A Different Perspective on Pre-Orders

Over the last ten years, vinyl sales have surged causing back ups in the industry. We’ve seen turnaround times for vinyl production go from three months to over a year. Labels have put new practices into place to combat these dilemmas, but even with all these solutions in place, delays during the manufacturing process continue. Even though more pressing plants are starting to pop up all over the US, many wonder why these pre-orders persist. Let’s break it down!

One of the biggest reasons a lot of Indie labels still rely on pre-orders is because of the expenses associated with pressing albums on vinyl. We can’t speak for every label out there, but Indie labels have a lot of unseen expenses associated with each release. These labels are often compared to bigger labels that have more wiggle room with extra funds, but Indie labels do not live within this same reality. These are costs that not a lot of people typically consider when they’re looking at vinyl pre-orders on a website:

1. Licensing

While the cost of licensing differs for each soundtrack, they are regularly one of the more expensive parts of pressing a record. People often don’t realize that the licensing is paid for long before any other work is done on an album, making the expense invisible to most. Sometimes, that process can take literal years.

2. Vinyl and Jacket Production

This expense seems pretty obvious, but there are a lot of decisions that go into each release. Vinyl and jacket production is a costly endeavor and much like the licensing, won’t be completed until much further down the road holding up funds until the item goes on sale.

3. Long Turnaround Times

As mentioned above in the “licensing” phase, each release can be in the works for months, even years, before it comes to fruition. There are a lot of steps involved with each release. Acquiring the license, getting approvals from those involved, working with artists, remastering the music, and the manufacturing process. Sometimes these processes are quick, other times they can take a considerable amount of time. Once a license is acquired, there’s a substantial amount of funds tied up in the release with more expenses to come.

A Recap

Some larger record labels are able to use their vast resources to fund their vinyl releases without any major difficulties. But that is not the truth for smaller labels like Waxwork Records. All of our releases are made with the highest quality materials available, and pre-orders make that more of a possibility. They allow us to invest in making the best products possible, using the most eye-catching artwork, and securing even more great titles that you, the customers, will love and enjoy for years to come! 

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