When you submit art to A to Z, the first stop for your files is the Preflight department. These technicians open every file you submit and check for a range of potential issues that could slow your project down or cause printing errors in the later stages. This is our way of ensuring that there are no surprises when your art moves on to proofing and then to printing. If there are any issues, your preflight operator will reach out to you via email or phone and walk you through the process of getting your files to the “print-ready” stage….(Continue Reading on Facebook

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2013 marks the 10th year Anniversary of inception for one of our favorite labels and longtime clients, Kanine Records. Kanine is a Williamsburg, Brooklyn based DIY record label co-founded by Kay and Lio Cerezo that is perhaps best known for releasing the debut albums by Grizzly Bear, Surfer Blood and Chairlift. More recent releases include Eternal Summers, Young Prisms, Royal Baths, Zambri and Xray Eyeballs…(continued)

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Vinyl manufacturing can be a complicated and often confusing endeavor for seasoned veterans and new comers a like. That’s why our new Q&A this month is Frequently Asked Questions of Vinyl Manufacturing. Enjoy!

1. How many minutes are recommended per side on a 12”, 10” and 7” record?

When deciding how many minutes to aim for on a record, there are many different considerations. Side times vary for different size records and the speed at which they’re cut. The volume level a side is cut at is a big factor, because louder program levels take up more space on the disc! Bass also takes up more room, as does a stereo signal. The rule of thumb is that shorter sides sound better because there is more room for the grooves to be spaced. That being said, the cutting engineer working on your project can evaluate your music and help to see what is possible with the volume level. The engineer can also check to see if anything should be adjusted in order to get a long side to work and still sound ok. Below are some guidelines to help give you a ballpark idea of the different possibilities…(continued below)

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The digital age drastically changed the music industry. From the introduction of the Walkman to the iPod, the demand for physical recordings continually decreases. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) reported that 344 million vinyl records sold in the United States in 1977. In 1994, a mere 600,000 sold. Despite the increasing accessibility of digital music though, vinyl’s popularity is on the rise. In the first half of 2012, 2.2 million records sold in the United States - not surprising when, according to musician Neil Young, the foremost pioneer of the digital age, Steve Jobs, exclusively listened to vinyl at home.

Throughout much of the 90s, the vinyl industry relied on disc jockeys such as Alain Macklovitch, better known as A-Trak, and hip hop culture to support production and sales. In recent years however, a second revival began with the indie alternative genre. Artists such as Vampire Weekend and The National are producing LPs and EPs usually accompanied by a download code to obtain the digital album.

With this resurgence, in 2008 vinyl record sales reached 1.9 million. And in 2011, 3.9 million vinyl records sold; while revenue for 45s alone grew 99.6%.

In 2007, a Tennessee pressing plant produced anywhere from 20,000 to 40,000 records per day. Currently they produce 10 million vinyl records annually, which according to the RIAA accounts for 9% of U.S. records manufactured in 2010, and 12.5% in 2011.

Despite increasing production however, the number of pressing plants remains stagnant with roughly 40 plants worldwide; while the process itself remains relatively unchanged over the past 5 decades. One West Coast pressing facility notes their newest press is 31 years old.

Thus with sales increasing by up to 40% annually, while production rates remain the same, a resulting disconnect means frequent delays of record release dates. Fret not though, pressing facilities are making tracks to increase their production capabilities. One Mastering Manager noted in an interview, “We made a large investment in moving our plant in 2006 and we would not have done this if we did not feel that there are many years left.”


You will find more statistics at Statista



References -
“Slow and Steady: Vinyl Survives.” Ganz, Jacob. NPR. 2 March 2011. http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2011/03/03/134204727/slow-and-steady-vinyl-survives
“Vinyl-Record Pressing Plant Still Doing Good Business.” Fox News. 21 February 2007. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,253544,00.html
“Vinyl Continues Unlikely Recovery, According to New Numbers.” Greenburg, Zack O’Malley. Forbes. 18 January 2012. http://www.forbes.com/sites/zackomalleygreenburg/2012/01/18/vinyl-continues-unlikely-recovery-according-to-new-numbers/
“The Revival of Vinyl: Back to Black.” Economist. 20 August 2011. http://www.economist.com/node/21526296
“Record Presses.” Goss, James P. Vinyl Lives. 2009. http://www.vinylives.com/recordpresses.html
“2011 Year-End Shipment Statistics.” Recording Industry Association of America. 2012. http://76.74.24.142/FA8A2072-6BF8-D44D-B9C8-CE5F55BBC050.pdf