The cost of setting up a vinyl only label?

dubsbhoy

I have someone coming on board with me to set up an all vinyl label, basically I'll do all the work and they'll fund it (depending on costs) so I am trying to get an idea of an overall cost to get started.

The label will just focus on house music to start off with.

I'll be looking after setting up websites/logos/branding/artwork etc myself so no expense involved there.

If anyone has any links to good distributors or pressing companies or you just want to throw your twopence in I'd appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.

francois

Try eamonn doyle at D1 records he may have info info@d1.ie

ironclaw

I love vinyl myself but the market is just too small in my opinion to make it worthwhile as a business. Maybe if you had a massive company doing big turnover and had the vinyl as a niche side product (Even at a loss) then it would be worthwhile. But just selling vinly? I don't think you could make it work. The cost of transportation alone could be a killer for a small business. Ireland itself wouldn't support you as a market base and as for export, the UK has established brands and pressing companies.

Its getting tricky enough to get CD's these days. Give it 5 years, and I'd say even the vinyl player market will be a few choice models.

Interesting idea none the less, but as serious breadwinning business, I wouldn't be keen myself. Completely open to being proven wrong!

shane9689

labels need music...music needs artists...where will you get the artists? and why would they sacrifice their sales to just be on vynl? unless you allow them to sell their music elsewhere or online aswell?

i had one label send me their music on cassette ! haha unique, but they also gave me the online download so the cassette was more of a bonus, you could do something similar?

Executive Steve

It's perfectly possible. Screw distribution, do it all in house yourself, that's what we did with Ancient Ways. You'll have zero profit margin but if you sell everything you'll cover your costs, pay the artists, and have a record out and you can start doing more. The odds that any distro would take on a record from someone who isn't established already are dwindling. Bigger online retailers like Boomkat will probably take a few records off your hands directly if you get decent reviews. Having put quality music out off your own bat and sold it and still be standing after a couple of releases is more of an attractive CV to go to a distributor with than just rocking up with a soundcloud demo.

Here's the pressing plant we used. http://curvedpressings.com/

DO NOT skimp on vinyl mastering, and don't be afraid to send a master back for a re-cut if you're not happy with it.

Artwork sleeves are an extravagance you shouldn't be thinking of until you're a few releases in. Hand stamped white labels in a black sleeve will do you fine. Find an art student who'll design you a logo.

Promo-wise is where it gets harder really, it was a hell of a lot simpler in the internet forum days to get your message out than it is now, but again, it's totally doable. We didn't get our 4/5 off Resident Advisor until we'd nearly sold out, and we shifted the bulk of our records off the back of threads on two forums, as well as selling them at gigs and the likes.


GO AND DO IT but don't go thinking you'll make a penny off it, because you'll be disappointed.

Executive Steve

shane9689 wrote: »

labels need music...music needs artists...where will you get the artists? and why would they sacrifice their sales to just be on vynl? unless you allow them to sell their music elsewhere or online aswell?

Believe me that's the last worry he'll have.

Why should an artist have to sacrifice permanence to end up having their music rotting away on a few hundred hard drives?

shane9689

Executive Steve wrote: »

Believe me that's the last worry he'll have.

Why should an artist have to sacrifice permanence to end up having their music rotting away on a few hundred hard drives?

i'm just saying...digital downloads will have to be considered aswell if youre dealing with contemporary music. i dont think anyone in my generation (besides afew collectors) wouldn't want the digital download aswell...(im in my early 20's)

Executive Steve

Fair enough, we figured we wanted to put out records, and anyone who really wanted a copy of the tunes on digital could either just rip the ****ty 128kbps off Soundcloud or get a vinyl rip off a Russian hacker.

Executive Steve

Plenty of digital labels to buy tunes from, some things need to be vinyl only, even in 2014.

ironclaw

Executive Steve wrote: »

Plenty of digital labels to buy tunes from, some things need to be vinyl only, even in 2014.

Without wishing to sound argumentative, because I'm not in any way, what would be considered a vinyl only release?

Executive Steve

One that's pressed on wax and sold as a record, no digital on sale, an exclusive for collectors and vinyl DJ's. There's plenty.

shane9689

Executive Steve wrote: »

One that's pressed on wax and sold as a record, no digital on sale, an exclusive for collectors and vinyl DJ's. There's plenty.

problem with that approach is, if you get a hit, people will want to buy it, someone will notice that theres no digital copy and then do it themselves meaning any potential online sale is lost completely simply for the sake of not wanting to have a digital download....

now i know vynl is a thing and there are sales for it...but the best and most serious musicians wont want to miss those digital sales because they like vynls....and thats where missing out on artists will come in...yeah youll get artists but not all the best guys, because the best guys will want to sell their music because its their full time job....

buy hey, if this is a hobby thing, then thats grand, youll get the hobby bands and youll have a hobby...but for a serious business, digital sales a re just a must in this day and age

BaZmO*

shane9689 wrote: »

problem with that approach is, if you get a hit, people will want to buy it, someone will notice that theres no digital copy and then do it themselves meaning any potential online sale is lost completely simply for the sake of not wanting to have a digital download....

now i know vynl is a thing and there are sales for it...but the best and most serious musicians wont want to miss those digital sales because they like vynls....and thats where missing out on artists will come in...yeah youll get artists but not all the best guys, because the best guys will want to sell their music because its their full time job....

buy hey, if this is a hobby thing, then thats grand, youll get the hobby bands and youll have a hobby...but for a serious business, digital sales a re just a must in this day and age

Is there any real money in sales though? Unless your music gets ridiculously popular fast, I wouldn't reckon there's much money in physical/digital sales in the type of music we're talking about here. And if (big if) it becomes a huge hit a bigger label will eventually pick it up.

ironclaw

BaZmO* wrote: »

Is there any real money in sales though? Unless your music gets ridiculously popular fast, I wouldn't reckon there's much money in physical/digital sales in the type of music we're talking about here. And if (big if) it becomes a huge hit a bigger label will eventually pick it up.

They way I kinda see is, is if it became 'big' in anyway and there were say 1000 ripped illegal downloads before I could push the release to digital, thats a 1000 sales you missed. Not huge, not going to break the bank buts its money that would be better off in your pocket. Considering the track will be rendered and mastered anyway, I can't see why anyone would have an objection to releasing on all viable formats. It would be like releasing a movie on Hi8 only