How to release an album, part 1: Pre-production and promotion

NOTE: This is part of an ongoing series. For more pieces to the album release puzzle, visit WordPlay T. Jay’s Blog or YouTube page.

In this digital age, releasing single after single has become a trend, but what about people who still want to do albums?

If that’s what’ you’re looking to do, stay tuned to this weekly series by WordPlay T. Jay, which starts this week with talking about the pre-production phase of an album release.

An album is considered to be a collection of songs usually attempting to convey a certain message or theme.

Generally, at the pre-production point, there is not a lot of writing done. You may have some songs or instrumentals in the works, just enough to get started on the larger project.

A key during this time is to build momentum and excitement around the project, and the best way to do that is by recording your process. Shoot videos, take pictures, maybe do a podcast or a blog, anything that can show you and your process as you continue working on the album.

People who are interested in your project will want to engage with you, and in today’s age with so many outlets and so much information being put out there all the time, it’s important to have a steady flow of content people can keep up with.

This will also humanize you to the point fans can look, listen or watch and say, “I do that same thing,” or “I never thought about doing it that way.” The more behind-the-scenes access you can grant, the better.

Show yourself going through your trials and tribulations, your struggles and successes, then connect with fans so they can see the work you’re putting in and support you.

Another set of major things to consider during pre-production is how you plan to distribute your album.

Will it be digital only, or will you have something physical like CDs or LPs? If going digital, are you going to use streaming services or distributors like DistroKid or TuneCore? Are you going to sprinkle songs into the world one or a few at a time, or are you going to release the whole album as a chunk and promote it as a whole project?

Also consider physical components, like T-shirts, CDs, LPs and merch. Think about the cost to make those things and how you will deliver them, like by mail or in person.

These are all important things to consider because a set plan of attack will make the process easier down the road.

For more about the pre-production phase, check out the video below, and stay tuned for part 2 of the how to release an album series coming out next week!