Bandcamp has launched a new in-house service which allows users to crowdfund and press vinyl via the online music marketplace.
The service is designed to streamline the financing, production and fulfilment of pressing vinyl. "With no up-front investment, you can create a vinyl campaign and start taking orders almost immediately," Bandcamp explains. "Reach your minimum goal, and we press your records and ship them to your fans."
Bandcamp’s service differs from other crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter – which allows users to raise money for anything – in that it will fully handle the pressing and shipping of records, and will still give complete control on pricing and design of the vinyl.
"The new service eliminates risk, since fans’ orders finance the pressing, rather than the artist or label," Bandcamp’s primer continues. "It eliminates hassle, since we press the records, print the packaging, and ship to fans (and fulfil digital too)."
In order to realise the new service, Bandcamp is linking up with a pressing manufacturer that it says has more than 60 years of experience in the vinyl pressing business. The service will launch to all artists and labels later this year.
Earlier this year, Bandcamp opened its first bricks and mortar shop in Oakland, California.
