Ordering Vinyl for the First Time? Here Are Some of Our Tips!
You've made an album! Congrats. That's a huge accomplishment most people do not undertake. It's difficult and expensive and takes so much time, but you did it!! So you wanna put it on vinyl now, huh? Sadly, sometimes this could be just as difficult to accomplish. Instead of spending way too much time on Reddit threads from 14 years ago trying to figure out what "180g" means and whether your 47 Bandcamp followers justify ordering 300 copies of records, we at Hellbender want to make it easy for you. Here are some tips, tricks and explanations you may not be aware of as you navigate custom vinyl pressing - enjoy!
Vinyl pressing plants have minimums, Hellbender included. When you're looking to press your own vinyl, 100 is typically the lowest we'll go. You might be thinking, "But what if I only sell 30?" Valid concern. But here's the thing—the per-unit cost drops dramatically with quantity. Pressing 100 might cost you $15 each, while 300 could be $8. Do the math on whether you'd rather have 100 records to sell or 300 that could theoretically break even.
Some other tips we recommend:
Standard Black vs. Color Vinyl:
Black is cheaper. When exploring custom pressed vinyl options, splatter, marble, and "coke bottle clear" variants will add $1-3 per unit. They look sick in photos but sound identical, or sometimes color can even affect the sound quality, but also, unless you're an audiophile, most people probably won't notice. If you’re looking to save some money, go with black.
Some plants offer regrind vinyl, which is basically records that didn't pass QC, ground up and repressed. We at Hellbender offer a discount for using regrind. It's a little more sustainable, and each record comes out a unique mix of colors. The catch? You can't control what it looks like. But if you want to reduce your environmental impact and save some cash, it's worth getting.
Heavier vinyl feels more premium and warps slightly less, but the sonic difference is negligible. 180g is the move if you want people to feel like they bought something substantial.
Whether you're doing a full LP or looking into 7 inch vinyl pressing (also known as vinyl 45 pressing), the format matters. 7-inch singles are perfect for limited releases or B-sides, and vinyl pressing 7 inch records often has lower minimums than full-length albums. Keep in mind they can only hold between 5 - 8 minutes of music on each side, and if your music is on the louder side, that will mean that there will be physically more space taken up by the music because of the larger grooves. But remember! There are also 10 inch records. These can hold up to 10 - 15 minutes of music. Really, it all depends on what your project is, but if you don't have a full length record no need to go right to the 12 inch.
A gatefold is a sleeve that opens like a book. Do you need it? Only if you have actual artwork to put inside or your album is a double LP. Otherwise you're paying extra for more space you don’t have to fill. A standard single-pocket jacket is fine and costs less.
The paper (or poly-lined paper) that actually touches your record. Anti-static poly-lined sleeves prevent scuffs and cost maybe 20 cents more. I’d say it’s worth it!
Shrink wrap…honestly? Skip it. It's not environmentally sustainable, and your jackets will survive shipping in a box just fine. The "unwrapping ritual" isn't worth the waste. Some indie labels are already ditching it.
You'll get a few advance copies to approve before the full run. Definitely listen to them all the way through. Don’t skip it. This is how we as a plant avoid re-doing 200 copies of your album where the last track has a locked groove in the wrong spot.
How do I actually order my vinyl?
Good question! If you're ready to start your custom vinyl project, we at Hellbender have a customization tool right on our website—think of it as your vinyl record template maker—so you can design and order your custom vinyl with ease. Our vinyl pressing services team is also here to guide you through the process. You can also email our sales team if you have any questions. Janeka, Mike and Kiko are here to help!
And lastly, remember, most vinyl manufacturers, all plants are running at full capacity due to so few vinyl plants in the country, so leave enough time to get this done! Lead times for vinyl pressing are long and can take up to 4-6 months. Plan accordingly.
Hopefully we covered some questions you may have had about pressing custom vinyl. If you have more questions, please get in touch! You can reach us anytime at hello@hellbendervinyl.com.
