Universal launches vinyl crowdfunding site to reprint rare and deleted albums

Genteel Death · 08.06.2013, 04:59 PM

Sonic Youth's Goo and Nirvana's MTV Unplugged are among records considered for the project.

Universal Music will use a new crowdfunding website to work out which "rare and deleted" albums it ought to reissue on vinyl.
According to online magazine Fact, the Vinyl Project will allow fans to register their interest in the re-release of certain LPs, with Sonic Youth's Goo, Björk's Biophilia, Pulp's His N Hers and Nirvana's MTV Unplugged performance currently being considered for the project. More importantly, backers will have to vote with their pounds and pence much like Kickstarter, where users have to promise to buy a copy if the proposal goes ahead.
As the world's biggest label, Universal has a large catalogue of vinyl records. But for every new Disclosure LP or reissued Five Leaves Left, a hundred records remain the sole purview of eBay hawkers and crate-diggers. For a taste of the treasures in Universal's vaults, we can look at the project's own marketing survey: according to the Vinyl Project, questions included references to Tom Waits's Swordfishtrombones, the Jackson 5's ABC and Erykah Badu's Baduizm.
As Fact pointed out, a crowdfunded reissue site isn't a new concept. Earlier this year, Ninja Tune Records launched Beat Delete, which helps labels such as Ninja Tune, Domino and Beggars Banquet gauge which of their out-of-print albums and singles are in high demand. Lots of these labels' vinyl stock was destroyed in the 2011 Sony warehouse fire, and about 150 pre-orders are required to justify a repress. LPs by Caribou, Roots Manuva and the Cinematic Orchestra have been among the beneficiaries thus far.
Universal has not yet announced a launch date for the Vinyl Project.

http://www.theguardian.com/music/201...albums-reissue

Genteel Death · 08.06.2013, 05:10 PM

....and then came this.

Following Universal Music‘s announcement earlier this week that they have launched a crowdsourcing initiative to help re-press rare and out-of-print vinyl releases, the major label has clarified that – despite previous reports – Nirvana and Sonic Youth won’t be the first to experience such reissuing.
The venture, quite aptly going by the name of The Vinyl Project, comes under Universal’s Uvinyl offshoot company. It had previously been thought that Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged and Sonic Youth’s Goo were being considered for second-runs, but now it appears this is incorrect.
A spokesman for the company told CMU:

“In our recent Facebook survey to gauge interest in Vinyl On Demand, we mistakenly listed albums including Nirvana’s ‘MTV Unplugged’ and Sonic Youth’s ‘Goo’ as being part of the service. These records will be made available through our regular channels. We regret the error. The initial list of albums for Vinyl On Demand will be announced when the service is ready to launch.”

The initiative follows on from a similar venture from Beat Delete earlier this year, which aimed to reprint vinyl lost in London’s Warehouse fire.

http://thelineofbestfit.com/news/lat...n-vinyl-130811

08.06.2013, 04:59 PM	#1
Genteel Death invito al cielo Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 8,744	Sonic Youth's Goo and Nirvana's MTV Unplugged are among records considered for the project. Universal Music will use a new crowdfunding website to work out which "rare and deleted" albums it ought to reissue on vinyl. According to online magazine Fact, the Vinyl Project will allow fans to register their interest in the re-release of certain LPs, with Sonic Youth's Goo, Björk's Biophilia, Pulp's His N Hers and Nirvana's MTV Unplugged performance currently being considered for the project. More importantly, backers will have to vote with their pounds and pence much like Kickstarter, where users have to promise to buy a copy if the proposal goes ahead. As the world's biggest label, Universal has a large catalogue of vinyl records. But for every new Disclosure LP or reissued Five Leaves Left, a hundred records remain the sole purview of eBay hawkers and crate-diggers. For a taste of the treasures in Universal's vaults, we can look at the project's own marketing survey: according to the Vinyl Project, questions included references to Tom Waits's Swordfishtrombones, the Jackson 5's ABC and Erykah Badu's Baduizm. As Fact pointed out, a crowdfunded reissue site isn't a new concept. Earlier this year, Ninja Tune Records launched Beat Delete, which helps labels such as Ninja Tune, Domino and Beggars Banquet gauge which of their out-of-print albums and singles are in high demand. Lots of these labels' vinyl stock was destroyed in the 2011 Sony warehouse fire, and about 150 pre-orders are required to justify a repress. LPs by Caribou, Roots Manuva and the Cinematic Orchestra have been among the beneficiaries thus far. Universal has not yet announced a launch date for the Vinyl Project. http://www.theguardian.com/music/201...albums-reissue
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08.06.2013, 05:10 PM	#2
Genteel Death invito al cielo Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 8,744	....and then came this. Following Universal Music‘s announcement earlier this week that they have launched a crowdsourcing initiative to help re-press rare and out-of-print vinyl releases, the major label has clarified that – despite previous reports – Nirvana and Sonic Youth won’t be the first to experience such reissuing. The venture, quite aptly going by the name of The Vinyl Project, comes under Universal’s Uvinyl offshoot company. It had previously been thought that Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged and Sonic Youth’s Goo were being considered for second-runs, but now it appears this is incorrect. A spokesman for the company told CMU: “In our recent Facebook survey to gauge interest in Vinyl On Demand, we mistakenly listed albums including Nirvana’s ‘MTV Unplugged’ and Sonic Youth’s ‘Goo’ as being part of the service. These records will be made available through our regular channels. We regret the error. The initial list of albums for Vinyl On Demand will be announced when the service is ready to launch.” The initiative follows on from a similar venture from Beat Delete earlier this year, which aimed to reprint vinyl lost in London’s Warehouse fire. http://thelineofbestfit.com/news/lat...n-vinyl-130811
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