Welcome
SoCal's New Indie-Focused Vinyl Record Pressing Plant!
After over two years of preparation, we're open and looking forward to satisfying your vinyl record pressing needs.
About Belu Music Press
Located in the Los Angeles area, Belú Music Press is a boutique vinyl record pressing plant dedicated to ethically and sustainably pressing records of the highest quality.
Our Mission
At Belú Music Press, our mission is to provide our clients, ranging from independent artists and companies, to production houses and record labels, with the best possible vinyl product within industry-leading turnaround times at fair standard prices. Doing what we love to do, we strive to exceed expectations and build long-lasting relationships with our customers.
Contact Us
Thank you for visiting our site! We know pressing records can be a bit overwhelming and confusing, so in an attempt make things easier for our clients, we have created a FAQ section addressing the most common questions we've been asked. If you have any other questions, we would love to answer them! Please drop us a line using the contact button below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Please reach out to us if you cannot find an answer to your question.
Due to the many factors involved in pressing records, turnaround times vary, Once all needed components are ready, including artwork, labels, test approval, inserts, etc., clients can expect 2-4 week turn-around times (and often less than that!). Because we are not a large plant, we normally process smaller orders (normally up to around 2000 units per disc). Larger orders are welcome, but will require longer lead times.
Compared to other pressing plants, we are a very flexible operation. Due to this flexibility, we are able to process smaller orders efficiently (particularly useful for tour re-presses, quick re-stocking, random special color editions, etc.). Before scheduling the actual pressing dates, however, ALL materials must be ready.
We'll be glad to take any size order. We've even done one-offs (not a very cost-effective proposition, though)! In our experience, initial orders of 100-150 units tend to make the most sense for artists starting out as they'll be able to recoup the costs of the initial pressing before re-pressing. The profit margin for artists is much larger after the first pressing.
Due to the physical limitations of the vinyl medium, the amount of time that can fit on a vinyl record varies largely on the type of music that is being pressed. The recommended times below are very general and it's very important that clients consult with us before pressing to achieve the best results.
7" @ 33 1/3 RPM: about 6 minutes per side
7" @ 45 RPM: about 4.5 minutes per side
NOTE: In our opinion, 45 RPM is the best choice for a 7" record.
10" @ 33 1/3 RPM: about 11-12 minutes per side
10" @ 45 RPM: about 10-11 minutes per side
12" @ 33/13 RPM: up to 17-18 minutes per side is best, 20 minutes per side is OK, anything above that (with a 22 minute limit) is largely dependent on the nature of the music.
12" @ 45 RPM: up to 12 minutes per side is great, 14 minutes per side is OK, anything above that (up to 15 minutes) is largely dependent on the nature of the music.
Because we are a small operation, we require 100% payment of the order total up front (minus shipping, if applicable). Freight/shipping charges are due before shipment. We accept credit card, digital bank transfers, PayPal and cash payments.
We highly recommend getting test pressings done for your order, especially if it's the first of its kind. Listening to test pressings helps to determine the consistency of quality from record to record. That is why we ship 5 copies by default (more available for an additional charge). All our orders go through a comprehensive visual and audio quality control.
While we press, package and ship records on-site, all print and artwork is done by trusted third parties. You are welcome to provide your own artwork, however it is imperative that it is done to the specifications of our press (wherever applicable).
Yes! However, it's imperative that the stampers be made to the specifications of our press. If you are supplying your own stampers, please contact us for our stamper specs before ordering them.
We do offer the splatter option and are getting ready to offer the picture record option as well (soon - please be patient as we get rolling). For now, we don't offer split color (where the record is split into several colors), but hope to include that in our list of services sooner than later. All custom options cost more and in most cases won't sound as good as single color records (one of the main factors being the nature of the music itself), but they are super fun to make and look at. Please contact us for pricing as it can vary greatly according to each project.
Not normally. We may accept them on a case by case basis. Please drop us a line to see if we'll be able to accommodate this for your order.
No. We only manufacture records.
We do not currently offer download card hosting services. However, we'll be glad to package any client supplied download cards.
All audio must be cleared and licensed before submitting an order, otherwise we will not be able to press your records. If you are an artist or company that owns the rights to the material, this will not be an issue. However, for material containing any samples or in the case of cover songs, evidence of clearance and payment of all corresponding fees and/or licenses must be provided before submitting an order.
Yes! Black vinyl is the standard for records and will always sound best. Color vinyl looks and can also sound great, but will not sound generally as good as black. Generally speaking, the more complicated the manufacturing process (combinations, splatter, swirls, etc.), the higher the noise floor of the record. A rough order from best to noisiest vinyl color for pressing is: 1) Black, 2) Natural, 3) Clear, 4) Opaque (not mixed or White), 5) White, 6) Opaque Mixes, 7) Custom Variants (Splatter, Swirl, etc.), 8) Recycled, 9) Glitter/Glow In The Dark, 10) Picture Discs.
We recommend using black vinyl for 180g records. Natural is also good and clear CAN work well for 180g (but not as well as black or natural) and both of these require longer cycle times. We generally recommend 140g (or 110g for 10" records) for all mixes and custom patterns. Swirls, splatters, etc. don't work so well on 7" records as the puck is much smaller and doesn't allow for proper expansion and blend of colors.
All of the PVC compounds that we use are lead-free.
Yes! We offer two options based upon availability: black and mixed/random. Black is only black vinyl and mixed/random consists of whatever other colors or combinations that we have used and recycled. We regrind all of our flash (left overs from pressing) and unused/defective pucks. Additionally, we only press with recycled vinyl when requested. Recycled vinyl costs a little less and, especially in the case of mixed/random pressings, irregular color variations. Many clients like this, however, as each record will be unique.
The PVC manufacturer charges more for color vinyl than black. Also, color vinyl tends to run longer cycle times in production, therefore making each unit more expensive to produce.
Generally speaking, no. From time to time, we may be able to accommodate SOME international orders if it is possible/feasible for us to do so. Thanks for understanding that we are a small operation (some of our peers' sales and order departments employ more employees than our entire staff!) and are doing our best to operate in the best way possible for our workers and clients so we can keep our fast turn around times that way without affecting cost or quality.
Due to our limited amount of space (we are a rather small operation after all), we can only offer to store stock overage on a case by case basis for a limited time (up to 6 months or so). We'll be glad to offer solutions, for an additional fee, if the space is available, but hope you'll understand if the space isn't available at any given time. Any stock left with us after the initial 6 month period will be shipped back to the clients at the client's expense. If we are not able to ship back to client, unfortunately we'll have to discard the stock unless other arrangements are made and agreed upon by all parties.
The weights indicated in our product listing are industry standards. However, they are not absolutes. Often in production runs there is a variation of +/- 5 to 10 grams for each size. In our case, we tend to run a bit on the heavy side.
Technically speaking, a dink is a post-manufacture modification to a 7" record to make it playable on a jukebox. The practice of dinking became so ubiquitous with 7" records, that many record players come with an attachment to enable their usage with this size record. Dinking is a service we offer, though beyond the cool look and nostalgic feeling of holding a 7" record through its dink, we don't see much need for it. Plus, the dink eats up a bunch of cool label real estate that could be dedicated to cool label artwork!
Due to the highly bespoke nature of the vinyl record pressing and production process, we handle all orders via email to ensure that all our clients' needs are met and satisfied while greatly minimizing any inconveniences that may arise from accidental or fraudulent online transactions. We care greatly about your investment and, for now anyway, this is the safest and most effective way available to us for protecting our clients' purchases.
We are extremely lucky to have many talented friends and colleagues that helped us out designing the logos, test pressing templates, taking pictures and other things that make things look and function better. We are forever grateful to those who have helped us along the way, including (but not limited to):
Logo Design: Pablo Tucuprá @tucupra_
Photos of Machinery: Farmer Greif @farmbot
Test Pressing Label Design: Joey Reina @salvatordragatto
Website Design and 1000 Other Things: Andrés Landínez @alandinezm
Check them all out. They're all super talented, extremely cool and do many things very, very well! They'll be glad to help you design your logos, websites, record jackets, labels and generally cool creative things that people making music like and need. And if they can't help you out at a particular point in time, they'll surely be able to point you in the right direction of someone who might.
Copyright © 2024 BELU MUSIC PRESS LLC - All Rights Reserved.
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