How to Make a Record Album

Vinyl is the most expensive, but most collectible format, for an album.

If you're like most musicians, you've got dozens of songs scattered across multiple hard drives, tapes and CD-Rs. Releasing a song as a single is easy: just pick your favorite song for the A-side, choose another for the B-side, and start handing it out. Putting together an album, on the other hand, takes more time and thought. An album should be a cohesive collection of songs that conveys the certain impression that you want to make. Making a record album involves selecting the songs, designing the packaging and putting everything together into a distributable format.

Instructions

1. Collect the tracks for the album. If you're releasing the album as a CD, it can be no more than 73 minutes long -- unless, of course, you decide to go the double-album route. MP3 albums have no set time limitation; however, keep in mind that the listener's attention span is finite, and a tight set of ear-catching songs has more impact than a sprawling collection of tracks.

2. Arrange the songs in order. If you have one killer single, put it near the beginning of the album -- ideally as one of the first three tracks. Arrange the songs to create a flow for the album. Draw inspiration from the track arrangements of albums that you like: for example, the Pixies' classic album "Doolittle" alternates its more upbeat, major-key songs with moodier, slower tracks.

3. Design a cover for your album. Use a drawing or photograph of your own for the cover, then use a graphics editing program to incorporate your artist name and the title of the album. A standard CD album cover is 709 by 709 pixels in size; if you're only releasing a digital version of the album, these exact dimensions are less important. Print out the cover if you're releasing a physical CD.

4. Master and normalize the tracks for the album. This process ensures that all of the songs on the album have the same volume levels and dynamics; without it, your album will sound disjointed and unprofessional. Professional mastering houses are fairly affordable and provide high-quality results; however, you can also use the compression and normalization effects in a digital audio workstation to create your own master.

5. Package the album for distribution. For a small-scale CD album release, burn the albums onto CD-Rs yourself, then assemble the jewel cases and covers. If you're releasing a digital version of the album, convert the master sound files into several different formats. For example, you could provide an MP4 version for portable audio players, a 320 kBps version for DJs to play and a FLAC version for audiophiles. Be sure to add comprehensive ID3 tags to the songs, and embed the album artwork into every song.

Tips & Warnings

• Print your album cover at a copy shop to create a professional appearance.

• If a record company or distributor offers to distribute your album, always read the proposed contract carefully and seek legal advice if you don't understand it.

References

• DimensionsGuide: CD Cover Dimensions
• The SoundLab at DiscMakers: What is Mastering?
• Allmusic; Pixies - Doolittle; Heather Phares
• NCH Software: Audio File Formats