Hype Stickers

on Vinyl Records

The Importance of Vinyl Hype Stickers in Record Sales

What is a “hype sticker”?

It’s a medium-sized sticker you put on the shrinkwrap of your vinyl records to tell potential buyers what’s inside… An under-utilized (and inexpensive) tool that record label’s can use to help sell the record to music buyers.

A hype sticker can help describe the music, the instrumentation, a short bio of the artist, or even contain a QR code with a sample of the music.

Without a well-designed hype sticker, it is VERY unlikely that a shopper will take a chance on a random artist they’ve never heard of!

Here’s what you can do
with your hype stickers…

  1. Promote Your Brand

    • One of the most iconic ways you can utilize a hype sticker is by designing them in a consistent template that you reuse on subsequent releases.

    • This establishes your record label’s brand in shops, and starts to connect all of your releases scattered around the record store.

  2. Sell The Features

    • Use this space to describe the physical product itself. In most cases, the record is locked in cellophane, so potential buyers can’t see the color of the vinyl.

    • Describe the quality of the material, the color of the vinyl, or what else is inside!

  3. QR Code

    • A novel idea you can try is to include a QR code on the sticker that links to a sample of the music (Spotify, YouTube, or your own landing page).

    • This allows the music fan to hear the record’s sound right there on the shop floor!

  4. Describe the Music

    • This is the best way to utilize the hype sticker: briefly describe the sound of your album, the instrumentation, and the unique combinations of genres.

    • Be sure to write an intriguing description in a way that piques curiosity!

  5. Describe the Production

    • You can also use this space to talk about the band members, the producer, how the album was recorded, the instruments, or anything related to the production that you think may attract a buyer.

    • If it’s a audiophile record, talk about the quality of sound, weight of vinyl, etc.

  6. Talk About the Artist

    • Talk about who this artist is and why a music fan should care about them.

    • Perhaps a great photo of them or the band. Maybe even a candid, blank and white shot in the studio recording the album.

  7. The Boring Stuff

    • This can include the barcode, record label logo, limited quantity indicator, or copyright details.

    • This takes care of the necessary, yet unattractive details that will allow your jacket design to stay clean and minimal!

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