FAQ

Order online 24/7. Build your record in the builder, see your full price and check out. As soon as checkout is complete you will receive an order confirmation email with your order number and a link to Backstage Order Desk, your order page. In Backstage Order Desk you upload your artwork and audio and fill in your Vinyl Order Form. Once we have your artwork we send PDF proofs for approval before production starts, and we point out anything that needs attention. The Vinyl Order Form has your song times and mastering preferences, and we cannot cut the lacquer until we have it.

Taxes are calculated automatically at checkout. You will be charged the appropriate tax for your province or state. If you are ordering from the USA there are no additional taxes or duties. The price you see is what you pay!

Upload it in Backstage Order Desk using the link in your order confirmation email. You can upload your audio and artwork together or separately, whenever they are ready. If you get stuck, email us and we will send you a WeTransfer link instead.

Pressing vinyl is not an exact science. If you order 100 records, you may get as many as 110 or as few as 90. In the industry we call this an over run or under run. If we press more records, the extras are added to your final invoice. If we press fewer, you are refunded or credited the difference.

Jacket and label artwork built on our templates, and your final audio as WAV files, one file per side. You upload both in Backstage Order Desk after you check out.

When you approve your proof. We send proofs within 2 business days of getting your artwork.

Yes on Standard orders, where they are included. On Short Run they are an optional add on.

Tracking appears in Backstage Order Desk the day your order ships.

Yes on Standard, which includes 10 white label test pressings. On pressed Short Run they are an optional add on for $99.99.

Please approve within 24 to 48 hours. Your full run starts after you approve.

A digital playback file of your cut, so you can hear how your record will sound before it is pressed. It replaces physical test pressings.

One WAV or AIFF file per side, with the track spacing exactly as it should play on the record. 24 bit 96 kHz is the standard. Files down to CD quality, 16 bit 44.1 kHz, are accepted.

No. MP3 audio is not a suitable source for vinyl. Send the highest resolution you have, and do not convert it up to a higher resolution.

It is strongly recommended. Vinyl needs its own master, so we suggest working with a mastering engineer. A flat cut means we make no audio adjustments.

On 12 inch, we recommend up to 20 minutes per side at 33 rpm or 14 minutes at 45 rpm. Standard lacquer pressings can go to 22 minutes at no extra charge, or 25 to 27 minutes with additional mastering. Lathe cut is a firm 18 minutes per side. On 7 inch, 3 to 4 and a half minutes at 45 rpm or 5 to 7 minutes at 33 rpm. The longer a side, the quieter the record.

Standard production is 5 to 7 weeks from when we have all materials and approvals. Rush options of 4 to 5 weeks or 3 to 4 weeks are priced in the builder. The production clock starts once we have your artwork with approved proofs and your audio as WAV files, ideally mastered for vinyl. Working to a deadline? Email info@vinylpressing.ca or call 416-446-0918 to confirm the best option.

Short Run is 10 to 12 weeks, with rush options of 4 to 6 weeks or 3 to 4 weeks. On pressed Short Run, test pressings are an optional add on for $99.99, and our quality team checks your records throughout.

Yes. Select pickup at checkout or just tell us you want to pick up. Please call or book an appointment so we have everything ready for you.

We do. Train Records owns the press and manufactures your records from start to finish, so you deal directly with the people who make them.

Pressed Short Run starts at 50 records, with options from 50 to 200. Standard pressing starts at 100 records for 12, 10 and 7 inch. For 1 or 5 copies, lathe cut records are available in the Vinyl Price Builder. Need a quantity not listed? Email info@vinylpressing.ca and we will do our best to help.

If you plan to sell your record in stores, you will need a barcode. A barcode from us costs $25.00.

A barcode is a unique identification number for your product. Most major retailers and music stores use it to track sales, and those sales are reported to the Billboard charts. A barcode from Train Records can also be used for the digital release and a CD of the same album.

Yes. Reorders get a discount, and the amount depends on how much life is left in your stamper. Lacquers and metal stampers are the most expensive part of setup, and a stamper lasts about 1,000 records at 140g or about 750 at 180g. For example, if your first order was 300 records, the stamper may only produce another 300 to 500. Email info@vinylpressing.ca for an exact reorder quote.

The longer the side, the quieter the record. We recommend up to 20 minutes per side at 33 rpm, or 14 minutes per side at 45 rpm. On Standard lacquer pressings we can go to 22 minutes per side at no extra charge, and there are rarely any issues at that length. We can go to 25 or 27 minutes per side with additional mastering charges. Short Run is recommended at 20 minutes per side. Lathe cut records (1 and 5 copies, priced in the Vinyl Price Builder) are a firm 18 minutes per side.

The longer the side, the quieter the record. Bass heavy music needs wider grooves and fits less time, while acoustic music fits more. Recommended times: 3:00 to 4:30 per side at 45 rpm, 5:00 to 7:00 per side at 33 rpm. Short Run 7 inch is limited to 5 minutes per side.

Short Run is our faster, lower cost way to make 50 to 200 records. Instead of a lacquer we cut a non-lacquer master, which lowers setup cost. It delivers a warm, full sound and is a smart way to press smaller runs at a lower cost. Your records look just as good as our Standard packages, with the same labels and jackets. 12 inch Short Run is recommended at up to 20 minutes per side, and 7 inch is limited to 5 minutes.

Yes, up to 25 minutes per side depending on the music. If a side runs over 20 minutes, even by a second, an extra charge applies.

Choose from our standard colours and effects in the builder, or virtually any PMS colour. Have a particular colour or effect in mind? Email info@vinylpressing.ca to confirm it is available.

Yes. Coloured vinyl, including splatter, random, translucent, marble, smoke, split, haze, hand poured and picture discs, has more surface noise than black. Black vinyl uses carbon black, which reduces static and adds durability. Coloured pigments can add minor imperfections and a higher noise floor, especially in splatter, haze or hand poured styles. For pure sound, black is the top choice, but the one of a kind look of coloured vinyl is a huge draw for artists and collectors, and our pressing keeps the difference as small as possible.

Test pressings are part of Standard orders and arrive partway through production. Please review and approve them within 24 to 48 hours to avoid delays.

This is one of the most important parts of your project, so we have a whole page on Vinyl Pre-Mastering. Quick tips: keep bass frequencies centred, keep hi hats and cymbals controlled and not too bright, and de-ess vocals properly.

Yes. Basic mastering, lacquers and metal stampers are included in every Standard order. Basic mastering ensures the best playability, but it is not the same as a studio mastering session, so consider professional mastering to get the most from your record.

Yes. Even if your files are mastered for CD or digital, they need to be mastered specifically for vinyl. Some frequencies can cause problems and can even make a record skip.

The lacquer is the first record we make from your audio. It is softer than vinyl and is cut on a lathe. We set the levels and groove layout, then cut your audio into the lacquer. The metal stampers are made from it as a negative image of its grooves.

It is the weight of each record in grams. Heavier records are generally seen as higher quality. Whether they sound better is still debated, but there is no debate that a heavier record resists scratching and warping, and it is an extra selling feature.

Test presses are rarely not approved. We guarantee records are free from manufacturing defects, including clicks, pops and skips. If any show up on the test press, we make a new lacquer and stamper at no charge, which may lengthen the timeline. We are not liable for time lost when test presses are not approved. If a test press is not approved because it just does not sound right, the client pays for the new lacquer and stamper. That is why mastering for vinyl matters so much.

Shipping is free within the Greater Toronto Area. Outside the GTA there is a shipping cost, and you can pick the best price and delivery time at checkout.

Yes. For example, promo copies or test pressings to one address and the finished records to a store or distributor. Extra shipping charges may apply.

No. There are currently no duties or taxes when we ship to customers in the US.

Yes. The cart shipping calculator shows your options and prices before you order, or call 1-877-237-2432 or email info@vinylpressing.ca for an estimate. Orders outside Canada and the US may have duties or taxes that are not in our estimate, and those are the responsibility of the recipient.