Service helps crate diggers turn Soundcloud mp3s into vinyl

Vinylize.it enables music fans to create custom records from any Soundcloud playlist.

Vinyl sales are at a 28 year high, and we are seeing many startups capitalizing on this rise of consumer interest. An IoT record player can detect the album it is playing, and a subscription service pairs cocktail recipes with a new LP each month. But the process of pressing vinyl is still expensive, and many plants don’t accept orders of less than 300 copies. Now, Vinylize.it is hoping to help independent labels and Soundcloud artists turn their MP3s into wax.

Started by the team behind QRATES, a crowdfunding scheme helping small labels press records, Vinylize.it is targeting musicians who use the popular and free Soundcloud as their main outlet. Fans first create a new project for a certain playlist (the Soundlcoud equivalent to an album) they would like to see pressed. Then, Vinylize.it will aggregate the demand, and notify the artist or label who produced the music. Once confirmation is received, the startup will help musicians create a crowdfunding campaign on QRATES, so fans can preorder the LP. QRATES is able to receive and process an order once the requests reach 100 copies, making it much more affordable than other vendors.

Through this demand-driven approach, Vinylize.it could help small labels put out only the albums that have received enough interest, minimizing the financial risks involved. However, Soundcloud transcodes all audio files to 128kbps, which means that the quality of the music may not be as high as that of conventional pressings.

What other forms of art production can use a similar model?