how to do affordable 7" single releases

Brett Siler · Post by **Brett Siler** » Fri Jun 21, 2013 4:33 pm

LowG wrote: Downloads are for selling your music to people who aren't crazy about music. Vinyl is for sharing your music with people who are.

AMEN!

Brett Siler · Post by **Brett Siler** » Fri Jun 21, 2013 4:38 pm

eh91311 wrote:Palomino Record Pressing seems like an affordable solution.

http://www.dosado.com/pressing/pressingcontact.htm

The electricalaudio.com forum's PRF/Lake of Fake series of 7" are pressed by Palomino.

Whoa that is cheap for vinyl!

There is also do the lathe cut option. You can order really low numbers like 1 or 10 or 20. It's kinda pricey per record compared to getting them press in bulk but it's also not a large sum of money up front like getting $500 records made you may not sell. Also lathe cuts are generally cut in mono and are more lofi that vinyl. Still kinda neat physical option.
http://www.corporaterecords.biz/7inch.html

Waltz Mastering · Post by **Waltz Mastering** » Fri Jun 21, 2013 5:55 pm

Here's a few places that some of my indie clients have used:

http://www.erikarecords.com/products.html
http://www.rainborecords.com/vinyl.htm
http://www.musicolrecording.com/pricing.html

very small runs
http://www.tangibleformats.com/short-run-packages.html

Drone · Post by **Drone** » Fri Jun 21, 2013 6:03 pm

LowG wrote:Downloads are for selling your music to people who aren't crazy about music. Vinyl is for sharing your music with people who are.

How about "Vinyl is for hipsters, with too much time on their hands. Downloads are for people who have lives."

A barbed comment, sure, but I find the suggestion that because I don't wish to embrace 1930's technology, I somehow am not included as an appreciator of music offensive too.

You could come up with other slogans too like Vinyl. Listen closely, as it's only going to sound this good once. but you get my point.

Gregg Juke · Post by **Gregg Juke** » Fri Jun 21, 2013 7:26 pm

How about "What do you mean Pro Tools is hurting you? I love mother-freaking Pro Tools, you &$$@@%^#*?!!!!"

See, people can be offended by anything they want to. It offends me that you were so vehemently and violently offended by technology that apparently means nothing to you. Lighten-up, Francis.

GJ

chris harris · Post by **chris harris** » Fri Jun 21, 2013 7:45 pm

I kind of agree, though...

Pressing vinyl just to "share" it with "people who are crazy about music" is all fine and good if you're an accountant or attorney and music is just your weekend warrior hobby. But, if you're a working band, trying to book tours and build a career, you're not in a position to ignore economics or to insultingly marginalize a HUGE SEGMENT of your potential audience, who may be just as crazy about music, maybe even more so, but less interested in nostalgia.

I press vinyl, manufacture cassette tapes, and take advantage of all digital distribution avenues because it's a smart move for my band and my label. Dogma doesn't pay the bills.

Gregg Juke · Post by **Gregg Juke** » Fri Jun 21, 2013 7:53 pm

Precisely. A smart marketing plan includes product diversity and various distribution options.

People feel strongly about their chosen audio formats. This is Tape Op, we're supposed to be among friends, and nobody said anything racist or mysoginist or homophobic; just some audio peeps that like records having some laughs. We should calm all that down, in regards to irate tirades, is all I'm sayin.'

LowG · Post by **LowG** » Fri Jun 21, 2013 11:35 pm

Oops- I think I almost stole the OP's thread and started a digital vs analog battle.

What I was trying to get at was that I'm not sure that vinyl releases are "affordable" in the "make-a-living kind of profit" way. Obviously most of the population does not own a record player.

But if you are attracted to releasing a 7" for whatever reason suits you then do it for that reason, even if it's not the best return on investment. Some people just like vinyl, even if it is illogical to do so...

But I do need to check those links and see how the market is at the moment - thanks for LP pressing info.

My controversial quote may be clearer with this too:
Everyone I know that plays LPs is VERY into music, and I understand wanting to market to those committed enthusiasts. I do know that playing LPs is not a necessary condition for being VERY into music though. You don't have to collect LPs to be in my cool club!

dfuruta · Post by **dfuruta** » Sat Jun 22, 2013 5:13 pm

A band I recorded had the 7" pressed at Palomino. It didn't sound good, but it was likely due to them putting 8 minutes per side and not the pressing quality...

losthighway · Post by **losthighway** » Sat Jun 22, 2013 5:40 pm

Drone wrote: How about "Vinyl is for hipsters, with too much time on their hands. Downloads are for people who have lives."

How about vinyl is for millions of people who love albums for the greater part of the last century. You don't have to get offended if you don't have a record player, and you don't have to insult people who collect vinyl, or could be vaguely classified as hipsters. The general push in this discussion is sharing music with people in a way that works. That's aiming to be inclusive.

Incidentally, I have a busy life, and I enjoy making time to listen to music and even turn the freaking record over.

More to the original point: can you not imagine the scenario where the person paying $15 for a slab of black plastic might be a little more engaged with it than many (not all, we know you're serious) people who bought one song on one click, in one second, for one dollar?

chris harris · Post by **chris harris** » Sat Jun 22, 2013 6:30 pm

I absolutely know people who buy vinyl and never, ever listen to it. They just buy it because it has collectible value.

I think it's about time everyone got off their high horse and stopped judging people for HOW they consume music and just be thankful that some people still do.

This notion that you can judge how much someone loves music by the format that they choose for listening to it is some of the most crawling-up-your-own-ass, arrogant, ignorant bullshit I've ever heard.

Gregg Juke · Post by **Gregg Juke** » Sat Jun 22, 2013 8:15 pm

I love you all (seriously), BUT (sung to the tune of "If I was a Carpenter"):

If I was a moderator, and this was my @$&% thread, I would lock it down anyway, I would lock it down pron-to......

GJ

chris harris · Post by **chris harris** » Sat Jun 22, 2013 8:43 pm

If this thread had started out about "who loves music more?", I would have never clicked on it. The original topic was asked and answered in the first few posts.

Sincere thanks to everyone who posted links. They were all quite useful.

MoreSpaceEcho · Post by **MoreSpaceEcho** » Sat Jun 22, 2013 9:16 pm

i'm gonna figure out a way to make cds hip again.

Gregg Juke · Post by **Gregg Juke** » Sat Jun 22, 2013 10:50 pm

Space-- Wait 5-10 years!

GJ

Message Board

how to do affordable 7" single releases

Who is online