The Simplest Guide to Making a Record
Making a vinyl record is a process. It’s not always perfect, but one thing is certain: vinyl lasts.
Record-making communities create lasting documentations of cultures and subcultures. When a vinyl record is pressed — whether it’s an LP, 7-inch single, or 10-inch release — a tangible and audible impression of an era is captured for generations to come.
Take, for example, the subculture of soul and funk music made in Hawaii during the 1970s and 1980s. It was with records by artists like Lemuria, Mike Lundy, Aura, and Nohelani Cypriano that I could begin to understand this obscure subculture. Without the music of this era made available on vinyl, Aloha Got Soul simply wouldn’t exist.
When you press your music onto vinyl, it literally becomes a record: a document for the world to discover and re-discover.
The Simplest Guide to Making a Record was created by Roger Bong in 2016 as a reaction to learning the complicated process of pressing a vinyl record. More of his work can be found at alohagotsoul.com.
INTRODUCTION
Making a record is a dream for many. Yet because of the complicated processes involved, the confusing manufacturing jargon, and, of course, the expense, making a record can seem so out of reach.
I’ve set out to create the simplest guide to pressing your music to vinyl.
This guide draws upon the experience and resources I’ve gained since launching the Aloha Got Soul label in 2015. I hope you find it easy to understand and that it becomes an invaluable launching point with which to help you press your first vinyl record.
Making a record in six steps
This guide breaks down making a record into six steps, each with a brief summary accompanied by things to keep in mind.
Steps:
Mastering For Vinyl
Placing Your Order
Lacquers
Stampers
Test Pressings
Final Production
QUICK START GUIDE
Any complex task deserves a Quick Start Guide.
Quick Start option #1: Don’t use Kickstarter, use QRATES
QRATES does what Kickstarter can’t by providing a crowdfunding platform that also presses your records so you don’t have to.
Basically, you can design, crowdfund, press, and distribute your record all with QRATES. If you already have the funds, you can place an order immediately.
QRATES gives you access to some of the best record stores and distributors worldwide — without the hassle of trying to sign distribution deals:
FatBeats (USA)
Juno Records (UK / Europe)
HMV, Jet Set, and Technique (Japan)
*note: QRATES and Kickstarter partnered in 2017 to bring you MAKE Vinyl, a collaboration to help artists press vinyl with the two platforms.
Quick Start option #2: Go with Gotta Groove Records
My top recommendation for a US-based pressing plant, Gotta Groove Records is 100% vertically integrated, which means everything mentioned in this guide is available in-house:
- lacquer mastering
- record electroforming
- record pressing
- label/jacket/sleeve printing
- download code hosting
- crowdfunding
- wholesale distribution
- consumer-direct fulfillment
Step One: MASTERING FOR VINYL
The pressing plant assumes all files you submit are “vinyl ready” — mastered for the medium.
When you “master for vinyl”, you take into consideration that vinyl is a physical medium with specific limitations.
With a CD, your medium is digital bytes and bits — 1’s and 0’s. With a record, your medium is plastic.
Audio that is “mastered for vinyl” will be optimized for the best possible sound the plastic allows.
Keep in mind:
Avoid mp3s. Prepare your audio as a .WAV or .AIFF instead. Best sound quality is achieved with a 24-bit / 96kHz recording. If anything, sample rates higher than 44.1kHz are preferred.
1’s and 0’s are duplicated bit-for-bit during CD manufacturing. With vinyl manufacturing, you file goes through multiple physical processes that can easily affect the sound.
Things that vinyl doesn’t like when you are mastering:
– Brickwall limiters or “finalizers” when mixing down
– Loud hi-hats, cymbals, tambourines can cause distortion
– Bass, drums, and low synths not centered (panning these sounds left or right will make the physical grooves in your vinyl get all wonky)
– Vocal tracks with lots of “sssss” sibilance
If you’re confident in your audio, move on to the next step. If you’re not sure, find a mastering engineer who knows vinyl. Here’s a list of recommended engineers: gottagrooverecords.com/referrals
I personally use Peter Beckmann of TechnologyWorks in London, located 7,000+ miles from Honolulu. Why? Great service and communication, plus he specializes in audio restoration from vinyl sources, which means he can take an obscure record from the 1970s and return it to its full glory, ready for re-release in the 21st century.
I’ve also used Cory Allen of Altered Ear in Austin, Texas, thanks to a recommendation from a friend, Randy Ellis of Hobo Camp Records.
If you choose to hire an engineer, they might ask you: “Want me to cut the lacquers, too?” Politely decline. I’ll explain in step three.
Step two: PLACING YOUR ORDER
Potentially the most time-consuming task in making a record. Pressing plants have been slow to move into the 21st century. Instead of easy online order forms and instant quotes, most plants* provide itemized price sheets and lengthy PDF order forms. Not fun. But if you’re serious about pressing a record, this is a hurdle worth jumping.
*Despite an instant quote generator on its website, Nashville’s United Record Pressing requires you to complete and email an 8-page PDF order form. No instant quote with Detroit’s Archer Record Pressing, instead you must tally your total cost based on a static list. Ohio’s Gotta Groove Records intimidates with PDF pricing charts, but submitting orders is easily done online. Portland, Oregon’s Cascade Record Pressing sets a shining example with both online quote generator and ordering process.
Keep in mind:
— First-time customers typically must pay upfront in full.
— Consider quality vs price. United is cheap, Gotta Groove is quality.
— High demand + limited plants = 4–5 months turnaround time.
— Choose a catalog number to identify your record, like AGS-LP001.
Most pressing plants provide free paper sleeves for your records. Jackets cost extra. Honolulu hip-hop producer Scott Ohtoro prints jackets locally. With Aloha Got Soul releases, jackets are printed by the pressing plant so that the records arrive fully assembled.
A few words on licensing:
All pressing plants will require you to sign something that states you have the necessary rights to press the music to vinyl.
If you release a cover song, you can purchase a mechanical license from songfile.com or loudr.com.
If you’re curious about doing a reissue release or anything else not mentioned here, feel free to email me: roger@alohagotsoul.com. I’ll do my best to guide you in the right direction.
Step three: LACQUERS
“Lacquers” are the first part in the physical process of making a record, and the first word in a long list of jargon: two-step plating, lathes, acetates, electroforming, galvanic process, nickel sulphamate electrolyte solution…
I still can’t wrap my head around all of it.
Like I mentioned in step one, if a mastering engineer offers to cut lacquers for you, politely decline. Let the pressing plant cut the lacquers in-house.
Keep in mind:
Gotta Groove offers what they call “test cuts”, digital audio previews of how your audio will translate to vinyl before continuing to the next step, Stampers.
Step four: STAMPERS
Lacquers are used to create these shiny, metallic discs called Stampers, which literally stamp music into vinyl.
Keep in mind:
By default, some plants will discard your beautiful stampers once your order is complete.
Gotta Groove mails your Stamper to you, along with any leftover labels once your records are pressed. United Record Pressing dumps everything unless you request otherwise. I’m still kinda bummed I didn’t know this earlier…
Stampers last for about 1,000 presses. Beyond that, you’ll be encouraged to pay for “three-step plating” and run into more jargon. Let’s hope you don’t need to press more than 1,000 records.
Step Five: TEST PRESSINGS
Before the stamper is put to work pressing your records, the pressing plant will stamp a small run of test pressings. You’ll need to check and approve the sonic quality of the test pressings before the final step can begin.
Keep in mind:
When you receive your test pressings in the mail, listen to every copy on every available system, with speakers and with headphones. Make sure everything sounds good!
Check for: excessive sibilance (annoying “ssss” sounds), clicks and pops, and distortion (especially for tracks that are closer to the center of the record).
If you decide not to approve the test pressings, you’ll have to go back to step three, Lacquers. This will require more time for the plant to make new lacquers, then make new stampers, and then make new test pressings — a process that could delay you another month!
I learned this the hard way — I denied the first four runs of test pressing of the Mike Lundy The Rhythm Of Life LP (!), and subsequently our release was delayed almost 2 months.
That’s why I recommend using Gotta Groove and paying for the “test cuts” option. You’ll have a greater chance of catching any sonic imperfections before continuing to step four, Stampers.
Step six: FINAL PRODUCTION
Finally, your test pressings are approved and your records are getting pressed!
But of course, there’s more waiting.
It might take another 2–3 weeks once you’ve approved test pressings for the plant to finish & ship your records. Now would be a good time to start planning a release party (just be sure to give yourself wiggle room for any potential delays in production and shipping — you don’t want to host a release party without any records!)
Keep in mind:
Any remaining balance is due upon test pressing approval. You’ll have to pay any shipping charges, too.
Plants can drop-ship to multiple locations for a small fee.
Records are typically packed in boxes of 20 to 25. Ask the plant how they pack records and avoid deviating from their set increments — otherwise they’ll be forced to ship your records in a way that could cause damage during shipment.
Check all your records when they arrive! Not 10, not 20, all! Look for warped, damaged, or poorly printed records. The plant can reimburse you in most cases, but only if you file a claim ASAP.
Extra notes:
– 7-inch records are cheaper to make (and ship)
– 7’s are in higher demand than 12’s (thus more waiting time)
– 180 gram vinyl is heavier vinyl, so higher shipping costs
– I’ve always seen 180g as something of a marketing ploy
– “Random splatter” color vinyl is cheaper than black, mostly because plants want to get rid of leftover colors from other orders
– Black vinyl provides the best audio quality
THE NEXT STEP…
Now that you’ve accomplished what so many dream of, let’s consider some tips in getting your music to as many people as possible.
Tip #1: Bandcamp
There isn’t anywhere else like Bandcamp on the internet. It’s a community of music lovers who enjoy directly supporting artists and labels. That kind of support is key to gaining loyal fans. Here’s a few reasons why I recommend Bandcamp:
Ease of use — easily sell digital tracks and physical goods
Discoverability — fans can intuitively search for new music of all shapes and sounds with the Discover tool: bandcamp.com/#discover
Marketing tools — Bandcamp provides everything you need to grow your project, like download codes, order management, email signups, statistics, and much more.
Tip #2: DistroKid
DistroKid surpasses the digital distribution competition for so many reasons, especially for its simple user-interface and affordable pricing. There’s no excuse for not adding your music to Spotify, iTunes, Amazon, and Tidal (to name a few).
DistroKid is $20/year to upload unlimited songs & albums. TuneCore is $30/album, then $50 in subsequent years. CDBaby is $50/album.
Get a 7% discount off Distrokid with this link:
https://distrokid.com/vip/seven/581340
Thanks for reading this guide.
It’s far from a complete guide, but that’s not the goal here. I want to provide people who want a simple, easy-to-understand explanation of what it takes to press a record.
If you’re curious, check out the records I’ve pressed so far.
