Contact Information & Getting Started

CONTACT:

Randall Davis

THE CREATIVE SERVICE COMPANY

4360 Emerald Dr.,

Colorado Springs, CO 80918 USA

email: creatserv9@aol.com

phone: 719-548-9872

GETTING STARTED:

STEP ONE:

Request a budget if you have not already done so.  If you know you only want a Publicity Campaign or just a Radio Promotion Campaign, please specify what you want.  If you definitely want a combined Publicity/Radio Promotion Campaign (or if you might want this service depending upon the cost), make sure you let us know to quote this price.  As explained elsewhere, we have a standard-size campaign that is the most common.  But we also offer slightly larger campaigns as well.  So if you want to consider a larger campaign, request budgets for both the standard and larger campaigns.  Our rates are very reasonable and start at only a couple of thousand dollars plus mailing costs.

STEP TWO:

I need to hear your music as soon as possible.  If samples are available on-line, let me know where I can hear them.  But it is extremely important that you submit your CD to me for review.  I need to hear your full CD right away.  Rather than relying on hearing excerpts online, I prefer to hear the actual CD so that I can listen to it on a high-quality sound system.  I prefer not having you email me all the tracks, or having me go to a site and download all the tracks, because I either have to listen to it low-fi on my computer, or burn a CD (which still will not be as good a quality as one that is manufactured).  I will let you know right away if your music is acceptable for a campaign.  I also will give you feedback on the music, especially in regards to marketing possibilities.  If your CD has not yet been manufactured, you can send me a CDR (burned copy) of the album.

STEP THREE:

You need to have a website.  If you do not have a website under your own name, or a page on a record company website, then create your own at www.myspace.com and/or www.facebook.com (I think it is easier to present business information at myspace).  I encourage you to also set up pages at other social networking, music and entertainment sites.

STEP FOUR:

You also need to have your CD available for sale.  You may have a record company that has distribution, or you may have signed with a distributor yourself that sells your CDs to stores.  It is not crucial to have your CDs available in brick-and-mortar stores, but you must have CDs available at some key on-line sales sites.  One way or the other you need to be signed up with Amazon.com and CDbaby.com.  You should be able to do this yourself.  Amazon sells CDs from both major record companies and small independent labels.  CDbaby only sells CDs on independent labels (if you put out your CD yourself, you have your own independent label).  If for some reason you have not created a name for your label, choose one now and add it to all future manufacturing of your CDs.  Amazon takes a larger percentage of each sale than CDbaby, but it is worth it because Amazon is the biggest store in the world (and with their handy conversion tables, it is easy for anyone in any country to make a purchase).  Both sites sell hard-copy CDs as well as digital downloads.  One extra benefit of being signed up with CDbaby is that they serve as a liaison with several dozen or more other digital download locations such as iTunes, Rhapsody, eMusic, etc.  That means you do not have to try to get signed up individually with all of those other sales outlets.

STEP FIVE:

If I feel I can market your music, and you agree to my budget, then we have an agreement to move forward.  We need to choose a timeline that works for both of us.  At least a week or two before we can do our mailing, I need to prepare the written materials (either interview you and write the bio for a Publicity Campaign, or compile information from your written materials for a Radio Promotion Campaign).  So we may need to set up a day and time for me to interview you by phone (sometimes I interview overseas artists by email).

STEP SIX:

If we have an agreement, you need to ship me the required number of CDs and send me payment.