How to Make a Promotional Mix CD

You are a music guru, rapper,or singer. If you want to get our sound heard you have to have a product for listeners,a nd a promotional mixed CD is an easy way to go. Using already famous beats and tunes with your lyrics over them will attract more people, and will lead to getting your songs heard each day.

Things You'll Need

• A music studio (or music studio equipment)
• Popular songs in Instrumental verisons
• CD burning equipment

Instructions

1. Find good instrumentals that fit your style of rap or song making skills. Soundclick.com has an instrumental section that offers different genres of music. Some music creators offer free downloads while others may charge fees for promotional use only.

2. Record your songs/raps over the music. You can use a digital recorder where price ranges from $600-$2,000, or if you don't want to worry about mastering and recording you can go to a music studio.

3. Burn the finished product and make many copies. Make sure you use quality CD's so you can get the best possible sound. Also keep a master of the song for yourself. If you use a home digital recorder, the master will be burned into the instrument.

4. Distribute the CD to as many people as possible. Aim for media play, or you can upload the song/songs to websites such as soundclick, or you can create a my space music page. Make sure to give credit to the music creator and to copyright your lyrics.

Tips & Warnings

• Promotional Mix Tapes/CD's aren't any good to you if you don't distribute them.

• Use popular songs as your instrumentals! People will already be bobbing their heads to the music while they listen to YOUR lyrics.

• An easy way to copyright your lyrics if you don't have the funds to do it immediately is to mail the lyrics to yourself, and don't open the envelope. Remember, however, this option should be temporary.

• Because the music used on mixed tapes/CD's are copyrighted, it is imperative to remember that selling your promotional CD is illegal!