My Music is Done! How to I Get it On Vinyl?

So you're ready to press your music to vinyl? That’s a huge accomplishment! But if you've never done it before, the process can feel a little overwhelming. Don't worry - we're here to walk you through exactly how to get started with Hellbender Vinyl.

There are three key things you'll need to have ready before your order can move forward: your artwork, your audio, and your quote request. Let's go through these steps:

Step 1: Get Your Artwork Ready

First things first - start thinking about your artwork. Preparing files for print is a little different than say, printing a JPEG image on a flier - there are specific requirements around resolution, color format, file type, and bleed that you'll want to get right before submitting.

We've put together a helpful guide to walk you through everything: The Basics of Submitting Your Album Art. There's both a video and a written version, so you can learn whichever way works best for you.

If you go through the guide and still have questions, or if you just want a professional eye on your files, we have in an house graphic designer that can look over your art. Just email us at hello@hellbendervinyl.com and we can get you in touch.

Step 2: Prepare Your Audio for Vinyl

Here's something a lot of first-time vinyl buyers don't realize, your audio will have to be mastered specifically for vinyl. It’s different than getting it mastered for streaming. Records have their own unique characteristics.

We recommend reading through this great resource from Furnace MFG on vinyl audio preparation. It covers everything from dynamic range to sequencing to how the format affects low frequencies.

And if you have questions or want to make sure your audio is truly vinyl-ready, our in-house mastering artist Alex can help. His email is alex@hellbendervinyl.com, and he'll make sure your record sounds exactly the way it should.

Step 3: Fill Out a Custom Quote Request

Once your artwork and audio are in good shape, you're ready to kick things off officially! Head over to our Custom Quote Request form and fill it out. This is where we get all the details about your project - things like the size and color of your record, how many copies you need, and what packaging options you're looking for.

It only takes a few minutes, and it gets the ball rolling so we can put together a price that's tailored specifically to your project. No two records are exactly alike, so we like to make sure you're getting a quote that actually fits what you need.