Vinyl records are making a comeback. The ongoing pandemic has given people time to appreciate these analog treasures, and their high sales of 2020 show just how much these records are appreciated. Many musicians dream of releasing their vinyl record albums, but it can be a costly endeavor. However, indie artists these days partner with an established record label willing to release their songs. The focus is shifted towards making the best music without dealing with the additional costs of putting out albums independently.
Creating your vinyl record and releasing it on your own is not as difficult or costly as you might think. If you have an idea for a song and want to make it into your album, this article will help. Remember the 6 steps on how to release your very own vinyl record album.
Create your own record label.
You have the option of signing with an established label or creating your own record company. Suppose you are not signed under an existing brand and want distribution for vinyl records. There is no shortcut to ensure all necessary contracts are marked and appropriate licensing rights acquired from organizations such as BMI and SESAC in America. Registering your enterprise might seem intimidating at first, but anything becomes possible once it’s adequately noted with helpful guidance.
Come up with tracks for your album.
Making your vinyl record is hard work, but it’s worth the effort. Make sure you choose high-quality tracks with a consistent theme and arrange them in an album appropriate way. There are many technical considerations, too. Loud sounds can damage the cutting equipment or play incorrectly on traditional systems due to physical limitations of old technology.
Check Out: 5 Facts You Never Knew About Vinyl Records.
Mastering sound quality.
The sound quality of your music is essential to make it more appealing and enjoyable. You can either master the tracks yourself or have a professional take care of that for you. If you are on a budget, mastering by yourself will work as long as there are no glaring mistakes in mixing. Having fresh ears when listening has its benefits because they’ll be less likely to notice any imperfections if one listens too much without taking breaks.
Mastering your album can cost around $200-$500 for an EP. To find a good studio, listen to CDs that you think sound good. Also see who mastered them- the info is found printed on CD cases or vinyl jackets. Make a list of these studios and contact all those available if needed; then negotiate with each one until you choose which will best handle your work respectfully as possible while staying within budget needs. Don’t let others master the tracks first so long as they are not done recording elsewhere before sending them to distributors/record labels.
Send your masters to a vinyl manufacturing plant.
As soon as you are done with your masters, you must send them off for a 3-month long journey. This is mainly because making records from start to finish can get very tedious and meticulous. The plant will print up your sleeve in order before sending it back with some test pressings on the side just for approval purposes.
Scrutinize your pressings.
After you receive a sample of your vinyl record, please test it and inspect the printing on the sleeves. Once everything is to your satisfaction, make corrections or alterations if necessary, but no drastic changes as they could reset the 3-month timeline.
Wait for your records to be pressed.
You’ll need to be patient and wait about a week or two before your records are pressed. After, it’s all on you how you market them.
Are you ready to own your vinyl records? Let us know in the comments section below.
