Your tracks on wax: How to press your own record

By now, you've got 300 records sitting in your basement and you need to actually get them out there, it's your music after all! Welcome to the murky world of distribution.

While we won't go into too much here (as you've at least now got your record in your hands), it is an integral part of the operation if you have been reading this piece in the hopes of starting a label.

When approaching a distributor, Mitchell Goor of Triple Vision Digital, a Netherland's-based service says there are a number of things to keep in mind when making your decision.

"It's always good to outline the services a distributor offers and see if the financial commitment in combination with the work needed is something they can put up with for at least 4-5 releases. Go for the distributor who takes most of the workload and/or distributes music from likeminded artists/labels," he says.

"The best tip I could give is to have a detailed plan ready. You want your distributor to be enthusiastic from the start. Have 3-4 ideas of releases ready and pick up the phone to have a (non e-mail) chat with the distributor. See if you are both on the same page, and don't be afraid to point out which matters are important for you. You should get enough input from the distributor and feel the desire for them to work with you. On the other hand, stay humble and realise your own responsibility to make the label a success."

[All photos and video courtesy of Vinylify.com]

Louis Anderson-Rich is Mixmag's Digital Intern. Follow him on Twitter