Qrates first came to our attention as a service for artists and labels to take the risks out of vinyl runs: essentially by crowdfunding releases that would be produced on-demand. Now it’s expanding its capabilities with a ‘Storage and Shipping’ feature.
“Users can now choose to store any records pressed with Qrates in the company’s warehouse facilities in the U.K. (London) or U.S. (Michigan), ensuring they will be properly cared for and ready to ship to fans at a moment’s notice,” explained the company. “Artists can sell these records on Bandcamp or any other third-party website, then tell Qrates where to send orders from their inventory.”
The new feature can also be used to create an ongoing retail storefront on Qrates itself. “Our existing crowdfunding and pre-order services allow artists of any size to sell their music on vinyl without worrying about their budget, and now they don’t need to worry about ending up with crates of unsold records taking up space in their garage,” said CMO Taishi Fukuyama. The news follows Qrates’ recent deal with Warner Music Group’s Run Out Groove, to help its vinyl pre-order campaigns.
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