A few days ago I’m walking through a parking lot heading to my car when a car pulls up beside me. In this car there are three (3) guys, two in the front seat one in the back seat. The guy in the front seat on the passenger side starts asking me about music and hands me a CD. He thinks I’m just some random guy (which I am) walking to his car. He introduces me to the guy in the back seat which is the artist (sorry I don’t remember his name) and tells me about a CD release party.
Nothing unusual about that right?
Wrong, there is something unusual about it.
First of all, the CD he gave me was written on with a Sharpie pin. A Sharpie, Really?
What is up with that? Second, he told me the CD was $10. Are you kidding? Ten (10) dollars for a CD that you wrote on with a Sharpie pin dude? Needless to say I gave him back the CD and told him I was not interested in the release party. These guys were grown men at least in their 30s. A grown man handing me a CD written on it with a Sharpie. I’m still shaking my head thinking about it.
Now that we are in the 21st century and computers run the world, Artists, producers and beatmakers all over the world put their music on the internet and expect millions of people to buy their music. Technology has allowed us to do things I never thought possible. There are music programs we can buy for a few hundred dollars which allow us to record, mix and even master a whole (dare I say) album. There are people who do graphic work for a minimal cost and there are places you can get CDs duplicated for a very low cost.
If you are an artist please do not try to sell anyone a CD that you wrote on with a Sharpie. I would not give it to anyone either. If you have money to record you should also have money for a professional looking CD, even to give away.