Published
Mon, Apr 17, 2023, 08:00
- We asked DJs, label owners and record shops whether vinyl EPs and singles have become overpriced and outdated, or if it's simply a case of weathering the storm.
The 12-inch has been a cornerstone of dance music culture since the beginning, but could we be witnessing its demise?
With roots in the nascent disco scene of the early '70s, vinyl EPs and singles have endured decades of technological advancement. But now, 50 years on, many believe the 12-inch is on the way out. Have soaring production costs and pressing plant delays sounded the death knell for this iconic cultural relic?
Yes, according to Bristol DJ and producer Oscar Henson, AKA Facta. In February, he tweeted that "everyone on the production and distribution side [of the music industry] is now saying that singles and EPs are no longer financially viable." Most independent dance music labels will "stop doing them entirely by the end of year and only press LPs," he added. "Say goodbye to club 12-inches."
Expanding on the tweet to Resident Advisor, the Wisdom Teeth cofounder said the "main thing is the price point is getting worryingly high. If you're a smaller label that presses up say 300 to 500 records per release, you've seen the price per unit basically double over the course of a couple of years. You used to be able to get 300 records pressed for little more than £1000. Now it's close to £2000."
Henson explained how that translates to prices. "Before Covid-19, we'd be selling 12-inch singles for around £9," he said. "More recently that's jumped to £14, and with forthcoming releases that'll probably go above £16. We've already seen a slight slowing in sales and we're worried that if it keeps going up then we'll see a substantial drop."
This sharp price surge has forced Wisdom Teeth to shift its attention towards "more long-form releases," such as albums. "It doesn't actually cost much more to produce an album, but people feel a lot more comfortable paying £20 for a record that has eight tracks on it rather than one that has two or three," he continued. "It's definitely changing the way we're curating the label."
Fellow Bristol-based DJ Danielle, who described the situation as "sad" in response to Henson's tweet, experienced the harsh financial realities of releasing on vinyl when she launched her label, Soft Raw, last year. "It's definitely not something you do to earn money," she told RA. "The margins are so tight even if everything sells out."
However, Danielle said that having a P&D (pressing and distribution) deal—where distributors cover some of the manufacturing costs in exchange for a percentage of record sales—has "made it more financially viable," and Soft Raw will continue to release on vinyl moving forward.
"It's a lot of work convincing people to buy vinyl when a cheaper digital version is also available," she continued. "But after the first two releases, I think I have a better idea of what actually sells well on vinyl. I spent all of my 20s working in record shops and started building a record collection during that time, so to have something that's my own—even though it's not my music—feels amazing."
Ayman Rostom, who has been DJing and releasing music for more than 30 years, isn't as buoyant about the future of the 12-inch. The UK artist better known as The Maghreban and Dr Zygote said he's noticed a sharp decline in recent years.
"If you look back to the '90s, dance music producers could make a living by just putting out 12-inches—and they didn't even need to be that good," he told RA. "Even ten years ago they could make good money, but since then it's becoming harder and harder just to break even."
Rostom, who also runs Zoot Records, believes that long pressing plant delays are exacerbating the issue and making labels think twice about releasing their music on vinyl.
"I'm quite impatient when it comes to putting out music—sometimes to my detriment," he continued. "When I'm excited by music, It's nice to be able to just put it out. And I don't really expect things to go back to the way they once were. I love 12-inches and feel sad that they're no longer viable, but I've also come to terms with it."
Record shops, too, are feeling the pinch—particularly outside of the EU and North America. Cairo's Yellow Tape Records has worked hard to adapt to the unforgiving economic climate. A combination of unpredictable customs practices, shipping costs far higher than Europe and North America, and the Egyptian pound's all-time low valuation has forced the shop to "become more resourceful with our inventory," they told RA.
"One way we've gotten around the costly process is focusing more on second-hand records and making deals with friends who travel back and forth," they added. "But we're still on the search for more creative and affordable ways to share electronic music here."
Others in the industry strongly disagreed with Henson's tweet. UK DJ and producer Alex Egan, who also works as a product planner at Ninja Tune and label manager at Phonica Records, described it as "hyperbolic doom-mongering," and challenged the idea that 12-inches are no longer financially viable.
"Yes, prices have gone up over the last couple of years, which may make smaller labels more cautious," he told RA. "But I definitely disagree with the prediction that dance 12-inches pressed by independent labels will cease to exist by the end of the year."
While Egan conceded that the current situation is "pretty bad," he remains confident it's a temporary problem that will improve over time.
"Previous issues with materials, logistics, etc. have been more or less ironed out," he said. "Most of the [pressing] plants I'm working with are reducing their prices, some drastically, and all have slashed their waiting times. So while customers won't go back to paying pre-2020 prices due to inflation, labels will have the opportunity to cut their own prices to distributors. In theory, that should result in lower retail prices. So if the businesses involved want to remain competitive and long-lasting, it would be a good idea to make records available at a reasonable price again."
Yanis Koudjo, AKA Dr Dubplate, also believes "the demand will always be there" for 12-inches, as long as the artists and labels releasing them are "embedded in the culture." The founder of UK outlet ec2a also suggested releasing music directly as a way for labels to make more money.
"There are a lot of benefits to using distributors, such as building relationships with record shops," he added. "But I feel like, with the culture of Bandcamp and the rise of people supporting artists and labels directly, it does make that model less appealing."
Egan admitted there may be some initial financial benefits to side-stepping distributors, but, in the long term, it would be a "massive loss" if distributors and record shops had to close.
"They're so important in helping get word out about new music, and the shops themselves are vital hubs for people to discover records alongside like-minded people," he said. "But if labels continue to work with distributors and shops, as well as selling direct-to-customer, I don't see why that ecosystem shouldn't remain sustainable."
He added: "It's just important to remember to help each other out and keep that framework intact, otherwise only those with financial clout will be able to get decent exposure."
Photo: Tim McErston