Looking for tips on starting a low key vinyl label.

eggnchips · Post by **eggnchips** » Tue Feb 22, 2011 11:01 pm

Hey chaps,
I'm asking here as you know you guys know your stuff and are often very helpful.

Anyway, I'm interested in putting out a few low key releases on vinyl of 300 or so copies white label style, stamped and no artwork etc. and would like to know how the process works from mastering, to it being pressed and in the shops.

Before you tell me not to bother, please note I wouldn't be doing it for profitable gain moreso for personal achievement, fun and simply because I use only vinyl and I want to keep it alive.
As for costs I would be happy to recover the spent capital.

So from what I gather, the music is sent to the masterer i.e.
http://www.dubplates-mastering.com/

These also do the Master cut which would be then sent to me then I would send the master cut onto the pressing plant such as:

http://shop.servicelabel.com/index.php? ... uct_id=100

I would then receive the vinyl in the post and then have to do the legwork of selling them onto shops maybe at Sale Or Return providing the music is good enough.

One note though is that I've worked out using the sites in the example that after mastering, master cut and pressing 2 tracks to 300 vinyl will total to around 1500€ to have done.
Is this right according to what you guys know? Seems like there isn't even room to recover the outgoing costs.
How much does one sell his records to the shops for?

Thanks in advance for tips and opinions.

::BLM:: · Post by **::BLM::** » Tue Feb 22, 2011 11:46 pm

get a distribution company. rubadub in Scotland are great if you are based in the uk. if you're mainland europe then try and get with diamonds and pearls. we are with both and they are fantastic.

you pretty much got the rest of it though. 300 records should cost around 800 quid including everything.

steevio · Post by **steevio** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 12:58 am

you wouldnt have the master laquer sent to you, it will be sent directly to the pressing plant. its very delicate, and needs to be sent by special courier.

theres nothing to be gained by having it sent to you, its only more likely that it will be damaged in transit.

as BLM says you need a distributor these days, and being picked up by one is down to the quality of the music.

eggnchips · Post by **eggnchips** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 1:05 am

Thanks chaps. Why is the process so seperated? Why don't pressing plants do all to make it easier?

AVX23 · Post by **AVX23** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 5:09 am

it depends on who you use - if you go directly to MPO :

http://www.mpo.co.uk/products/vinyl/

You can do it all in one.

Some people go through a third party mastering engineer because they like the sound or the mastering engineers are reknown for being specialised in certain fields and bringing a little added sparkle to the recording eg: dubplates & mastering, the exchange, chris mckormack or curved pressings.

As far as I know - there are very few - if any pressing plants left in the UK, chances are with a lot of companies, you'll be sending to a UK address, it might be mastered in the UK, but then sent over to France or Germany to be Pressed onto Vinyl.

Another example of how vinyl manufacturing companies work would be to take; Handle with Care (DE) they say that they do everything from source to end product, but they might use a third party plant - it's just that they act as a 'front-man' or broker for the whole process.

I'm guessing this is because vinyl manufacturing plants must be expensive to run and with the economy being the way it's been and vinyl sales being in decline, it's probably closed a lot of plants down meaning that more often than not, a lot of the companies you will be dealing with will be more like brokers than the vinyl factory you might imagine.

Good luck with your mission !

steevio · Post by **steevio** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 5:52 am

my experience of brokers has all been bad unfortunately, even Handle with Care have lost things for me, and they are one of the better ones.

i gave up using brokers after years of problems, and now do it all myself, it can get expensive, but at least you choose which people you're dealing with.
i go for the best quality and dont worry about the cost.

i use these guys for pressing;

http://www.thevinylfactory.com/vf-manufacturing

they are probably the best plant in the UK, its the old EMI plant.

patrick bateman · Post by **patrick bateman** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 6:30 am

Handle With Care are fantastic, and you decide yourself which pressingplant etc to use.

PsyTox · Post by **PsyTox** » Wed Feb 23, 2011 9:10 am

::BLM:: wrote:get a distribution company. rubadub in Scotland are great if you are based in the uk. if you're mainland europe then try and get with diamonds and pearls. we are with both and they are fantastic.

you pretty much got the rest of it though. 300 records should cost around 800 quid including everything.

...although if you are in mainland europe, 570 euro including mastering, 4c center stickers and delivery will also do. And they are good.

So I think 300 white labels should only set you back 520-550 euro. And these guys aren't brokers, but press themselves.

Just PM me if you'd like some info etc.

Just one thing really: forget about selling directly to shops, they won't go for it. Search a decent distributor. Good luck!