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the How to Press a Record Thread


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for the original content of this post...follow this link below. I only have time to keep one of them updated...so this one linked below is it:

http://undercomm.org/blog/?page_id=37

 

I'm getting an error page for this link.  Curious what it says.  If it gets pasted in this thread, that would probably be good.  

 

I also want to discourage people from working with United Records.  First they tried to charge me a set-up fee for buying blank jackets.  

Then they sent me 5 test pressings with constant "electrostatic" noise over them, with a note saying "static is supposed to be there".

Then they took several months to reply to me.

Then when I expressed my dissatisfaction, and went to pay my balance, they arbitrarily tried to charge me an extra $100 for no reason.  

I asked to speak to a manager, and instead the representative, Matthew Fulper Smith, sent me to another representative, saying he was "changing positions within the company".  The other representative told me that he was sorry for the mix up, and he will bring my plates to the front of the production line.  Then when I called him again, he claimed he never said that.  I got a refund for everything but the plating fee and went with Bill Smith Pressing, who were absolutely wonderful.  

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  • 4 months later...

I want to start an independent label and release some vinyl/CDs of smaller bands that are currently digital only. Is there any guide or resource that provides basic info on doing this? I'm not currently interested in "signing" bands or dealing with recording or anything like that, just the licensing/distribution rights to press a certain number of albums and then sell them. I'm just not sure where to start with putting together a contract for that that thoroughly protects my rights and the artists' rights.

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I recently released an album on vinyl. I used a Canadian broker called Standard Vinyl , who helped the record get pressed at Rainbo Records. Other than a slow turnaround time, I was very happy with them. I also made some DIY record jackets.

 

In case you're interested in my costs and process, I wrote an article about the experience of getting an actual record made from the perspective of a hobby musician. You can read it here: https://medium.com/@danielfield/nap-time-musician-or-how-releasing-my-music-for-fun-changed-my-perspective-on-the-music-industry-7d56704250e8

 

If you have any questions about my experience, feel free to PM me.

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Hi there - I know this is a few-year old topic, but I just discovered it earlier today, and went and checked out your article as well. That was a pretty inspiring read, I think, for anyone who isn't really trying to be a big star or something, but simply wants to make some records. In particular, I really enjoyed the insight you demonstrated throughout your own project, because yes, it can be easy to take little details for granted - like the time and effort it takes to create a piece of music, and then finesse it, and then figure out how to record it so it sounds decent, and the mastering process, etc, all the way to the end, when you finally have something tangible you can hold in your hand and share with others. Few people might realize just what it took to make that happen, but I think you get it. It reminded me of one of the most valuable lessons I ever learned while attending art school in the '80s, which was simply: go make a drawing. The caveat was: write down every thought that occurs to you, as you decide what you are going to draw, using what tools, and so on. It ends up being a fairly long list, and the whole point was to illustrate that conciously or not, you really can't take any part of the process for granted. I think your post really conveyed that, and I hope that you might have gotten that across to others who might want to try something along the lines of what you did. Cheers!

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