Yes you should! On average, higher-priced pledge levels generate 38% of all the funds raised in vinyl campaigns, and significantly increase your odds of succeeding.
Here are some of the pledge levels and accompanying rewards that work best:
Test pressings ($50-$100)
Artists often offer a small number of test pressings (usually 10) in exchange for a higher level of support ($50 to $100). These almost always sell out quickly, raising a considerable percentage of the campaign goal with minimal additional cost.
Test pressings do require some extra planning and added costs, contact the vinyl support team for details.
Examples of test pressings in real campaigns:
Producer Credits ($100-$250)
Artists have also offered a “producer credit” as a reward for a higher pledge level. Producer credits can be added to the album jacket with little or no cost, and are a way to publicly recognize and celebrate your biggest supporters.
Vulfpeck offered a clever and fun producer credit in exchange for a $250 pledge to their campaign. That pledge level alone raised more than 200% of their overall campaign goal!
Please contact us if you have questions about how to incorporate these in your album design.
Cover art, posters, zines, etc ($40-$50)
Things that can fit inside a record mailer – autographed copies of your cover art, fold-out posters, zines and booklets – are also popular with fans, especially if limited in number.
Artists have raised as much as 35% of their campaign goal with pledge levels offering these kinds of printed works. Here are some examples of items offered in previous campaigns:
- Jim Guthrie “Below (Original Soundtrack)”
- Mesarthim “Ghost Condensate”
- Run Child Run “Peace Process”
How many extra pledge levels should a campaign have?
We recommend that you add two to three additional, higher-priced pledge levels to your campaign. That gives pledgers options without the burden of too many choices. You can pick from among the rewards and pledge levels we’ve suggested above, or let your creativity flow and dream up new ones. (If your creativity involves the creation of a physical object, just remember that it must fit inside a mailer alongside your record.)