paying for CD and Vinyl production up front

[PaulWarning]

The band I play in are on the verge of releasing a new album and the people that are organising the production of the CD's and Vinyl are asking for full payment before they start (vinyl can take 8 weeks) is this normal business practice?

[NancyJohnson]

In my experience, CDs are upfront or at the time of order. We've always gone with reputable businesses with a proven track record (no pun intended).

While I've never gone the vinyl route (or ever will as we're not hipsters), I would agree there needs to be something upfront to cover costs for mastering, cutting, acetates etc. All this costs and its effectively WIP before a single record is pressed. Full payment, though? Well we are poor, unreliable musicians so I suppose they're covering themselves.

Are you able to contact the business and ask for references/bands who've used them previously?

[PaulWarning]

[quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1491399547' post='3272722']
In my experience, CDs are upfront or at the time of order. We've always gone with reputable businesses with a proven track record (no pun intended).

While I've never gone the vinyl route (or ever will as we're not hipsters), I would agree there needs to be something upfront to cover costs for mastering, cutting, acetates etc. All this costs and its effectively WIP before a single record is pressed. Full payment, though? Well we are poor, unreliable musicians so I suppose they're covering themselves.

Are you able to contact the business and ask for references/bands who've used them previously?
[/quote]we've used them before, can't remember whether we payed upfront or not, but that was just CD's, we're being asked for more money this time (£2500) so I'm a bit more worried about it

[BigRedX]

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1491398721' post='3272712']
The band I play in are on the verge of releasing a new album and the people that are organising the production of the CD's and Vinyl are asking for full payment before they start (vinyl can take 8 weeks) is this normal business practice?
[/quote]

Yes it is. I've done a lot of CDs and Vinyl (and cassettes) over the past 10 years and every single supplier I have used has demanded payment up front.

Who are you using for your vinyl production?

One thing to watch out for is, vinyl packaging for transit is very poor, and the last two deliveries I have had contained damaged items as a result. Make sure that someone from the band is available to receive the records when they are delivered and has the ability to photograph them if necessary.

We complained both times about the poor packaging and got replacement paper sleeves and some money refunded to cover the costs of repacking the vinyl with damaged sleeves.

[PaulWarning]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1491465472' post='3273177']
Yes it is. I've done a lot of CDs and Vinyl (and cassettes) over the past 10 years and every single supplier I have used has demanded payment up front.

Who are you using for your vinyl production?

One thing to watch out for is, vinyl packaging for transit is very poor, and the last two deliveries I have had contained damaged items as a result. Make sure that someone from the band is available to receive the records when they are delivered and has the ability to photograph them if necessary.

We complained both times about the poor packaging and got replacement paper sleeves and some money refunded to cover the costs of repacking the vinyl with damaged sleeves.
[/quote]we're using media hut, thanks for the heads up on damage, should be well delivered they're charging us £50 for it!

[BigRedX]

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1491466477' post='3273186']
we're using media hut, thanks for the heads up on damage, should be well delivered they're charging us £50 for it!
[/quote]

Media Hut were one of the companies we used who had poor transit packaging. Luckily for us, because we went for something a bit more fancy instead of standard sleeves which we did ourselves, only the inner paper sleeves were damaged and required replacing. Had we gone for standard printed sleeves, the whole job would have had to be reprinted, as not a single box escaped some degree of damage.

[PaulWarning]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1491467060' post='3273196']
Media Hut were one of the companies we used who had poor transit packaging. Luckily for us, because we went for something a bit more fancy instead of standard sleeves which we did ourselves, only the inner paper sleeves were damaged and required replacing. Had we gone for standard printed sleeves, the whole job would have had to be reprinted, as not a single box escaped some degree of damage.
[/quote]cheers, forward warned is forearmed as they say

[crez5150]

Yep.... just ordered 5000 vinyl singles with our usual German press...... payment up front as per usual

[PaulWarning]

cheers guys looks like normal business practice then, I always think it's a bit shady when someone asks for all the money upfront

[markstuk]

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1491469122' post='3273219']
cheers guys looks like normal business practice then, I always think it's a bit shady when someone asks for all the money upfront
[/quote]

I think it's pretty normal unless you have a strong ongoing business relationship - if you don't pay then what are they going to do with them?

[crez5150]

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1491469122' post='3273219']
cheers guys looks like normal business practice then, I always think it's a bit shady when someone asks for all the money upfront
[/quote]

Well you are ordering something pretty bespoke...... you just need to make sure their after sales service is good.