Does anyone here have an idea of the costs involved in producing a CD?
Here is a list of expenses (without the dollar figures, some can be quite high):
Purchase of a song
Musicians
Arrangements
Recording studio time
Singers, soloists, choir
Mixing
Mastering
Duplication
Graphics for cover
Graphics for advertising
Advertising (print, radio, internet, etc)
Placing and hanging of posters
Distributing and marketing
Production of a sampler for publicity
Free copies given as samples
Many popular singers invest heavily in their CD’s as a form of advertisement. If this gets them more jobs, the CD can bring in much to compensate the expense. Some singers raise their price once they have become published.
It is only proper and menchlich to purchase the music so as to help the producer recoup the costs. Today, most CD’s do not become profitable ventures unless they are marketing for additional business. There is also a flooded market of Jewish music today, making the competition strong. With a challenging economy, buying CD’s is often a luxury that is forfeited.