Source: Press Release, Last Accessed: 2015/03/20

TDMS announced the release of their new music platform QRATES to help artists and labels to fund and press their vinyl records from 100 copies, and sell their music and merchandise directly to fans.
Releasing vinyl can be a hard task for a lot of independent artists and labels right now: high minimum pressing amounts at the plant (300 or 500), high costs, difficulties in finding distribution partners, dead-stock risks and low margins. According to the press release, QRATES offers a funding system to solve this issue. At QRATES, artists and labels can press vinyl from a minimum of 100 copies (additional copies can also be repressed), and by using the funding system they can collect pre-orders before they actually press their vinyl. The pressing will only begin when the designated amount of pre-orders is reached, meaning that there is no advance payment needed from artists and labels. Furthermore there are no dead stocks. The price of the vinyl can be set by the artists and labels, and the revenue will go directly into their pockets. QRATES is free to use and only takes 15% on each sale.
Other things that QRATES can offer: order vinyl pressings without a funding campaign, collect pre-orders even if you press the records on your side, and sell your other releases and back catalogs in your customized QRATES store.
QRATES is not only about selling records, but about offering exclusive items and content to fans and gathering new customers. Artists and labels can sell their vinyl with merchandise, downloads, T-shirts, concert tickets or anything they want to bring something special to their customers.

For more information: https://qrates.com/

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