Producing Your Own Rock Album

Getting an album produced, published, marketed and released is not an easy task but it can be done -- even on a budget. It takes a lot of time, effort and to a greater or lesser extent money. First off, you want to make sure that all of your material is solid and flawless before production starts. That is what the songwriting and pre-production processes are for. Before you get into the studio to lay out all of your tracks, you need to write, re-write and practice. Once you know for sure that the material is solid, you can start to get to work on your project.

You may or may not want to have an outside producer come in. It all just depends on what you want to accomplish, how confident you are in your production skills, how much time and money you have and how well you work with others. An independent producer is going to have a slightly different vision than you are, so if you choose that path you must be open-minded.

Are you going to record in a home studio, project studio or world class recording studio? That depends on your budget. Some studios work with you. Some do not. You need to have some money invested in this project or it's never going to work. Building your own home studio is also an option, and it's becoming cheaper than ever to do, but you don't want to sacrifice quality. If you are going to build on your own, build with good materials and equipment. Don't settle for junk, but remember there are cheap, quality solutions as well. Look around on Sweetwater, Musician's Friend and ZzSounds.

Post production is the last step to recording, and definitely the most challenging. It takes precision ears. It is an art, as well as a science. Mastering should be done independently, by someone who knows what they are doing. Look around for people who specialize in mastering. You don't want poor mastering because your album will sound horrible.

After all of the engineering and production of your album, you need to worry about marketing and sales. This is a tough job. If you are touring, you might already have a street team. If you don't, get one. Dedicated street team members are your best friends. They get the word out, often times for no pay. Create posters. Use MySpace, Facebook and other social media outlets to get your message heard. Everything helps. If you recorded at a studio, they may be able to help as well. Two Fish Studios, for example works with independent labels and major labels and helps performers shop around. They also assist with A&R needs. Use all of your resources. A great resource is Taxi. If you get a membership, you can find all sorts of opportunities to sell your material. They work with all the major and minor players in the industry.

Publishing is tricky. You can either decide to set up shop yourself, or publish through a big name publisher. If you publish yourself, you have potential to keep more of the royalty from your material. But beware that this options leaves you with less resources and support. A great source for information on publishing and contracts is the Music Business Handbook and Career Guide 6th Edition, by David Baskerville, Ph. D.