Record Store Day 2024: why I have nightmares releasing on vinyl and why it’s a costly, futile affair at times

But while for some today marks a celebration of the format, I’m quite careful not to call it humble. I don’t think I am alone either, given that Public Image Limited’s offering today comes in the form of a cassette tape release; ever the antagonist, Mr Lydon.

There’s a duality for my reasons why I won’t be celebrating nor supporting Record Store Day today; the business side of me can appreciate the idea of releasing on an additional format a release that has a limited run and those releases that have yet to be committed onto the vinyl format in recent years.

But the young punk kid who grew up in a time when vinyl was considered still a “dead format,” but used by smaller bands to create an interesting product has been put off by the almost “homogenization” of the event. Because being a “punk kid” again comes with some contrarian values when it comes to “the big industry” of music. 

Secretly though, I’m also bitter about having released on vinyl when it was just starting to become the format du jour before major labels saw an opportunity to push those smaller artists that perhaps “need” to sell their vinyl, compared to larger artists such as Taylor Swift where the vinyl format is more of a commodity - a fashionable, expensive commodity. 

So why are you so bitter about Record Store Day, Benjii?

In my previous life, I used to run a small record label in New Zealand, where there was always the talk of artists releasing on vinyl. I’m pretty sure people are aware of just how remote New Zealand can be, especially when it comes to vinyl press plants. Before Auckland opened its newest press plant, your chances were either somewhere in Australia, or from the United States or Europe. 

Shipping costs aside (which were a lot), was it feasible to release something in the format? Mixed results; for every success I had with an act, there were other moments where I ended up with hundreds of vinyl underneath my bed. I could put stuff up on Discogs, but given the option between a smaller, noisy act releasing on a 7” vinyl and something from a huge band like, for example, The 1975 chances are your casual fan that Record Store Day might cater for is going for the more recognised name. Not that Matt Healy and company need it given their success digitally.

The cost of vinyl production has also increased exponentially since it’s become the “hot, new(ish) format”; something that a major label or a major indie label can eat up but for your grassroots artist, things aren’t quite as straightforward monetarily speaking.

How much does it cost to press a vinyl record?

Let’s say I’m going to release something by a band called The Table and The Chairs; they’ve had some good success locally playing shows and have released one or two tracks digitally that have done well. Radio play isn’t strong but they manage to pull a crowd and there is interest.

Said band want to release their first EP, but rather than looking at the first release existing within the remit of a “minimum viable product” (a business term for the cheapest option yet one that nets money). The Table and Chairs though want to release on vinyl because their music would “sound” better on vinyl and they have fans who have said they’ll buy copies. 

It’s a deal breaker and I am committed to this band because I like them and they may have some appeal to a larger audience. So we take a look at releasing it on vinyl; it’s an EP, short, succinct and we could fit it onto a 7” record.

Most places will start their run of vinyl production with a minimum of 100 vinyl pressed (I know other places do smaller runs, which I will get to), so let’s say 100 7” vinyl with all the trimmings (cover, dust jacket, labels on the vinyl disc). The quote before shipping comes to £634.00, working out as £6.34 per unit before shipping.

Selling it for £7? Not too viable of an option given that the band will have to sell nearly all of the vinyl and the profit margin stands at only £66. You could try selling it for more, but given major labels can run 7” vinyl as a cost-loss process, you’re essentially David vs Goliath. 

When there are options to press vinyl per disc, rather than invest a lot of money into a run of 100 to get that price break, then again the cost per unit becomes unfeasible, and at times one 12” vinyl to make would cost more than getting them pressed en masse. Your best option is to go for broke - and from experience, almost go broke in the process.

That’s not even considering that it turns out, this EP that The Table and Chairs have recorded has a runtime that won’t allow it to be pressed onto 7” and instead, Random Vinyl Factory have said they can press it onto a 10” vinyl or as 12” vinyl. Which of course, jacks up the price of the run and then begs the question: would a fan of this band pick up a 12” record that is only 10 minutes long but set to cost easily around £16.99 at the minimum? 

Experience tells me - not a lot of the time. 

The contrarian in me though will still pick up the odd thing on vinyl; I can’t help myself. There are some releases from major labels I still would pick up - there’s a Nirvana collection I need to finish first and foremost. But rather than pick up something from a larger record label, I’d find myself looking at those smaller acts to help platform them when they need it, rather than spend my money on a format from an artist who perhaps just sees it as a box-ticking exercise.

What can I say? I’ve been burned by vinyl before. Happy Record Store Day 2024 still.