On the map, in the app
Press your record the right way.
Bandry's Resources tab maps the pressing and duplication shops near you, live from Apple Maps. And because most of a pressing is really the master and the artwork, the bulletin connects you to the people who get a release ready. The plant and the people, one app.
The plant
Pressing and duplication near you.
Tap Pressing in the Resources tab and the map shows the pressing and duplication shops around you, live from Apple Maps. Vinyl is often pressed at a plant and shipped, so a local result is a bonus. The part you do need locally, or remotely, is the people who prep the release.
What to weigh
Know this before you order.
Minimums and lead time
Plants set a minimum order, often 100 to 300 units, and vinyl lead times can run months. Per-unit cost drops as the run grows. Plan the timeline back from your release date.
Master it for vinyl
A streaming master can skip or distort on a record. Get a vinyl-specific master and lacquer cut. The bulletin has mastering engineers who do exactly this.
Approve a test pressing
Always request a test pressing and listen before the full run. Catching a problem on one copy is cheap; catching it on 300 is not.
The people, not just the plant
Get the release ready first.
A pressing is only as good as the master and the artwork you send it. Mixing and mastering engineers and cover artists are all on the bulletin, local or remote, so you can line up the files before the plant ever quotes you. Link up and get it right.
Find a mixing and mastering engineer →Questions
Pressing vinyl and CDs
Where can I get vinyl pressed?
Most vinyl is pressed at a handful of plants and shipped to you, so it's usually a mail-order job rather than a local one. Bandry's Resources tab maps any pressing and duplication shops near you live from Apple Maps, and for the parts that are local, the mastering and artwork, the bulletin has the people who handle them.
How much does it cost to press vinyl?
Pricing is driven by quantity, weight, color, and packaging, and most plants set a minimum order, often 100 to 300 units. Per-unit cost drops sharply as the run grows. Get a couple of quotes and factor in mastering and lacquer cutting, which are separate from the pressing itself.
Do I need special mastering for vinyl?
Yes. Vinyl has physical limits a digital master ignores, like bass summed to mono and high-end and runtime per side, so a master made for streaming can skip or distort on a record. Have it mastered specifically for vinyl. You can find a mastering engineer for it directly on Bandry's bulletin.
What about CD duplication?
CDs are faster and cheaper, with lower or no minimums, which makes them good for short runs and merch. Some local shops handle CD duplication, so check Bandry's Resources map, and use the bulletin to line up the master and the cover art the same way you would for vinyl.
What should I have ready before I order a pressing?
A finished, vinyl-ready master and print-ready artwork at the plant's specs. Both come from people, not a map, which is the gap Bandry fills: find a mastering engineer and a cover artist on the bulletin, link up, get the files right, then send them to the plant.