Niche vinyl and cassette label

Fans and collectors buying records, tapes and bundles, plus independent record shops that buy stock wholesale.

You sell each release at more than its pressing, packaging and postage costs, and share profit with the artist as agreed. Direct sales through your own web shop and Bandcamp-style platforms keep more of each sale.

• Knowledge of a niche music scene
• Budgeting and stock control
• Basic design or working with designers
• Packing and posting orders

• Pressing runs are paid for upfront, so unsold stock can tie up your money
• Check lead times at pressing plants, as they can run to months
• Get written agreements on ownership, royalties and reissues
• Check sample and cover clearances and PPL and PRS registration before pressing
• Check whether you need to register for VAT, and how postage rules apply to overseas orders
• Check with your landlord or mortgage lender if storing stock at home

Startup costs are typically around £3,000 to £12,000, depending on the size of your pressing runs, artwork and format. These are estimates, and pressing is paid for upfront, so unsold stock can tie up your money.

Monthly revenue is typically around £500 to £2,500, depending on how much you sell to fans and shops. These are estimates, not guarantees, and revenue is before pressing and postage costs.

Check written agreements on ownership, royalties and reissues. Also check sample and cover clearances and PPL and PRS registration before pressing, pressing plant lead times, whether you need to register for VAT, postage rules for overseas orders, and your landlord's or lender's view on storing stock at home.