CD-R releases:

Are they a good thing and worth the price or regular CD's, say "limited edition" CD-R's, or should they be cheaper/free?

I think it depends on the packaging.

If we're talking "limited edition" CD-Rs with some nice, hand-crafted artwork, then yeah, it's worth it (See: Sunburned Hand of the Man, Sun City Girls, etc.)

But if you're gonna burn a bunch of CDs, wrap 'em in loose leaf paper and number them one through fifty, I'll pass (See: your local "noise" band.)

Not crap, WF 5

or

Crap, WF 5

MajorEverettMiller wrote:I think it depends on the packaging.

yes, yes. We've done lots of releases on CD-R. Our first E.P. was a series of roughly 365 cd's in either black, blue, pink, green, orange, or purple. Each case/cd/insert had a simple cover all in the same color. they were fun. we gave these out for free.

for E.P. #2, we printed up card-stock covers and bought gold-colored opaque cd trays. They looked nice, and we actually charged for these, as they cost maybe $2.50-3.00 to make.

the most recent batch of CD-R's have been my favourite, as we just made stencils (band initials in gothic font, silhouetted phoenix shapes) and various combinations of clear cases, white cdrs, and blank insert paper. We make these in the van and they cost whatever the person who is buying them would like to pay. we've gotten a buck, we've gotten five. Anything for some extra scratch to keep the tour going is great.

I think if you put some effort into it, CDr releases are completely acceptable.


Not Crap.

The packaging definitely makes a difference, although I couldn't really see trying to do full on distribution with them. My last band did a limited CD-R release, but mostly gave them away, and put a couple at a record store here and in Austin. The wear-out factor is so high on those things it kind of needs to be special, like a rare live performance, etc. For promotional tools and rarities, not crap.
Releasing your album as such...kinda crappy.
I suppose this puts me on the fence as well.

i say crap because cd-rs have a short shelf life (even for digital) and they aren't always compatible with every player.

perfectly fine for giving away or disposable purposes.

CD-Rs are not preferred, but I understand why they exist. I try to own as few as possible.

When a band starts out in this day in age, it is often more reasonable for them to begin with CD-R releases. But I think some bands are a little too content to stay in a CD-R format and never rise above that. It can give a band a false illusion of progress if they actually care about releasing actual CDs in some distant future. Other bands are content to stick to CD-Rs and a cult following for the entire course of an existence. It depends on a band's goals and aesthetic, I guess.

One of my friends dicked around in CA bands that were only releasing CD-Rs. I remember the boring process of buying CD-Rs and labeling them one after another with him and thinking to myself, jeez, anyone who writes a song in the free world can do this.

When downloading rare music on a random internet site, for example, CD-Rs become more relevant to me. But I hate looking at CD booklets with nothing but CD-Rs. It's tacky and silly to me.

And yes, actual CDs sound better. When you burn something to a CD-R it is always slightly more quiet to my trained ears. I agree that CD-Rs should at least have nice packaging and something to cover up the fact that it is a generic looking compact disc, for aesthetic purposes. It's the band at least saying that they care about album art and packaging, which have always been relevant to me at least. It helps a recording feel more complete and authentic.

ReubenRemus wrote:And yes, actual CDs sound better. When you burn something to a CD-R it is always slightly more quiet to my trained ears.

are you saying that a burned cdr copy of a professionaly manufactured disc is quieter than the original, or that music you buy on CDRs or make yourself is quieter than actual store-bought CDs?

they're basically the cassettes of the present day. bands that have little to no hope for commercial success (see: "your local noise band") release them to have a document of their work. i don't see anything wrong with that, as long as the band doesn't make it out to be more than it is.

but i'm all for documenting. my last band did two CD-R releases, and it was a blast to be able to sell our friends a recording we had done, and a blast for them to be able to listen to it and have a physical item to enjoy. we sold them for just enough to cover the recording bill, and everyone was happy.

I often see them as not real releases but I understand their importance.... the ability to be able to record, mix, burn, and 'release' your one music with very little outside help or big budgets needed is a great great thing... I also enjoy good art and with small releases you can really do a lot to make it more of a hand made object which is good.... one of a kind, hand numbered, etc.

I have not found CDRs to be quieter than store bought CDs. I think you can burn the same digital information to a CDR and to the ear you would not be able to tell. They do seem less 'sturdy' than real releases... more fragile and easy to damage... but that is about it.

I say not crap!

ReubenRemus wrote:But I think some bands are a little too content to stay in a CD-R format and never rise above that. It can give a band a false illusion of progress if they actually care about releasing actual CDs in some distant future.

Is this supposed to be funny?

I'm inclined to address this point if it's not supposed to be a joke, but I'd like to just check first.

Is this character the new Walter?