Independent artists and record labels run into several obstacles when contemplating whether to release an album on vinyl, most of which can be summarized as: vinyl manufacturing gets real expensive real quick.
Relatively low print runs (usually one-tenth as many vinyl copies produced as CD copies produced) plus the frequent translation of a single CD to a double vinyl LP (a 50+ minute CD requires 2 vinyl discs to preserve audio fidelity) drive up the average cost of manufacturing per unit, while this increased cost plus the steady but slow conversion of the masses to the vinyl medium results in a harder sell on the consumer end. This can make it difficult to break even on a vinyl pressing. Add to all this the longer production time for a vinyl record (often 3 months ‘till product is ready ship vs. 3 weeks for CDs) and the whole project becomes a risky labour of love. Though more and more independent music makes it to vinyl these days, many worthy albums are stalled by this confluence of factors.
What to do in the face of such obstacles? Well, with ingenuity and dedication in hand, one might attempt to move the stones and clear the hurdles. Enter the independent, UK-based progressive music label Plane Groovy with a strategic twist on the crowdfunding campaign model. Plane Groovy has successfully—and, quite frankly, beautifully—produced vinyl releases for prog darlings Big Big Train, amongst others. Now, Plane Groovy is seeking approximately 100 investors to launch its projects via a buy-in of ~£30 ($38) per album. While many Kickstarter campaigns request similar pledge amounts in exchange for a copy of the album and a few small goodies, Plane Groovy’s model will share profits 33/33/33 between the artist, the label, and the group of investors. If the vinyl release fails to break even, the investors still end up with a numbered and signed physical piece of music. But if the print run sells out, investors stand to make back as much as 30% of their pledge.
Investors can stake their claim in this compelling new model by emailing label head Chris Topham via mailinglist at planegroovy dot com. The first album so financed will be Cosmograf’s When Age Has Done Its Duty.
