Recording Your Legacy

Over the years, we have helped many people to make a recording using our Accompaniment Tracks. The alternative would be a Custom project where each song is a start-from-scratch project. That’s great if you’ve got $750 – $1,500 per song for arranger, studio, players etc.

We used to do Accompaniment Track projects for around $2,500 to $3,000. But the price has changed. Yes, with the advent of digital recording and less studio costs, we can help you into a project for a fraction of that cost.

So, we’ve come up with three plans which we call Legacy Plans.

So, what is a legacy?
In a phrase, it’s what people will remember you for. They may remember you as one who is constantly encouraging … or always jovial … or for the meals you prepared for years, and delivered to those in need. A very wealthy, generous person may have contributed a campus Library which gives shape to their legacy. It’s something tangible.

So how about a musician’s legacy?
Many people will associate you with your instrument and remember you for how you constantly shared your talent and your love for music – with your family, friends, church.

What might go into recording a Legacy recording?

1. Favorite pieces you’ve learned or discovered in your journey
2. A sequence of pieces that show your progress over months or years
3. Selections that show your stylistic variety: Classical, Jazz, etc.
4. Pieces you’ve recorded with professional orchestra tracks

The Legacy plan (for give-away)
This plan is designed for musicians who plan to give their recordings to friends and family as a tangible legacy or keepsake. This plan includes the lease fees for up to 12 songs, including all royalties and royalty management so you can just focus on the music. The total cost is $595. You may convert to the Legacy Premiere plan at anytime for an additional $500.

The Life-Time Legacy plan (for give-away)
This plan is designed for musicians who plan to record off and on, in an effort to create an ever-expanding tangible legacy which displays their stylistic contrasts or their progress over a number of years. There is no limit to the number of songs you may record. Recordings would likely be preserved in a convenient, digital form (such as flash drive or your computer or safety drive). This allows you to add to the flash drive “master” at any time and duplicate copies on your home computer. The cost for the Life-Time Legacy plan is $1095.

The Legacy Premiere plan (for sale) This plan is designed for musicians who plan to sell their project, perhaps with the hope of getting full cost-recovery over a process of time. The cost of this plan is $895 for up to 12 songs.

Cost to “lease” just one or more Sound Tracks
If none of the three Legacy plans above fit your need, you may lease one or more tracks. For example, you’ve already started into a recording with another company and you ran into 3 of our tracks which you’d like to add to your project. The cost per orchestra track is $89.

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The following FAQs should address most of the questions you may have concerning recording.

Where Would I Record?

Option 1) Finding a studio in your area which has a good reputation for excellence. Listen to some of their samples. All you need is a studio which can record 4 tracks (two stereo tracks for orchestra and two tracks for stereo piano. Finding studios (with engineer) are not uncommon for $35 – $50 per hour. Larger churches sometimes have a studio that might be available at a bare bones cost or possibly FREE.

Option 2) A second option is recording in your home. This allows you to record at your pace and schedule, using an 88-key digital keyboard that has a great piano sound, with weighted keys. Perhaps you already have that base covered. If you have an APPLE computer, you already have GarageBand which is a digital recorder with an excellent piano sound built in and multiple tracks if you choose to add a second piano, or even sing along with yourself.

GarageBand won’t run on a PC computer. However, you can get the basic Cakewalk by Bandlab at no cost. Or you could invest in “Reaper” at a very affordable price – or PreSonus Studio One Artist. Obviously, recording in your home can save you the cost of a remote studio. Many are fully equipped and perhaps don’t realize it.

How Much Studio Time Is Required?
Recording in a Studio – Time required will depend on your preparedness and how much you go for total perfection. Bear in mind that you will not typically perform a song from start to finish. To get it right, you may record a verse at a time; you may go back and “punch in” a single phrase. Allow for playback and evaluating. Recording time typically ranges from 20 to 60 minutes per song, with average being about 30 minutes. Mixdown at 10 minutes per song should be possible since our sound tracks are already mixed. Add in a little time for mastering (touching up EQ and sound levels) and for the “unexpected.” Run a quick copy to ‘soak’ on for a couple days – at home and in your car. (See “studio recording costs” below).
Recording at Home – Since you would be the performer and producer using your own equipment, take your time. If you’re a confirmed perfectionist, take a whole day recording a song since you’re not “on the clock.”

What Cost Factors Are Involved In A Project?
There are basically four cost factors involved in producing a recording.

1. Recording costs – If you are recording at home on your own equipment, the cost is zero – so take your time. If using a studio, digital recording equipment has tended to drive down the cost of quality recording. Many excellent studios once ranging from $75 to $150 per hour now charge $50 to $75. Smaller studios for solo work requiring only 4 tracks, are available at $35 to $50 per hour. If you are a pianist, be sure you take time to “test-drive” the piano you would be using. Or, at the very least, listen to some piano recordings rendered in each studio.
2. Royalties – If you are recording using any of the three Legacy recording packages described above, all royalties due, including royalties to an Arranger, are covered in the indicated cost of each plan. Also included is any royalty management. You have no need to research song Publisher and © owner. We take care of all royalty management. You can focus on the music, not on the legal ramifications.
3. Lease Fees – While Royalties are paid to Songwriters and Arrangers, Lease Fees are paid to the company which produced the sound track. If you are recording under one of the three Legacy plans above, the lease fees are included.
   If you are recording, for example, on another label, and wish to use one of our Performance Tracks, you would pay $89 per sound track. These fees are the life line for companies like Jerry Nelson Music, which allows producers to continue in business. Typical lease fees by most Sound Track companies range from about $90 to $125 per song. (While we are no longer in the business of producing custom sound tracks for artists, you should know that the cost to arrange and produce just one sound track is typically $1,000 to $1,500).
4. Manufacturing product – Jerry Nelson Music does not handle the manufacture of product, which allows you to be in control of those costs. There are a couple of options to be aware of:
   • CDs – If you are producing larger quantities (i.e., 500 units or more), a CD company would use a “Replication” process – much like “stamping” each CD.
     For quantities up to about 300 or less, a “Duplication” process is used which duplicates each copy to a blank disc. A production plant should provide you with all the ins and outs of this process.
   • Flash Drives – Many of your contacts are changing to Flash Drives with the trend toward cars not equipped with CD players. One of the advantages is the ability to produce them at home very rapid-fire. Even purchasing smaller quantities of Flash Drives from a supplier who supplies Flash Drives having the music already recorded may add another 50¢ per unit. It’s an option worth exploring.

How Many Songs Might I include in a project?
We feel ten is somewhat minimal for a $10 or $12 retail price. Twelve songs is perhaps ideal. In terms of time, you can go up to 80 minutes on a CD.

What Is a Reasonable, Estimated Total Cost under one of the Legacy plans?
This estimate assumes you are a soloist, leasing 10 Sound Tracks, and your intent is to sell the product.

• On the LOW end (assuming you opt for the Legacy Plan, and are recording on your own equipment and purchasing blank flash drives – $700.
• On the HIGH end (assuming you opt for the LifeTime Legacy Plan, and you are recording in a studio and have 300 CDs manufactured – $2000). Bear in mind that the number of CDs produced and hours in studio can impact total costs considerably.

The variables are numerous but we trust this gives you some idea of the variables that are a “given” so you can then come up with a fairly reliable cost estimate.

I’ve Decided To Record, What Do I Do Next?

• Email to info@JerryNelsonMusic.com. Include the following information: Your name / Address / Phone number
• Under which of the three plans you will be recording?
• List of song titles being recorded (These choices can be made at a later date.)

We will respond indicating the amount due based on the Plan you’ve selected and also assign a project number which should appear on all products (Ex: J-2999)