Pressing Records Overseas vs Australia. Which is better?

If you're weighing up whether to press locally or send your project overseas, it comes down to five things: cost, timeline, communication, control and of course, sustainability.

Cost

Overseas plants, particularly in parts of Europe and Asia, often quote a lower price per unit than Australian plants. But that quote is rarely the full cost. Freight, customs duties, and GST on import can add a meaningful amount once your records land, and those costs are easy to underestimate until the invoice arrives.

Timeline

Local pressing cuts out the long-haul shipping leg entirely. Overseas orders typically add several weeks of sea freight on top of the pressing timeline itself, and that's before accounting for customs clearance delays, which can be unpredictable. You can learn more in our Artist Release Timeline and Checklist.

Communication

Time zones matter more than people expect. A quick question that would take a five-minute phone call locally can turn into a day's wait for an email reply when you're dealing with a plant on the other side of the world. Language and terminology differences can also cause specs to get lost in translation, sometimes literally.

Control

If something needs adjusting, whether it's a test pressing issue or a last-minute spec change, being able to call someone locally and sort it out directly makes a real difference. Overseas, you're often relying on a third party or agent to relay the issue, which adds time and reduces your ability to catch problems early.

Sustainability

Every kilometre a record doesn't have to travel by sea or air freight is a kilometre of carbon footprint you're not adding to your project. Pressing locally is the more sustainable choice on transport alone, before any other sustainability factors come into play. Reducing our environmental impact has always been a big deal for us. You can find more about how we are working on sustainable vinyl pressing here.