Want to release your music on vinyl, but aren't sure how to go about it? Then you should read this!
/ 27/11/2015 / codexText: Kai Lofthus
There is a high "treble" in the production demand for vinyl at the moment. Some factories are so over capacity that they are not accepting new customers, and if you have placed an order it can easily be two months before the records are delivered. But industry professionals that TONO has spoken to are optimistic about the format, and say the demand reflects the market potential. With this article we will contribute to ensuring that there is as little "bass" as possible in the implementation.
Beyond the physical and artistic aspects, there can be promotional advantages to releasing music on vinyl, as it can help you get noticed by the media and fans when most others only use digital channels. In the 70s and 80s, when the industry had significantly lower turnover than today, there was almost no end to creativity. Records came in many different forms: seven-inch, flexi-singles, ten-inch, maxi-singles and LPs, and not least colors: yellow, green, red and black, and sometimes with pictures on the record itself (picture discs). Bands like Iron Maiden have taken full advantage of this.
Maria Nergård, who previously worked at Platekompaniet, where vinyl has once again gained a prominent position, and now works with customers at the sales and distribution company Musikkoporätörene, has great faith in vinyl:
– I would definitely say that life is made for vinyl reprints. There are still stores that would rather just have it. We see that there are many artists and companies that put a lot of money into recordings and the appearance of the album, she says.
She is supported by Håkon S. Bakken, director of the Dicentia factory:
– There is good income potential in vinyl. You don't have to sell much to cover your costs.
When you hear that the unit cost per printed LP is lower than the price of a double espresso, we can understand why you think:
1) Okay, this might be something for me, but what does it cost and how can I finance it?The cost depends on volume and how you want the record to look, so you need to use your imagination on how you want the cover, record label and any other materials to look, and then get various quotes to assess whether it is feasible. We will come back to this below.
And it's with vinyl like with all other things that need to be purchased: It can be financed with both your own money and other people's money. We recommend reading and taking care of this article about crowdfunding, and consider it in addition to your own bank account, sponsors, public support schemes and other sources of investment.
2) The devil is in the details: Be careful with planning and adjusting your plans along the way.
The people you need on your team usually have a lot of clients and daily tasks. Reality often conflicts with the need to get the records out “in a few weeks.” If you want to release the record in a month because you’re so excited about what people think, need money, or that’s when you want the release concert, you’ll probably have to adjust your expectations.
Ideally, you should set a release date six to twelve months after the music is finished recording and mixing. It saves a lot of time if you have hired a graphic designer at this stage and have a clear artistic vision. Six months is plenty of time, but you have to work continuously and take into account that everything can go wrong along the way. A year is extra time.
It is important that this is not seen strictly as a step-by-step description. Several of the tasks can, and should, be worked on in parallel. Plan, delegate and manage the work so that everyone is working towards the goal you are paying them for (yes, you have to pay them, just as you would want to be paid for your work). Any unplanned delay or postponement will result in the release date having to be pushed back. It must be taken into account that something can go wrong, including the truck transporting the records getting stuck on a snowy road.
Songwriting and recording will probably take up all of your waking time, but set aside a few hours each week for product development. It's a big advantage if other people involved in the process, especially designers, can work in parallel with you working on yours.
Håkon Bakken at Dicentia emphasizes that good planning is important for them as well.
– There is a long delivery time for vinyl today. All the factories have a huge demand that means we can have an eight to twelve week delivery time now leading up to Christmas. Normally it takes six to eight weeks.
3) Check the market for service offerings and prices
The most important services you need to purchase:
4) Some practical aspects of product development
Permission to reprint: Even when it is just your repertoire, it is necessary to obtain permission from the Nordic Copyright Bureau (NCB), a company owned by TONO and the other Nordic management organizations. NCB ensures that lyricists, composers and music publishers are compensated for the use of music.
– Factories are obliged to ensure that they only print records that allow the songwriters and music publishers to get paid by the publishers. Certain bands and artists may want to do a version of songs that others have made, and then that triggers an obligation to pay for it. It also benefits you if someone wants to do a version of your songs, says Willy Martinsen, communications manager at TONO.
Anyone who releases music in the Nordic countries must therefore have an agreement with NCB. If you release self-composed music on your own label, and do not have a single cover version on the album, you will receive a permit with special conditions: only an administration fee of kr 700,- for up to 5000 copies per publication. This contributes not least to strengthening the system that also protects your rights and your income as an author. Read more about this on NCB's website.
Some factories can help with NCB clearance, but it is also not a bad idea to have direct contact with NCB, so that you are informed about every step of the process. NCB informs that it is necessary to have their logo printed on the physical copies, and to register the release with them in the same way as a CD. Link to further information about it: https://www.ncb.dk/E2EWeb/WebEpLogin.faces )
To manage your rights as a musician and publisher, it is important to obtain an ISRC registrant code from Gramo: http://www.gramo.no/jeg-lager-musikk/isrc-kode.
5) The artistic, graphic design
There are many ways to package your music: simple album covers, fold-out covers, boxes, etc. Check the factories' websites for information about what they offer, and also see what other artists have done in the past. Perhaps there are elements in your music and image that can be highlighted with creative design? Think about what you yourself could imagine having on the shelf, and feel free to collaborate with others who can help you with marketing, for example an artist who arranges exhibitions where you can perform your music.
It is recommended to put time and thought into the written text; texts and so-called liner notes (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liner_notes).
– It's funny when bands like Kråkesølv make a box. There are many insanely great releases. The Raga Rockers box, which we have printed, is the best this year, says Bakken at Dicentia. He also sees that many people spend little time on the graphics. – We have hired a graphic designer who can help and tell us if there is anything that can be done better, he says.
Here, Dicentia has posted templates that can be used by the designer: http://dicentia.no/produksjon/emballasjelosninger-for-cd-dvd-blu-ray/.
6) Selection of songs, order and playing time
If you have gotten so far in the process that you want to do this, it is now time to find out if the songs you have recorded fit on the album, what flow and coherence they will form, and whether you may need to leave some for another release (CD, vinyl or digital).
The order and length must be clarified before the songs are sent for mastering.
Morgan Nicolaysen at Propeller Mastering recommends a length of 18-20 minutes per page:
– Between 20 and 22 minutes per page is okay, but over 22 minutes is at your own risk, he says.
Feel free to check with the mastering company you want to use and get their feedback on what they think about the song order.
It's smart to think about rights in parallel now. When you know which songs will end up on the album, take a few minutes to register them with TONO. You do this on the membership service My TONO. Also register them with ISRC codes in Gramo.
If you want to sell the records in stores, and not just at concerts and mail order, you need a barcode. If you also release the music on Phonofile or other digital services, you will get one there. Or you can buy one from the factory.
7) Get an overview of all metadata
Metadata is data that describes other data, and ensures that the rights management in the industry works so that you make money in the right places. Record companies have always used to create so-called label copy forms that contain metadata and all other necessary information about the recordings/release. It is smart to make it a habit to create these for each release and save them in a spreadsheet, so you have an overview of what constitutes the foundation for the intellectual and commercial rights in the music.
Label copy forms typically contain:
Album artist
Album title
Song titles and song lengths
Lyricists and composers (it may be useful and clear to enter the shares each of them has)
Name of music publisher (with any share)
Any other artists/musicians who contribute to the songs
Producer(s) and other contributors
ISRC codes
EAN/barcode
Possible catalog number
© – Copyright – Name of the copyright holder + year
℗ – Phonogram rights – Name of the person(s) holding the publishing rights + year
Feel free to check out other artists' releases, get inspired and study/learn from the details!
8) Design and quality control
Check with the designer along the way to see if your artistic vision is being implemented as you want and expect!
9) The music must be mastered
Music for vinyl is mastered in a different way than for CD and digital releases.
“At Propeller, we do the work for all formats in parallel, and then spend extra time creating our own versions for vinyl with more dynamics,” says Morgan Nicolaysen. He encourages artists and bands to create “air” in their recordings so that the sound is not perceived as tiring.
– Especially densely packed productions can be more demanding to engrave on the records and more dynamics gives more room for manoeuvre there. We go an extra round with what we call “de-essing”, so that there is no unpleasant distortion in the treble range, caused by sibilance (s and sh sounds). We also check that the bass and side information work optimally for the specified length.
10) Choice of lacquer or DMM (Direct Metal Mastering) and edition
Now is the time to start the dialogue with the factory, and among other things, choose which method you want them to use. Nicolaysen recommends the lacquer method (lacquered aluminum) rather than DMM (engraving directly on copper plate) – DMM, which became popular in the 80s to get longer plates and less noise, is perceived by many as a bit cooler, he says.
Print run: How many units should you initially print? A Danish record label executive once told the author of this article that you should never expect to sell more than 1000 copies of a record, no matter how good it is. A first run is usually between 500 and 1000 copies, according to several sources.
If you have a foreign distributor, it may be a good idea to have the records delivered directly to them, to save money on transportation and any customs duties to Norway.
11) Time passes, the factory prints and you are sent sample plates/test press
This is one of the most exciting and important things for the result: The time has come for you to see and hear the first physical representation of your musical and artistic visions!
Listen to the test press at a facility you (or someone you trust) know well, and give feedback as soon as possible, preferably the same day. If there is a noise on one of the test presses, check whether one of the others (five are often delivered) has a problem in the same area. If so, something has gone wrong either in engraving, metal work or at the factory.
12) The records are coming!
If you've made it this far, congratulations on being the owner of a collection of vinyl records that will hopefully generate revenue and new fans!
