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Producing an Audiocassette

A Workshop Outline

This outline was created for my workshop at the National Storytelling Conference, July, 1995, in Atlanta, GA. I did not intend to cover it all in a brief workshop, but gave it to help the participants understand how the different topics fit together, and to inspire them to ask questions--both during the workshop and after.

You may want to refer also to the article, Am I Ready to Make a Tape?

Deciding

1. Why are you making a tape?
   • The answer to this question will determine most of your other decisions.
   • Some possible reasons for making a tape to sell
     • to gain bookings
     • to make certain stories available
     • to document your art
     • to take your art seriously and make it concrete
     • to improve your storytelling
2. Who's Gonna Hear It?
   • Who do you want to reach?
   • Are you aiming at children, families or adults?
   • Will you sell primarily to
     • people at your performances?
     • Another specialized grouping (e.g., aficionados of a period in history)?

   Gathering

3. Gathering resources
   • Money
     • Budgeting
       • spending enough to make the result worthwhile
       • using your money well to achieve your goals
     • Fund-raising
       • spreading out your expenditures
       • should you tie up money in inventory?
       • creative fund-raising
   • Information
     • About recording
     • About production and manufacture
     • About sales and marketing
       • people who know more about your markets
     • Organizing the project
       • preparing a time line
4. Assembling a team
   • Planning buddies.
   • Choosing a studio and engineer
     • microphone choices
     • digital vs. analog
     • compression
   • You need some kind of a coach
     • before the recording sessions
     • during the recording sessions
       • quality-check
       • improvement
   • Others (e.g., detail-checker)
   • Don't try to do it alone! At this of all times, you need support!

   Recording

5. Before you record
   • Stories
     • selection
     • order
   • Make a dummy tape! Get much feedback on it. Make another?
     • Make sure your performance works with audio only.
     • Make sure the tape flows from one story to the next
   • Prepare a transcript? pros & cons
   • How to record? Pros & cons
     • live
     • studio with audience
     • studio without audience
   • To use or not:
     • music
     • sound effects
     • other special effects
6. In the studio
   • What need in the studio
     • Your comfort: food & drink, etc.
     • Visual aids for your team: transcripts or outlines for all
     • Advantages of multiple visits
       • a chance to listen, play tape for others, then come back
   • How to record
     • Choosing a microphone
     • Contact with your team
     • Imagining your audience
   • How to mix and edit
     • Use of compression
     • Digital vs. analogue editing. Pros & cons
     • Manufacturing

   Manufacturing

7. Duplication and manufacture
   • CD or just cassette?
   • J-card
     • design
     • photo session and rights
     • printing
   • Labels
     • duplication method determines type
     • include your phone number!
   • Duplication
     • send out: real-time vs. high-speed
     • do yourself
       • buying stock
       • setting up equipment

   Getting It Out

8. Getting it out to the world
   • Selling retail
     • at performances; an extension of your performance
     • selling via direct mail
     • mailings
     • ads
   • Selling wholesale: finding distributors
   • Getting reviews
     • local papers
     • big magazines
     • general library
     • special interest for your topic
     • enter for prizes
   • Using your tape to market you and your other products
     • press packets
     • fliers
     • brochures (including the modular alternative)
9. Other considerations
   • Managing inventory
     • care and storage
     • record keeping
   • Using your direct mail business to your best advantage
     • maintain & use your mailing list
     • make use of:
       • invoices
       • catalogs
       • newsletters
   • Tax implications
     • sales tax
     • income tax
     • deductions; reporting of sales income

Copyright © Doug Lipman

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Doug Lipman
Phone: (781) 837-1940
Toll free: (888) LIPMAN-1 (888-547-6261)
Fax: (781) 837-0508
P.O. Box 946 Marshfield, MA 02050 U.S.A.

http://www.storydynamics.com

This page was last updated on Friday, November 28, 2003
Copyright©2003 Doug Lipman