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You'll have two main time scale considerations to think about when you start your planning. Firstly, when do you want to release your album for sale and, secondly, what's the best time for you to make the recording?
Depending on your situation, one of these factors will probably be more important to you than the other, and that will provide the starting point. To develop this into a practical schedule you'll need to know how long it's likely to take after the recording sessions to produce the finished product.
As a guide, the minimum "turn-round" times are typically six to eight weeks for a conventional "classical" style album, and could well be three or four months for a more complex, multitrack-based project. Some commercial projects take many months or even years to see the light of day.
Find out from your engineer or producer what the likely time could be for your project. If you've got a specific deadline or need a quick turn-round there's usually a way to achieve it.
On the other hand, if you can afford to build some slack into your timetable it's a very good idea. The recording and production processes are highly complex so there's always a slight possibility of technical hitches along the way. If your release date is cast in stone, plan to have the album finished a couple of weeks beforehand - even if there is a slight delay, your release date won't be compromised.
To pinpoint your preferred release date, there could be several factors. Maybe you'll want the album available in time for a special concert or tour, or to fit in with a special advertising campaign.
One of the most popular times to release an album is just before Christmas, to catch the gift-buying market. To make the best of that opportunity, you'll need the album by the end of November at the latest, or perhaps as early as September.
The opposite approach is to plan to release in a "quiet" time of the year, for example in January or the summer. This way you'll find there's less competing for your buyers' attention (though they might not be so prepared to buy if it's just after the expensive Christmas season).
It could be that the release date itself isn't critical to your plans, so you're free to choose the best recording dates to suit you. Try to find a time when your performance diary is quiet - so everyone can give the project the attention it deserves.
You'll also need to allow plenty of time for rehearsal so that the group is on top form. If you've started with new members and repertoire after the summer break, you're likely to need at least a couple of months to get enough material ready for recording.
A popular time for school ensembles to record is during the term after Christmas or around the Easter holidays. This approach usually allows time for the album to be released before the summer break.
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