I recently finished producing the CD version of my Career Satisfaction From Within Audio Course, and I want to share some insights I gained in the process.  More and more entrepreneurs, it seems, are becoming interested in selling information products, but some people I’ve talked to are intimidated by the idea of releasing a physical product rather than just a downloadable one.  The idea sounds expensive to them, and they don’t want to order hundreds of DVDs or CDs that end up languishing unsold in their basement.

I wrote this post to give you an idea of the work and expense involved in creating a tangible audio product.  My goal is to inspire anyone with a great idea for a physical information product, some money to invest, and the will to make it through the process, to go for it.

A General Overview

My product consists of three CDs, a case, a sleeve, liner notes, and a UPC barcode.  The total cost of (1) buying the necessary equipment, (2) designing the graphics, (3) obtaining a barcode, (4) having 100 3-CD sets manufactured, (5) printing the sleeves and (6) setting up online transaction processing was $628.  No, it ain’t chump change, but I’ll bet it’s less than you expected, given all the types of expenses that went into it.

Before I had the CDs made, I was already selling my audio course on this site as a digital download.  I created the CD series because (1) I had some readers who told me they’d prefer to listen to the program in their cars or on their stereos, and they didn’t have the equipment to play MP3s on those systems; (2) I need physical CDs to sell the product through Amazon Advantage; and (3) I wanted something I could send to independent bookstores to entice them to stock the series.

Of course, the methods I’ll describe aren’t the only possible ways to record and manufacture an audio CD program.  For instance, with a larger budget, I could have done the recording in a studio as opposed to at home.  If I had a smaller budget and wasn’t as concerned about achieving professional quality, I could have done it using a cheap desktop microphone as opposed to a studio-quality one (which is often done for podcasts).  At each step of the process, I’ll talk about possible alternatives to what I did.

I’ll also note that most steps of the process I describe—recording equipment, software, graphic design and transaction processing—also apply to purely digital products and podcasts, so if you’re interested in doing those things I’d recommend reading on.

That said, let’s begin with Step One, buying the equipment.

My Six-Step Process

1. Recording Equipment.  The equipment I bought to record the audio program was both high-quality and relatively inexpensive (the total cost was $123).  For microphone equipment, I used a Behringer C-1 microphone ($55), a Behringer Tube Ultragain Mic100 preamp ($30), and an On-Stage Stands pop stopper ($18).

You’ll also need cables to connect the mic to the preamp, and the preamp to the computer.  Prices for these vary based on the equipment you use—I paid about $20 for both cables.  And, of course, the prices of all items will vary depending on where you buy the equipment (I got most of mine from BHPhotoVideo.com).

Some microphones, of course, don’t require a preamp, and plug directly into the computer via a USB cable.  Generally, these are either mics that are more expensive than the Behringer and specially designed for use with computers, or cheap desktop or headphone mics people tend to use for talking over Skype or playing online video games.  I liked the Behringer’s sound quality, and the price was a nice middle ground (even considering the preamp price), so I chose it.

Also, I found the pop stopper, which stops the cracking and popping sounds you make when you say some consonants, to be essential.  Without it, my “p”s tend to be deafening.

Finally, if the price I paid for the equipment seems high, I’ll note that I’ve used (and intend to keep using) this equipment to record podcasts and music.  One of the reasons this investment looked worthwhile to me was that I want to incorporate more audio into the materials on this site going forward.  This point about future planning may be useful to you in your own thinking about the amount you want to pay for equipment.

2. Recording Software.  The free software I used to record the audio course was Audacity, which is quite easy to edit with, and versatile in terms of effects you can use.  Audacity can also convert your recordings into MP3 and WAV files.  I highly recommend it.

3. The Recording Process.  I’ll share four important tips I learned about recording in doing this project.  These are mostly for people who are recording at home, as opposed to those using a professional studio, where engineers will probably take care of this part for you.  I personally don’t think a recording studio is necessary just for recording your voice, as long as you have adequate equipment, and a willingness to learn about Audacity and spend some time getting the mix right.

a.  Make sure the gain is set properly.  If you’re using a preamp, it’s important to make sure the gain level isn’t too high, or you will end up with a hissing noise in the background of the recording.  You’ll need to make a few test recordings using different settings to make sure the levels sound okay to you.

If too much noise ends up in the sound files, you may find yourself having to (1) redo the entire recording, or (2) use the noise reduction effect in Audacity, or whatever program you have, which will decrease the sound quality.

b.  Listen on multiple systems.  I’d also recommend listening to each test recording you create on different sound systems—use your computer speakers, headphones, car stereo if you can, and so on—to make sure your recording will sound acceptable to all of your listeners.  This is an important step to take before you’ve recorded a lot of audio, so you don’t end up feeling like you have to redo a large chunk of your program.

c.  Speak from a consistent spot.  If you’re standing up or sitting on the floor while you’re speaking into the mic, make sure to mark the place where you’re standing or sitting, perhaps using masking tape.  If you make sure to sit or stand in the same place throughout the recording, your voice will have a consistent sound and volume.

d.  Use compression.  I found that compression (which you can do using Audacity) gave my voice a deep, full “radio”-like quality, which I liked.

4.  CD Production.  This was the biggie for me as far as expenses were concerned.  My audio course is about three hours long, and standard audio CDs hold around an hour of audio, so I needed to make the program available in three-CD sets.  To create the least bulky package for the CDs possible, I decided to have the CDs packed in a DVD case.  DVD cases are also a little cheaper than triple-CD “jewel cases.”

Taking a cue from The Four-Hour Work Week, I used eLance.com to find a freelance designer who could transfer the audio files to CDs, use LightScribe to inscribe the logo of the audio program onto each CD, and buy the DVD cases.  I sent the Audacity files to my designer by converting them to WAVs and uploading them to his server.

I decided to start by having 100 three-CD sets done, believing that would be enough to cover initial sales of the audio program on CD and send some samples to bookstores for their consideration.  The total amount I paid at this step of the process was $320.  The breakdown of the charges was:  (1) the designer’s fee for burning the CDs, inscribing the logo onto each CD and purchasing supplies: $125; (2) 300 CDs compatible with LightScribe: $150; and (3) 100 DVD cases: $45.

Wow, that was a minor departure from the standard fare here, wasn’t it?  In the next post in this series, I’ll cover graphic design, printing the sleeve and any liner notes you may choose to include, setting up online transaction processing, and (perhaps most importantly) marketing the CD product.  Before I get to that, I’m going to talk a bit more about finding productivity and satisfaction in your work through mindfulness practices.

Related posts:

1. How To Make An Audio CD Program On A Budget (Part Two)
2. Work Consciously Audio Course: What Do You Want?
3. My Recent Radio Appearance (Audio)
4. Sample From The Work Consciously Audio Course
5. Work Consciously Audio Course Now Available