FindYourFans

CD manufacturers have undergone massive restructuring in the past 10 years, as they struggle along with the rest of the music industry. Sometimes, change is good. It is now possible for a musician of average intelligence to produce low-run, high quality CD’s all by him (or her) self. At the price of $1.75 per CD, from a company called Kunaki. This is great news for musicians. Never over-order any more. You can create and ship a CD to a customer after the sale is made. Need 100 CD’s for a show? Produce them the week before, by clicking a button. You can even setup Kunaki to produce and ship CD’s to your Amazon and CD baby customers, automating the process completely. On demand production is the wave of the future, and it is about to break.

I decided to use Kunaki for a recent project that I had co-produced. Below is my experience.

1. Download the Kunaki software here.
2. Install and run the software. After installation, there will be a link on your desktop to start the program.
3. Progress through each screen of the software by clicking the green arrow buttons. Very straightforward.
4. If you need a free UPC barcode, make sure you select “yes” for this option on screen 2.
5. Enter as much or as little data about the CD/DVD as you’d like.
6. On screen #3 you’ll choose from two main options: auto design or custom design. The main difference is that auto design uses only 1 image, and “intelligently” resizes and stretches it, providing images for every part of the project from cover to back. Then the software adds text that you’ve entered in the previous screen. Using custom design, you’ll choose 4 separate images, one for each part of the disc. I’ve used both, depending on my timeframe and the “professionalism” that the final product requires. I’ve had success with both, but the custom design is really the way to go if you need full control over the product.
7. After you’ve chosen either “auto design” or “custom design,” play around with the images, text and data until you’re happy with the result. The software provides a nice preview of the product, as you’re creating it. Check and double check each part of the CD by virtually opening the case, rotating it, and inspecting it.
8. The next screen will capture data from the master disc you are trying to replicate. The Kunaki software will make an exact copy of the data on your physical CD (or DVD). Make sure the CD you are copying is perfect, before starting this process. You may want to spend some time learning about the Redbook Audio Cd Standard. This involves properly authoring the disc, making sure it is finalized, and that it plays in all manner of CD player from the cheapest to the most expensive. The finished product you receive from Kunaki will in fact be an exact copy of this master disc. When you’re ready, insert the disc into your drive, select it and its contents, and hit the green next button.
9. Click “save as” and name your product (something easy to remember, hard to forget)
10. Click the green arrow button, and the software will begin compiling your product (this takes about 10 minutes)
11. By hitting the “Launch Product” button, you’ll do a final check of the project, before uploading. You can print out the artwork, test the audio files for glitches, etc. Hit “publish.”
12. In this next screen, either login to your account or create a new one. It’s free and easy.
13. The next step is to upload the compiled product (which includes artwork, data, and the songs on the CD) to Kunaki’s servers. The amount of time this takes will depend on your internet connection, but whatever you have, it will take along time. Use a computer with a solid internet connection that won’t go to sleep on you. started 1:45