from friends, how to approach bringing in additional musicians for the recording, and what to look for in a producer. It also takes into account the non-musical aspects of creating an album, such as hiring a designer to do album art. Mizell feels that This is as vital to a new album as having it properly mastered.
Mizell also weighs in on the debate about whether or not to press CDs. His feeling is that making CDs is a worthwhile investment because fans purchase CDs at shows, they are the preferred format for promotional material, and a physical object still has the ability to legitimize your music. Seems like pretty sound reasoning.
While the information that Mizell presents isn't necessarily revolutionary, that's not really the point. Having a cohesive list of things to consider when planning to go into the studio is extremely useful. Check out the entire posting on MusicianWages, especially if you're getting ready to lay down those tracks.
