Artists Ship $30 Vinyl Albums With Missing Tracks as 6-Week Pressing Deadlines Outpace Final Mixes
Updated
Updated · Kotaku · Aug 4
Artists Ship $30 Vinyl Albums With Missing Tracks as 6-Week Pressing Deadlines Outpace Final Mixes
1 articles · Updated · Kotaku · Aug 4
Summary
$30-and-up vinyl releases from artists including Charli xcx, Olivia Rodrigo, The Weeknd and Beyoncé are reaching buyers with missing sections, altered mixes or fewer songs than their digital versions.
Six weeks or more are typically needed to deliver masters and artwork to vinyl plants, while streaming services can post updated tracks within days, leaving late-stage album changes off physical editions.
Charli xcx said David Cronenberg's spoken-word part on “No One Lasts Forever” missed the vinyl cutoff, while Rodrigo has said she wrote one song just a week before turning in material for pressing.
The Weeknd's vinyl for Hurry Up Tomorrow carried 11 tracks versus 22 digitally before a pricier two-record complete edition arrived, and Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter vinyl shipped missing five songs.
Fan frustration is increasingly focused on disclosure, with collectors saying preorders should clearly warn when a vinyl edition is not the final or complete album.