A to Z Media’s Top Tips When Preparing Your Audio for Vinyl Pressing

How to Prepare Your Audio for Vinyl Pressing: A Complete Guide

Want your vinyl to sound as good as it looks? Preparing your music for vinyl pressing isn’t the same as mastering for streaming or CDs. Vinyl is an analog format with its own rules, from how bass is handled to the way track length impacts volume. If you want your record to sound great on turntables everywhere, you’ll need to approach mixing, mastering, and file prep with vinyl in mind.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know before you send your audio off for vinyl pressing.

Why Vinyl Is Different from Digital

Vinyl is a physical medium; your music is literally carved into grooves. That makes it beautifully unique, but also introduces certain limitations and opportunities that digital formats don’t have.

Here are a few key considerations:

    • Bass should be centered
      Wide, stereo bass can cause groove-tracking issues and even skipping.
    • High frequencies need taming
      Harsh vocals, hi-hats, and cymbals can distort on vinyl if not controlled.
    • Longer sides mean lower volume
      Cramming too much music onto one side reduces dynamic range and playback quality.
    • Vinyl loves dynamics
      Unlike hyper-compressed streaming masters, vinyl sounds best when your mix breathes.

Vinyl Mixology: Mixing for the Format

The mix stage is where you set your vinyl project up for success. While most best practices for good mixing still apply, there are a few extra steps to keep in mind:

    • Keep low-end elements centered
      Kick drums and bass should live in mono for best playback.
    • Check your mix in mono
      This helps you catch phase issues that might disappear on digital but create problems on vinyl.
    • Use de-essers where needed
      Sibilant vocals and bright percussion benefit from subtle de-essing to avoid distortion.
    • Don’t over-limit your mix
      Leave your mastering engineer room to optimize for vinyl. Loudness comes later.

Mastering for Vinyl vs Digital

Mastering for streaming platforms is very different from preparing audio for vinyl. To get the best results:

    • Leave headroom
      Aim for peaks around -3 to -6 dBFS for clean cutting.
    • Use high-quality formats
      Submit 24-bit WAV files at the track’s native sample rate. Avoid MP3s entirely.
    • Include detailed notes
      Specify track order, side breaks, and any special spacing preferences for your mastering engineer.
    • Reassess digital masters
      Streaming-optimized masters may not translate perfectly to vinyl — check before you submit.

Organizing Your Files for Vinyl Production

A well-organized file delivery makes the entire pressing process smoother. Before sending your audio off:

    • Clearly label your files (e.g., “SideA.wav”, “SideB.wav”).

    • Provide a tracklist with exact timings and ISRC codes if available.

    • Note transitions, crossfades, or gapless tracks so they translate correctly.

    • Share any special requests upfront — locked grooves, hidden tracks, etchings, etc.

Final Tips Before You Press

    • Always review and approve test pressings before going to full production.

    • Keep album sides under 22 minutes whenever possible for optimal quality.

    • Work with mastering engineers experienced in vinyl.

    • Ask questions early — your production partner can help you avoid costly mistakes.

Download the Free Vinyl Audio Guide

Want to dive deeper? We’ve put together a free PDF guide packed with everything you need to know to prepare your audio for vinyl pressing, from mixing tips to mastering checklists.