The Wheres, Whys, and Whens of Vinyl For Independent Artists
You may have heard that vinyl is back; the truth is that vinyl never left.
Yes, vinyl is currently a 3.5 billion dollar industry whose ambassadors now include Post Malone and Paramore -- but vinyl has been a valuable medium for artists at every career stage since its inception, one that encourages artistic expression from the test press to release day.
How can vinyl be part of your current career growth strategy? Let’s get into it below.
Where Does Vinyl Help Independent Artists?
Short answer: everywhere.
Longer answer: Vinyl records look incredible. The standard back editions evoke decades worth of music history; hyper-modern variants like splatter, glitter, and color-in-color regularly go viral on social media. This visual flexibility can make vinyl helpful to independent artists that are perpetually online, touring the world and everywhere in between.
Here are three specific places vinyl is really helpful:
Your Online Merch Store (Bandcamp, MerchNow, etc.) – if you sell music on the internet, vinyl is an eye-catching way to move units. Independent platforms like Merchbar even let artists name their vinyl variants, which can be a clever way to bring personality to even basic ROYGBIF-leaning releases. Bandcamp, in particular, allows you to set presales and message fans directly about your upcoming drop.
Your Gig Merch Table – Merch tables offer fans an opportunity to support bands before or after their set, which is usually a moment of heightened emotional connection. It’s also a perfect spot to bundle your vinyl with other merch items at a discounted price, which may help you move units.
Online – Vinyl is more than a commercial avenue – it’s a mindset. Pressing your music to vinyl shows listeners you’re committed to physical media, which speaks to your values and makes those values a tangibly realized part of your image. When you post your vinyl on social media, a message gets sent. That can be incredibly beneficial.
What do you need to consider before pressing vinyl?
First and foremost, you must consider the cost.
Our partners at Disc Makers begin their custom vinyl-pressing process at $999 for 100 records. That’s an incredible value, but: that industry standard might be too high a quantity for you to order right away. The best way to know is determining the likelihood your vinyl will sell.
What are your fans' buying habits? Does your genre of music tend to move vinyl units? Do you have shows coming up where you can sell vinyl IRL in addition to online? If you can answer these questions, great. If not: a poll on social media can quickly establish if your fanbase is excited about a vinyl drop or not.
Lastly, the location of your fanbase can affect whether pressing to vinyl is an affordable move for you. If you haven’t caught on locally but are big in another country, that’s amazing! It also means the fans that want your music at the moment might have to pay tremendous shipping costs. Weigh the pros and cons accordingly.
Timing, timing, timing.
Life is all about timing and that’s equally true for vinyl.
The style of the music recorded will factor into the amount of post-production work your record requires. That affects when you should place your order. Disc Makers notes that “turnaround times fluctuate seasonally and with major market demand, and can range from 8-10 weeks to 14-16 weeks or more from the time you place your order, approve your proofs, and receive your product.”
All things considered, that’s pretty quick! However: it also means you need to be strategic about when you announce your vinyl release and when you begin selling it. Think about record drops that excited you in the past: were they pre-orders? Were they surprises? There’s no wrong way to go about it so long as you're being intentional and transparent about when fans can expect their records in-hand.
Let’s keep it real
Vinyl IS possible for indie artists. It can be a lucrative investment that excites your fanbase and jumpstarts your own creativity! When it comes to upside, the sky’s the limit.
That said: it should also be clear to you now that there are several factors you must consider before pulling the trigger.
Weigh how your fans might respond. If you don’t feel your fanbase is consistent enough for a physical release yet, make building that fanbase or tour schedule your goal and a vinyl release your reward.
We promise it’s worth it.
TuneCore x Disc Makers
We teamed up with our longtime partner Disc Makers because we know that artist development extends far beyond digital distribution.
Physical media revenue streams that spark your joy and increase your fanbase might be the best way for you to grow right now.
Start learning about Disc Makers can help you make a real-world impact on your music career today. TuneCore Artists can take $25 off an order of 100 custom vinyl records using promo code TCVINYL25.