PressageVinyle.caPressing in small quantities: 50, 100, 300 copies
Most independent artists do not need 1,000 copies. Here is how small runs work in Canada, and where the price per record becomes reasonable.
Your options by quantity
1 to 10 copies: express runs or lathe cut (dubplates). The per record price is high, but it is perfect for a prototype, a gift, or testing a jacket. It is not a retail model. This is dubplate territory: one record cut at a time, made to be played, tested or given away, not to stock a shelf. Details in the vinyl pressing by unit guide.
50 to 100 copies: where real pressing begins. Fixed costs (lacquers, stampers, setup) dominate: $15 to $40 per record at 100 copies.
200 to 300 copies: the sweet spot. Fixed costs spread out and the price drops to $5 to $15 per record. For most first albums, this is the right starting point.
What changes the price on a small run
- Black record and a single jacket: the choices that keep the budget down.
- Test pressings included or not, depending on the plant: check before you compare two prices.
- Picking up at the plant saves you a heavy freight bill.
Between 20 and 50 copies, always compare both quotes. Lathe cutting avoids the fixed costs of pressing, but its per record price stays high. The vinyl pressing by unit guide walks through both options.
The math to do before you order
At 300 copies for roughly $2,200 to $4,100 all in, selling your records at $30 each pays the project back between 75 and 135 copies. The rest funds the next pressing. Details in the cost guide.
Get a quote
Pressing or lathe cutting, from 1 copy.