Releasing vinyl can be a hard task for a lot of independent artists and labels right now: high minimum pressing amounts at the plant (300 or 500), high costs, difficulties in finding distribution partners, deadstock risks and low margins.
QRATES offers a funding system to solve this issue. At QRATES, artists and labels can press vinyl from a minimum of 100 copies (additional copies can also be repressed), and by using the funding system they can collect preorders before they actually press their vinyl. The pressing will only begin when the designated amount of preorders is reached, meaning that there are no advance payment needed from artists and labels. Furthermore there are no dead stocks. The price of the vinyl can be set by the artists and labels, and the revenue will go directly into their pockets.
QRATES is free to use and only takes 15% on each sale.
Presentation (this details the entire process of the site):
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4vLb01Yy8N6bDlwb2RIeERKa2s/view?usp=sharing
Other things you can do with QRATES: order vinyl pressings without a funding campaign, collect preorders even if you press the records on your side, and sell your other releases and back catalogs in your customized QRATES store.
QRATES is not only about selling records, but about offering exclusive items and content to fans and gathering new customers. Artists and labels can sell their vinyl with merchandise, downloads, Tshirts, concert tickets or anything they want to bring something special to their customers.
Features:
3D design tool to simulate the vinyl, sleeve and labels.
Total pressing cost management function.
Flexible digital promotion solutions such as free downloads, bonus tracks for the fans who purchase the records, etc.
Users statistics.
