How much does it cost to press 100 vinyl records? We often get this question now that vinyl is becoming more and more popular again.
Some of you might be scared to even ask because pressing a vinyl record seems so ambitious and intimidating. It seems so expensive and is reserved for big artists like Fleetwood Mac! Here’s the thing– you can actually press just a few records at a time and no, it is not as expensive as you think. We understand the fear…it does seem like a big risk. But not when you can press a few at a time!
We press vinyl records as few as 100 pieces precisely because of this reason. We want you to not be afraid to test them out because vinyl is en vogue again and if you’re a musician about to release an album, it would be a missed opportunity not to include vinyl records in your album release.
Vinyl is cool and we want to be part of this vinyl movement. Let’s make vinyl mainstream again!
You see, with our short run vinyl record pressing, you are not risking too much too soon. The good thing is that if your 100 vinyl records pressing runs out, you can just call us again and order on-demand in batches of 100 or even 50 because we already have all the stuff we need to make your records. The records per item would be significantly cheaper because you won’t have to pay for the set-up fees.
If you’re worried that you’ll drain your savings, don’t fret! It’s not as costly as you think. Here’s a rough estimate for 100 vinyl record pressing cost:
The usual estimated cost for 100 pieces is 1,850.
Vinyl Pressing 100 units = $1580
Test pressing= $120
Vinyl record sleeves=$200 (but depends greatly on artwork)
Here are some factors that affect the price and how you can cut down the vinyl record pressing cost:
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Table of Contents
Design and colors of the actual vinyl records
Since we’re talking about custom vinyl records, I’d like to start with the design of your actual vinyl records. We can’t deny that the more colors you have on your customized design, the more you’ll have to pay. Black records are the cheapest while the fancier ones cost much more– transparent/clear vinyl, splatter vinyl, vinyl with glitter and whatnot.
If you want to make good-looking vinyl records but you have a tight budget, choose black. It’ll cost you much less. Just come up with a badass vinyl record jacket that makes the whole thing badass. Check out these black and white vinyl records. They’re cheaper to make but do they look boring? You be the judge!
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Record weight matters
Record weights affect how vinyl records produce music. It stabilizes the vinyl record while it is played on the spinning turntable platter mat therefore, having a better speed stability. However, if these vinyl records are played on cheap turntables, this may affect the record player negatively.
The standard weight for 7” vinyl records is 42g while its heavyweight is 70g. For the 12” vinyl the standard is 140g and the heavyweight is 180g. Record weights can add cost and if you are really short on money then just choose the standard weight. Both still produce good music so there’s no loss in choosing the standard weight.
For 100 pieces, 180g is $68 more expensive than 140g
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Packaging and artwork
Vinyl packaging is another way to cut the cost of your vinyl records. First would be the kind of vinyl jacket you will have. If you’re really on a tight budget, I suggest you choose the cheapest jacket the company you’ll be ordering from. Of course you’ll want to give your fans the best so make sure that even if it is more affordable, it’s still good and durable.
Another thing is the kind of inner sleeve you will have for your vinyl records. Pick the cheapest too, that will help cut a few dollars from your expenses. You’ll cut down a few dollars.
Another thing is the printing of the artwork on the sleeve. Choose fewer colors and if you have a white background with just black ink, it will be much more affordable to make.
UPC
UPC stands for Universal Product Code, which is also known as the barcode. This is very much needed if you’re planning on selling your vinyl records through stores, and to have this barcode you’ll have to pay more. If you are not planning to sell through stores and you have your own online shop or something, then it’ll be best to skip having this.
With UPC barcode, you’ll have to pay $20 more.
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Production Time
Production time for vinyl record pressing is quite long. It takes at least 2 months because vinyl pressing is a meticulous process. Many things and steps are needed to be done to manufacture the vinyl records itself, the vinyl jackets, and the inner sleeves. If you had more units ordered, it might be longer than the standard.
Manufacturers have an option where you can pick how many weeks the production will take, but there’s a price to pay. Since you want to have your records faster they will have to rush your order and any rush order is more expensive.
For instance, from 8 weeks to 6 weeks (rush), it costs additional $200
You see, vinyl record pressing really doesn’t cost if you know how to cut costs. You just have to look at every aspect of it and find where you can adjust without compromising quality and design. Since you can’t cut costs on the process of pressing the vinyl records itself, you’ll just have to go for the features of the vinyl record and its album to slash up to $500 off your 100 vinyl records pressing.
We accept short run vinyl record pressing here at Unified. We can work on any budget and we will try our best to give you the vinyl record that would make you and your fans happy. Get a quote now or email me directly at [email protected]
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James Hill is a veteran of the music industry. He first worked at Warner Reprise Records then later joined Interscope/ Geffen Records where he managed producers and songwriters and got his first platinum record for Keyshia Cole’s The Way It Is. He is now helping indie artists with branding and manufacturing through his company Unified Manufacturing, a CD/DVD/vinyl and merch company in LA.
