Choosing the Perfect Title for a CD
Truth is…
There IS no perfect title for a CD. At least not from a marketing standpoint.
If you’re a copywriter, then there are guidelines and hooks and ways to get people to read your sales letter or your ad.
“7 Steps to Systematize Your Marketing”
“9 Simple Ways to Lose Weight”
“Give me Five Minutes and I’ll show you How to Make a Million Dollars!”
etc etc etc
As a blogger, I’ve used a few of these titles - and yes, they do work.
CD’s are different.
(I even wrote an article about Song Titles and Copywriting.)
It seems like it’s AFTER the fact that the title really sticks in your head. I can say, “Court & Spark” to someone and we’ll both have a moment of songwriter bliss. But most of the best CDs aren’t about the perfect title!
NEVERTHELESS, I am choosing a title for my CD right now. I mentioned this on Twitter, and someone suggested that I put out the call for suggestions on my CD.
Most of you don’t know all the song titles on this CD, but here are a few of the song titles and lyrics that have been tossed into the “Potential CD Title” bin.
Wide Awake
How to Be Real
How Not to Behave
Shimmer
Shimmering
Live Out Loud
Living Out Loud
I Am The Moon
————
I am waffling between “Wide Awake” and “How to Be Real.”
Leave your vote in the comments! (If you’ve heard other songs from the CD in the process on this website, and you had an idea from way back when - add your suggestion!)
(Special thanks to Kara Nash for sending me the Darth Vader photo many years ago.)
Subscribe to this feed
Stumble this
Email this to a Friend
Comment
-
Lance wrote on 23 Mar 2009 at 5:09 pm :
Hi Christine.
I like “How to be Real” - or - just simply “Real”
It’ll be great whatever you come up with!
-
Christine wrote on 23 Mar 2009 at 5:10 pm :
Thanks Lance. that’s funny - my friends down the street suggested “Real,” too.
-
marlisa mills wrote on 23 Mar 2009 at 5:12 pm :
I like REAL, too. Great energy!
-
keith wrote on 23 Mar 2009 at 5:14 pm :
you don’t know me from Darth Vader, but I think that your titles are dangerously close to being cliche’. I promise I’m not trying to be mean…
Get a little more whacky with the title. Wide Awake reminds me of U2 from the early 80’s and How to Be Real… seems like your trying too hard to be funny.although it’s been done, I like the idea of choosing a poignant song lyric from one of your songs (not a chorus or a title) and making that the title.
best of lunch with it!
-
Christa wrote on 23 Mar 2009 at 5:18 pm :
REAL… I like it!!!
-
Emily wrote on 23 Mar 2009 at 5:19 pm :
I like “Wide Awake.”
-
Lisa Call wrote on 23 Mar 2009 at 5:23 pm :
I like real. How about combining with living out loud and go for:
Real Loud
Or more combos that stick out for me:
Loud Moon
Real Awake
Behave Shimmering
This is like those words you can get for the fridge to build your own title.
hey - do that - provide some words and let everyone call it whatever they want. Kinda goes along with the be my record label concept.
Course I suppose it’s probably kinda hard to market a CD with out fixed title.
-
Kendra wrote on 23 Mar 2009 at 5:23 pm :
I like Wide Awake.
How to be real is just too long. If you like that connotation, I would choose “Be Real” instead, more direct. -
Katriena wrote on 23 Mar 2009 at 5:25 pm :
I like “How to be Real”
-
fivecats wrote on 23 Mar 2009 at 5:30 pm :
Wide Awake, Shimmering.
although i must admit “I am the Moon” is a really great title.
…
-
Jeanne (Marysville, Washington) wrote on 23 Mar 2009 at 5:33 pm :
Hi Christine,
How about simply…
“Awakening” ?
Looking forward to your new album!
~ Jeanne King
-
Rachael wrote on 23 Mar 2009 at 5:44 pm :
I like the title “Wide Awake”
-
Thanks for these!
Keith - I actually don’t care all that much about the “cliche” worry. Artists get so caught up in trying to be the most unique thing ever - and sometimes it doesn’t serve them. Sometimes - simple just plain old works!
Lisa - I’m thinking of calling it “Structures #64″
Kendra - if you think “how to be real” is too long - then I’m assuming you never got “Rain & Mud & Wild & Green” - this was actually my best-selling CD (with a crazy long title!)
Okay - so i’m seeing that EVERYONE has a different opinion (of course!)
-
BarbV wrote on 23 Mar 2009 at 5:53 pm :
Well my vote of course is “How To Be Real”. THE best song on the CD!!
-
Kaje wrote on 23 Mar 2009 at 5:54 pm :
How bout . . .
Relly Wide Awake? (j/k)
I vote for The Language of the Process OR
The Process of Language -
Jennifer wrote on 23 Mar 2009 at 6:09 pm :
I listened to ‘I am the Moon’ again and what kept jumping out with me was “The World - Shimmering”… I think it’s your phrasing of it, but it gets me right in the gut. Plus, I like shimmer and sparkle in general.
I do like “How to Be Real” too.
-
Laine wrote on 23 Mar 2009 at 6:34 pm :
First thing that popped into my head when I saw Wide Awake was U2. Sadly, the second thing was a Beverly Hills 90210 Episode called Wide Awake and Dreaming.
I like Structures #64.
And Shimmering.
-
Tari wrote on 23 Mar 2009 at 7:13 pm :
I vote for “Never Been So Wide Awake” or “Wide Awake.”
Can’t wait until the album is released!
-
Sue wrote on 23 Mar 2009 at 7:37 pm :
I vote for Wide Awake b/c that is my favorite lyric and vocal in that song, AND b/c it’s so you. Reminds me of your clarity.
-
Kelsey wrote on 23 Mar 2009 at 8:06 pm :
I like Wide Awake. It seems to me that your writing and the energy you put into the world so often calls people to be more conscious in their lives - through setting intentions, being more careful of the language we choose, being present in even the small decisions (vs. doing things out of bad habits), etc. Wide Awake seems celebratory as well as calling people to pay attention!
-
Tre ~ wrote on 23 Mar 2009 at 8:15 pm :
hey christine..i just tweeted this as well…
ever since this site was birthed, ever since you gathered our feedback and ever since we blogged up the wazoo on
‘how not to behave’ that song to me became the title….the whole essence to me of this project…of your blogging and coaching life/work.
it’s to me what you are and what you do…and what you’re encouraging all of us to do. build our own lives, live out the truth of our own rules…how not to behave.
my 2 cents.
-
Meg wrote on 23 Mar 2009 at 8:16 pm :
Through the process of hearing the different versions of the songs as you went through the production process, I kept thinking of the cd as “Works In Progress.”
No matter what you call the cd, it will be fabulous! Can’t wait to hear it!
-
Amylia Grace wrote on 23 Mar 2009 at 8:33 pm :
“Wide Awake”
Brings to mind awakening. I don’t like “How to’s”
-
Laurie wrote on 23 Mar 2009 at 8:41 pm :
First of all ~ I love that we are being asked/invited to suggest. So, I’m going to add to the spirit and the fun of this. I chose from some lyrics that touched me. From, “I am the Moon”, how about “Finding My Way” or, “All that Moves, Moves Through Me”. From “I’ll Be Your Angel” (and, oh, how I hope this song made it on to the CD!) “The Heart is Made Well”. I agree that “I am the Moon” would certainly be in the running, but, how does one choose just that song, when moments and pieces of others so easily come to mind during my days?! Whatever it turns out to be…can’t wait to sing along.
-
Nancy Chapman wrote on 23 Mar 2009 at 9:00 pm :
My two faves:
Wide Awake
Shimmering -
Sari wrote on 23 Mar 2009 at 9:13 pm :
Wide Awake reminds me of eyes wide open, so I think it’s too close, especially since I think the movie was a bust (though I didn’t see it, just heard reviews, & I know the two got divorced after, so, maybe bad karma…)
How to be real, is very in right now, this whole authentic thing, plus it speaks of your other hat the coaching thing,so it ties the two personalities nicely together…(you can double the market by marketing it as a soft self-help tool, as well as an aesthetically pleasing cd…) -
Kay wrote on 23 Mar 2009 at 9:19 pm :
I AM THE MOON gets my vote. It is intriguing and different.
-
Christi wrote on 23 Mar 2009 at 9:40 pm :
I like Wide Awake and Shimmering.
-
Vicki wrote on 23 Mar 2009 at 9:41 pm :
I like “real” too, but am afraid too many of us have too much real in our lives right now. Prefer the healing sound of Wide Awake / Awake / Awakening. There-my 2 cents! Hope you’ll come to Decatur GA on your CD tour.
-
NancyCz wrote on 23 Mar 2009 at 9:54 pm :
I like the magnetic poetry idea… you could make the cd come with a dry erase pen so that people could change the title to fit their mood
I’m all for “Living Out Loud” or “Live Out Loud” or “Riding In Cars With Dogs” or anything else you want to name it… I’m sure you’ll come up with something great.
Mr. Knuckles, the new dog, is very intently watching me type this… I think he and Mugsy want something dog related!
-
David wrote on 23 Mar 2009 at 10:48 pm :
Being the “Marketing Wannabe” that I am - thought I’d chime in my 2 cents.
I went w/ my quick gut reaction and “Living Out Loud” was the winner for me. Thought that it spoke to the “big picture” of you as a musician, writer, Life Coach, etc. Some of the other titles seemed a little forced to me.
Plus think you could have some fun w/ the artwork/images that go along with that title.
Good luck w/ the decision and keep us posted!
David
-
Eva wrote on 23 Mar 2009 at 11:18 pm :
Shimmering Awake
Mariah Carey would be glitter, not shimmer
-
Meike wrote on 24 Mar 2009 at 1:20 am :
A merry “hey over there” from Germany,
though I like the word-combination “Wide Awake” very much, it sounds like something you strive to be: be this, be that. What about being itself? “Being”? “Be!”
(If that’s besides the point, sorry for that, but that’s my lesson these days, and it’s a hard one for me always doing something - like being wide awake.
)Love and hugs from Germany
Meike
-
Elaine wrote on 24 Mar 2009 at 5:54 am :
I like Real, How to be Real and Wide Awake
…or Silvia!!!
-
Connie wrote on 24 Mar 2009 at 8:25 am :
Whatever you choose will be fine…I like “I Am the Moon” or “Live Out Loud”
-
Monday wrote on 24 Mar 2009 at 8:33 am :
FAST AWAKE
HOW REAL
“Every, every minute”
-
Drum Guy wrote on 11 Apr 2009 at 2:34 pm :
Just “Real” occurred to me, too. I also like “Being Real”.
Or taking from Heatherfeather’s post: “This Is My View” or just “My View” would be good titles.
-
Pam Hauser wrote on 25 Apr 2009 at 10:40 am :
Be Real. Misbehave.
I always hated it when my ex husband told me to behave! I’d much rather misbehave!
Pam -
Mindful Mimi wrote on 05 May 2009 at 10:58 am :
- Real and Awake
- Be real
- Awake and Shimmering
- Shimmering moon
- The real moon
- The moon is awake
- The moon is real
- Life is real
- Live life awake
- Live your real life
- Wake up and be realI love these kinds of brainstorming prompts
-
Oh and
Living out loud is great too
Life is the real loud ?
Loud is the real life?Ok ok, I am getting carried away now…
-
Hi, Christine! I got an invitation to buy the new CD on the newsletter, but I already pre-ordered it. I just wanted to make sure I’m on the list to get it…is there a way to check? Thanks