This year I am looking for Business Cards

[Cat Herder]

This year I am really going to be more interested in business cards than I have been in the past, but only if you have demos on-line (Web site, Youtube, TAXI Page or other locations) that I can listen to. It has now come to the point I can no longer handle hundreds of CDs. They have become a sludge pile that I look at in dread (not a happy thought I know, but a real one) I really prefer a plain white (easy to read) business card with your name, phone number, site or TAXI page, and above all your e-mail address. Personally I do not need your address at this point. If I like what I hear I can get that later. In place of your address you might consider putting some information about what genres you feel most confident in, i.e. Orchestral, Soundtrack, Hip Hop, Contemporary Pop, Country Vocals, etc. You can even write a note or list on the back to help me along. I can place the stack right on my desk and when I have the inspiration and time I can pop a card and have a listen.

This all said, you should bring CDs, and plenty. When I accepted CDs I preferred thin line ones, square or paper, not round. They are easy to stack as well. Make your CD's "easy to read" (Sharpie Sloppy says something about the composer), and put your track genres on the cover so the reviewer can see, by the track, what to listen to. Match your label to the cover incase the reviewer gets them confused. A couple years ago I accidentally dropped a box of demos and had some CDs with nothing to identify them. Unfortunately I just had no idea what was who.

One last thing I would like to suggest; be respectful. Some mentors and panelist have drop boxes. Use the drop box for the CD, and the face to face time to get acquainted. When I did take CDs I just walked over to the box and dropped them anyway. I seldom, if ever, remember a person by the CD (except that hot blonde, but that is another story). You may consider a photo in the case. If you had a productive chat it may help the person remember you. Make sure the photo looks like you, not some glamor shot that really is touched up beyond recognition. Don't be pushy or insistent if the mentor suggests he or she is not accepting CDs or music. I have a tendency of remembering those people. After all we are people too. If you are polite and respectful you will get all we have to offer.

Dave Trotter

[AndyKotz]

Good advice Dave... too bad I didn't have this BEFORE I designed the CD's!!!!!!!!!!!

My shit looks good though... and about that blonde...

[brentmagstadt]

Excellent, David - thank you!
Looking forward to seeing you again!

[peeyo]

Thanks for the advice David.
What is a reasonable number of songs to include on a CD?
Paul

[mojobone]

Thanks, Dave; reinforces my decision not to bring CDs, beyond a few for the listening sessions. I'll make sure those have all the relevant info printed directly on them.

[davewalton]

Thanks, Dave; reinforces my decision not to bring CDs, beyond a few for the listening sessions. I'll make sure those have all the relevant info printed directly on them.

Remember... Dave's not accepting CD's but others will be. Some prefer to work exclusively through Internet links from business cards, others genuinely prefer CD's (so they can work/listen while sitting in LA traffic I guess ). It's crazy to bring 60 or 100 CD's but it's good planning (in my oh-so-humble opinion ) to be prepared. If you brought 20 and returned with 19... no big deal. But, if someone you'd like to do business with says "Can you give me a CD?" and you say "No, I didn't bring any"... then maybe no "big deal" either (if you catch my drift ).

[mojobone]

A fair point; I'll be bringing a lightscribe-enabled laptop and some blank CD-Rs for backup, but that can be pretty slow. It's much faster for me to write a Soundcloud or Reverbnation direct link on the back of my business card, or even just the relevant title, as the links to my publicly available music will be on the front of the card, anyway. As to sitting in traffic, the CD player in my vehicle will play CD-Rs, but not MP3 discs, though there are some that do. (and some won't play CD-Rs)

[Casey H]

Thanks, Dave; reinforces my decision not to bring CDs, beyond a few for the listening sessions. I'll make sure those have all the relevant info printed directly on them.

Remember... Dave's not accepting CD's but others will be. Some prefer to work exclusively through Internet links from business cards, others genuinely prefer CD's (so they can work/listen while sitting in LA traffic, etc). It's crazy to bring 60 or 100 CD's but it's good planning (in my oh-so-humble opinion ) to be prepared. If you brought 20 and returned with 19... no big deal. But, if someone of importance says "Can you give me a CD?" and you say "No, I didn't bring any"... then maybe no "big deal" either (if you catch my drift ).

Good advice from Dave Walton. It's always good to be prepared with SOME CDs... Don't know the right number, but 10-20 might be right for most. This year I made 8 with vocal songs and 8 with pure instrumentals. At the end, you can always take home leftovers or give them to friends.

Regarding how many tracks to put on a CD, I think there is NO right answer but most experienced folks would say that you should be able to decide what tracks best represent you in 3-6… The world wouldn’t come to an end if you had 8… Less than 3, probably not recommended but if 2 is all you have, just do it! If you are a composer and you are showing off different genres, you might have more tracks but grouped by style and clearly indicated as such on the label.

Personally as far as the MAXIMUM number, I think what matters much more is that the first few (especially the first!) kicks ass.

We all (myself included) sweat these details, probably more than necessary. Just use common sense. It’s unlikely that you need to put 20 songs on a CD for this.

Casey

[mojobone]

Besides, am I gonna carry these around in a fanny pack? I like to leave one hand free for for drinkin'...

[Casey H]

Although mine are not as neatly packaged as other, I only take them in paper sleeves for the rally. I stick a neatly typed label (plain dark lettering on white BG, no graphics) with contact info and the track listing on the sleeve.

One thing I hate about slim cases is they accidentally open easily. And for the rally, as I mentioned on another thread, portable and light is good because the people taking the CDs are probably living out of a suitcase and will have many. So I don't do the full size jewel cases for this.

Always make sure you label both the CDs and whatever case/sleeve you use with both the CD title and your contact info. This is universal advice for sending CDs to anyone. Things get accidentally separated all the time. Track listings should always be on the packaging, not on (or at least not ONLY on) the CD. When someone puts your CD in a player such as a car player, they want to know what tracks they are listening to, maybe make notes (hopefully at a stop light!), etc....

And.... it's about the MUSIC.

Casey