Teesside record plant Press On Vinyl launch platform to help artists and labels

Teesside pressing plant Press On Vinyl have announced the launch of a new platform designed to remove financial barriers for artists & labels when producing vinyl. An e-commerce platform linked to the plant itself, FairSound will allow users to design and sell their records as pre-orders before going into production and being shipped directly to fans and shops.

A simple process for artists & fans alike, users will first create their record on the platform and set up a pre-order campaign. As pre-orders come in the record will edge closer to what is known as the ‘Press On Point’, once that point is hit, the user will decide on the final quantities of their record and push go on the project - giving FairSound the go ahead to manufacture their vinyl & ship it to fans.

The FairSound platform is designed to be simple, transparent and easy to use - from artists running DIY campaigns on a shoe-string budget, to labels looking to gauge interest with exciting but niche releases, FairSound will offer a cost-effective and low-risk way to get treasured records into the hands of fans everywhere.

With quality control ever at the front of their minds, FairSound will launch first with a Beta test featuring a select group of artists, labels and releases allowing them to properly monitor the platform, production lead times and customer experience. The FairSound team hopes to launch it fully in early 2023.

Using FairSound during this test period are emerging artists including Ukrainian sixties-inspired psych trio Love’N’Joy who will release new music through the test. Others using the platform are, South London producer & composer Max Cyrus with his exciting new MCM Label and Sunderland indie-pop band, Vanderbilt who will be pressing their debut album after it was released earlier this year.

Another of the beta test releases is a groundbreaking vinyl compilation from iconic Leeds indie label Dance To The Radio records released on bio-compound vinyl ‘Nothing But Flowers’ will be the first UK label release on the new material and will feature a selection of tracks from Dance To The Radio’s impressive current roster including Low Hummer, Sfven, Far Caspian, Clean Cut Kid, Jake Whiskin & more.

FairSound’s partner organisation Press On Vinyl is a new UK pressing plant in Teesside with a focus on serving independent artists & labels. Since successfully launching earlier this year, Press On vinyl expect to raise capacity to around 100,000 records a month by the end of 2022 while ensuring the quality of their production remains to their uncompromising high standards.

Alongside increasing production capacity and launching FairSound, Press On vinyl have also been leading on greener vinyl solutions including recently working with EvolutionMusic to produce the world’s first commercially available bioplastic vinyl alongside other exciting projects and partners.

FairSound co-founder Danny Lowe said: “We are incredibly proud to be part of the UK music industry and with a passion for all things independent, we understand the issues facing artists and labels when it comes to physical releases. We believe Fairsound will be a platform where more of this wonderful music can be realised in this format. It’s a force for creativity!”

By Mark Adair – Correspondent, Bdaily