Backed by Ninja Tune, Beat Delete applies the Kickstarter model to rare vinyl.

The reverberations of the 2011 fire that destroyed Sony DADC’s warehouse are still being felt, especially in the independent world. Labels like Warp and Ninja Tune lost entire back catalogues’ worth of stock, and while popular albums can easily be re-released, lesser-known records represent a significant cost to re-press.

Beat Delete is chiefly concerned with the latter group: records that would probably remain out-of-press due to the lack of a market large enough to justify re-pressing. With a crowdfunding approach, Beat Delete customers are able to pledge to buy such a record, establishing such a market and easing the risks of re-pressing records of limited profitability. As is the case with sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo, pledgers may receive special benefits, such as numbered or exclusive limited editions.

Beat Delete was developed from an idea by a Ninja Tune employee, and is “powered” by the label. Other labels that are supporting the site include Accidental, Beggars, Big Dada, Brainfeeder, Cat Skills, Domino, Sunday Best, and Tru Thoughts. The site recently launched a beta program, and King Geedorah’s Take Me To Your Leader is already 82% funded.