Austin Welcomes New Short Run Vinyl Pressing Plant

Further evidence that the return of vinyl is as strong as ever, the city of Austin will soon see a new vinyl pressing plant known as Gold Rush Vinyl – this is good news for indie acts who often have lengthy waits when ordering their music on vinyl.

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Guest post by Bobby Owsinski of Music 3.0

I guess that the vinyl comeback is here to stay, as another new pressing plant is about to come on line, this one in Austin. When band manager Caren Kelleher found that she couldn’t get timely vinyl delivery for the bands she manages, she decided that it was time for a vinyl plant that specialized in that kind of order.

According to an article in the Austin American Stateman, Kelleher is opening a vinyl record pressing plant in Austin called Gold Rush Vinyl that specializes in printing 1,000 copy orders. The plant is based around brand new state-of-the-art vinyl presses from Viryl Technologies in Canada that should be up and running by December.

One of the major problem for indie acts and small labels is that they have a long wait for any vinyl order, as the major labels press more, so usually get a better spot in line as a result. The wait can be up to 8 months, which is way too long in the creation cycle for an artist. A pressing plant that specializes in small orders is exactly what that market needs.

Vinyl is actually one of the big moneymakers for indie artists in that it’s a desirable piece of physical product that demands a premium price. The problem is that the costs involved are much greater than releases in any other format, as it requires a separate master, a cutting session at a mastering studio that has a lathe (there can be a wait here as well), the test pressings involved, and finally the cost of artwork and the pressing itself. Having such a long wait when such a large investment is on the line can be too much for an indie artist, so it’s easy to give up on the prospect of releasing in vinyl.

A fast turnaround can help stimulate that part of the market though, as more indie artists will likely take a chance as a result, a prospect that Gold Rush Vinyl is counting on. One thing’s for sure, it’s great to have another vinyl alternative. Good luck, Caren!