If you would like to know how to press your own record, this is meant to be the end-all, be-all reference guide to doing that yourself.
If there is any resources on here that you have a question on, email me.
If you know of places that should be on the list, but aren’t, email me.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me via email.
There are a few places I’m listing here that I’ve come across just by compiling this info…so do some Google (re)searching yourself too.
-justin
email me at: JUSTIN [AT] UNDERCOMM.ORG
first: watch this YouTube video:
Watching this, will make the comprehension of the rest of this information a little easier
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iByt8IinjC0
Step One: Pre-Production
ok, after you get your recording, you need to get it mastered for vinyl specifically. There are a million mastering companies in the world, and most people that cut lacquers can be hired to do this as well…the plants/lacquer cutting services you use can do this for an additional charge.
Step Two: Lacquer Mastering
this is where they take the audio and cut it into a lacquered plate, which is what the metal plates are made from.
Many companies can do this, assume that most plants have in house capabilities to do this as well, keep that in mind:
Aardvark Mastering http://www.aardvarkmastering.com
Bonati Mastering http://www.bonatimastering.com
chicago Mastering Service http://www.chicagomasteringservice.com
Dynamic Sun www.dynamicsun.com
Gotta Groove www.gottagrooverecords.com
Lucky Lacquers http://www.luckylacquers.com
Prairie Cat Mastering http://www.prairiecatmastering.com
Remsound http://www.remsound.com
SAE Mastering http://www.saemastering.com
United http://www.urpressing.com
or
Step Two: DMM Mastering
Please note: when going through Pirates Press/GZ Media(see below in Step 5) in the Czech Republic, they use a different method to creating audio masters: DMM Mastering (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_Metal_Mastering), this differs from the above video, see the wiki page.
Step Three: Metal Plating / “Electro Plating”
Mastercraft does this for many plants that do not do it in-house – www.mmfnj.com
Step Four: Labels
These are not stickers, they’re paper that is essentially melted into the record when it’s pressed. (Walt at Imprint told me this tidbit, every plant has a different center hole size, weird useless factoid), and also note that 7″ 10″ and LP labels are different sizes.
Most plants can do this for you, but I just wanted to point out a few alternate options, but many plants just outsource this part of the process to these places anyway:
www.colorprintingwholesale.com
www.hamlettprinting.com
www.iloveimprint.com
Step Five: Record Manufacturing Plants
ok, definitely not a comprehensive list, but this will grow in time, again…if you know of one that is not listed here, email me!
Alpha Music www.alphamusicmfg.com went out of business
Archer www.archerrecordpressing.com
A & R Records www.arrecords.com
Bill Smith www.billsmithcustomrecords.com
Brooklyn Phono www.brooklynphono.com
Dynamic Sun www.dynamicsun.com
EKS Manufacturing www.eksmfg.com
Erika www.erikarecords.com
Gotta Groove www.gottagrooverecords.com
Musicol www.musicolrecording.com
Pirates Press www.piratespress.com*
*-via GZ Media Pressing: http://www.gzcd.cz/en/vinyl/ – Czech Republic
Rainbo www.rainborecords.com
RIP-V Inc. (Montreal, Canada) I cannot find a link for this company
RTI http://www.recordtech.com
United www.urpressing.com
(Please send links to other European Manufacturers or UK plants if there are any)
European / UK pressing plants info:
www.recordindustry.com
www.thevinylfactory.com (London, UK)
www.curvedpressings.com (London, UK)
Step Five 1/2: Flexi Record Pressing
Pirates Press www.piratespress.com – quotes@piratespress.com
Step Six: Covers and/or inserts
for covers:
you can go a DIY route and silk screen covers, photocopied, blank covers(can usually be ordered from plants, with or without the center holes, you could also just order stickers and put them on blank jackets) or paint covers or stencil covers or have letter press covers or have no covers if you want…but for the places that a lot of us use to get covers off-set printed, look to these:
Aesthetic Print (silk screen) www.myspace.com/aestheticprint
Argy Bargy Printing (silk screen) Argy Bargy Printing
Barefoot Press www.barefootpress.com
Dorado www.doradopress.com
Econopress http://econopressprinting.com
Imprint www.iloveimprint.com*
*note: Ross Ellis prints their LP jackets
Mama’s Sauce www.mamas-sauce.com/blog
Night Owls Print (silk screen) www.nightowlsprint.com
Righteous Indignation see “Solid Mfg.” listed below…
Ross Ellis www.ross-ellis.com
Solid Mfg. https://getsolidmfg.com*
*note: Ross Ellis prints their LP jackets
Starshaped (Letterpress Studio) www.starshaped.com
Stoughton www.stoughtonprinting.com
Stumptown Printers www.stumptownprinters.com
VG Kids www.vgkids.com
for inserts:
you can either get nice glossy ones printed buy many if not all of the above printers, but you can also print them on regular sheets of 8.5 x 11 paper, or silk screen them or newsprint pamphlets or posters or none at all! Use your imagination – look into utilizing local print shops as well.
Most of the plants can order jackets and assemble them and shrink wrap them as well if you need it for a fee.
Step Seven: poly bags
Bags Unlimited www.bagsunlimited.com
Imprint www.iloveimprint.com (7″ sleeves)
No Idea dave@noidearecords.com
Old Town Basics www.oldtownrecords.com
Sleeve Town www.sleevetown.com
Something Special Enterprises – (412) 487-2626 (call for a catalog)
Square Deal www.squaredealonline.com
Turntable Basics www.turntablebasics.com
Uline www.uline.com (diy shrink wrapping machines)
24-7 Vinyl www.24-7vinyl.com
see also: www.ebay.com
Step Eight: Boxes
Take note, aside from single order mailers, you might need boxes for many records to mail at once, I’d encourage you to re-use as many as you get in from ordering covers or the boxes that the vinyl comes in, but in the even of mailing mass quantities of LPs, double box them, so order 13″ x 13″ x whatever boxes, so that 12.5×12.5xwhatever fits inside and you’ll lessen the chances of the covers being damaged in transit. TRUST ME, it’s worth it. PLEASE NOTE: some of these places were found doing research so they all might not be cool… but I saw they existed so I included them:
Associated Bag www.associatedbag.com
Bags Unlimited www.bagsunlimited.com
Cameron Packaging www.cameronpackaging.com
Finger Pop www.fingerpop.com*
Indy Boxes www.indyboxes.net*
*note: fingerpop and indy boxes are the same company
Sleeve Town www.sleevetown.com
Solid Viper www.solidviper.com
Tramik Supplies (UK) www.tramikisupplies.co.uk
Uline www.uline.com
see also: www.ebay.com, www.amazon.com
or these DIY/How to make your own mailer boxes vids:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoXnHD-Wg9c
or
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHWKrMeCktA
or non-video DIY:
http://vinylcollective.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=general&action=display&thread=11897
Step Nine: Your Webstore
These are a few store program/services you can use to sell your records. Some of them are free, some of them have monthly upkeep fees, some of them just take a % of sales.
Bandcamp www.bandcamp.com
Big Cartel www.bigcartel.com
Cube Cart www.cubecart.com
Limited Pressing www.limitedpressing.com/stores/new
Zen Cart www.zen-cart.com
osCommerce www.oscommerce.com
Storenvy www.storenvy.com
see also:
www.ecommerce-software-review.toptenreviews.com
www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=ecommerce+software&aq=0&aqi=g10&oq=ecommerce
see also:
http://tinyurl.com/paypalecommercelinks
These coupled with the built-in Paypal interface Shipping system(login, go to: “Merchant Services” tab > click on “Multi-Order Shipping”, New Window will open: This is a postage printing system, cheaper than going to the window at the post office, where you can bring these and drop them off and not wait in lines.)
Step Ten: Download Cards
For download card services for your releases.
You can easily set up a singular code and set it up for like a 1000 downloads and when it expires, you can just make a new one, or you can use these services:
Bandcamp www.bandcamp.com
Dead Format www.digital.deadformat.net/services.php
Drop Cards www.dropcards.com
Limited Pressing www.limitedpressing.com/stores
The New Language (like with the below Vinyl Download, a system is installed for a fee and it is self managed) sean@thenewlanguage.com
Vinyl Download (Deathwish, Inc. affilliated system you buy and have installed in your website) www.vinyldownload.com
Vinyl Downloads www.vinyldownloads.com/?page_id=6
Step Eleven: DIY Distribution
Basic list of distros/label distros to contact about possibly taking your releases on consignment or trading or even maybe buying outright. I’ll add email contacts eventually, but I’m going to ask these places first if it’s cool if I add the emails or to see if they have any specific email address they’d like requests sent to:
Art of the Underground www.artoftheunderground.com
Green Noise www.greennoiserecords.com
Gilead Media www.gileadmedia.net
Havoc Records www.havocrex.com
Interpunk www.interpunk.com(#1 place to start, you manage your own inventory, they have a clean, easy to use interface dashboard that tells you if records are selling, and allows you to request a check every 30 days by a click of a button).
It’s Alive Records www.itsaliverecords.com
No Breaks Distro www.myspace.com/nobreaksdistro
No Idea Records www.noidearecords.com
Punk N Junk Distro www.punknjunk.com/catalog
RevHQ www.revhq.com
definitely picky in what they take, but if you’re doing a hardcore record chances are they’ll like it and agree to take some.
Robotic Empire www.roboticempire.com/store
Tor Johnson Records www.torjohnsonrecords.com
Underground Communique Distro www.undercomm.storenvy.com
Vinyl Junkie www.vinyljunkie.com
(email me more ideas!! – undergroundcommunique@gmail.com)
Step Twelve: Physical Distribution Companies
ie: “major” distributors
Caroline Distribution http://www.carolinedist.com
CTD, Ltd. (formerly Carrot Top Distribution) www.ctdltd.com
ILC (Independent Label Collective) www.ilcdistro.com
Red Eye www.redeyeusa.com
Revolver / Mid Heaven Distribution www.midheaven.com
Step Thirteen: Digital Distribution
IODA www.iodalliance.com
Tunecore www.tunecore.com