SUB Culture is our flexible subscription service that gives you brand new music each month. Unlike many subs out there, ours is not a one-album-fits-all collectors scheme. It's about getting a regular, new music fix, with albums chosen specifically for you, by us.
So, a subscription eh?
A subscription of sorts yes, but SUB Culture is far more flexible than that. Try a month, skip a month, try another month - there are absolutely no tie-ins here. You simply pay upfront for every month that you want to use the service
(Thoughtful and timely cancellation is of course appreciated, though - more on that further down)
Okay, so what is it?
We carefully choose you one, two or three albums each month (depending on your subscription level) that are completely tailored to you and what we know about your tastes
If there’s one thing we do well, it’s getting to understand the likes and dislikes of our customers and turning them on to the kind of new music we know they'll love
SUB Culture is a New Music Discovery Club. Its purpose is to introduce customers to amazing new artists and albums, very often those that you may not have otherwise known about
It is not an excuse to plop our latest favourite release onto the counter or in the post for you and make easy money. This is a totally tailor-made service, with albums carefully chosen for you
Literally though, let's talk numbers?
We have three levels for you to choose from (which you can jump up to or down from at any time)
The £22 per month tier gives you one carefully curated album (on vinyl) every month
The £44 per month tier gives you two albums (on vinyl) every month
The £66 per month tier gives you three albums (on vinyl) every month and includes free second-class shipping
What if the website cost of my chosen album(s) is lower than my subscription value?
If a record we choose for you is, for example, £20 and you’re on the £22 tier, the difference will be automatically refunded to you!
What if the website cost of my chosen album(s) is higher than my subscription value?
If a record we choose for you is, for example, £24 and you’re on the £22 tier, then you simply get a good deal! This is one of the perks; great value
Are you just going to send me the latest big name release?
No chance. Our promise is that there is never one wholesale album being farmed out to all subscribers. SUB Culture is about getting the music to you that we think you will like, not the music we like. Every single order is tailored to the tastes of the person paying for the sub.
What If I don’t like the record choice?
Hopefully this is rare. If there is one thing we do well, it's understand and learn the tastes of our customers. As with any subscription – and particularly one built around the idea of discovering new artists – there is a level of risk and you’re bound to like some more than others. If you feel the choice isn’t for you, we would urge you to be patient with the release, maybe give it another spin and see how you feel. Also resist that urge to check out a track on Spotify first and make any snap judgments.
Okay, but what if I really don’t like it?
A very rare occurrence we hope, but if you decide we got one totally wrong for you then we’ll take it back and swap it for something else
On our website here: https://recordculture.com/collections/sub-culture-releases you'll find all the releases that feature in our current subscription run and you'll be able to choose a replacement from any of those
Can I request specific titles for my subscription?
Unfortunately, SUB Culture isn’t built with this in mind. It is tailored specifically to introduce you to new music that we know you'll enjoy and that you may not have otherwise had awareness of
There is also the obvious issue of massive price fluctuations between albums these days that would be a monstrous headache for us to manage
The only time this might be a possibility is if you’ve decided you really can’t stand the album we chose for you (see above item)
Are your subscription releases limited or exclusive?
They might be limited by their own nature but they aren't exclusive. Our sub isn't really about that. It's more about the buzz of hearing new artists and albums; very possibly that you may not have otherwise known about. Think discovery rather than collectability.
When will I receive my selections?
This will completely depend on the release dates of the titles we have in mind for you and when they arrive with us. It might be the first week of the month, it could be the last
Am I tied in to this?
Absolutely not. You pay for the service each month as you go so there is no long term commitment. Opt-in, cancel, and opt back in again as you like.
We do, however, keep you listed as an active subscriber unless told otherwise, so if you do decide to leave the scheme, we ask that you give us a month's notice to cancel as your selections will usually be made and ready for you at least 3 or 4 weeks before you receive them, sometimes earlier
How and when do I pay for the subscription?
On or around the 1st of each month, subscribers will receive a notification by e-mail asking you to complete payment for the new month's sub, in accordance with the plan you are currently on
Payments are not automatically set to recur on a standard month-to-month plan. While some might actually prefer this, we do this to ensure that you are afforded maximum flexibility around your plan - for instance, you may want to flit between the £22, £44 and £66 plans, or decide not to renew
Is shipping included?
FREE shipping is included with the £66 plan only
As much as we would love to be able to do that for all plans, we wouldn't survive very long...
Shipping will be at the standard rate of any regular order and will be added to your 'bill' at the start of each month where eligible
A final chance to woo you…
Okay, so worst case, you spend the price of a few pints or a choice pub grub meal each month and get 12 new albums for your collection across a calendar year. Maybe even 24 or 36 albums! If we’ve done our job well, you’ll really like most of them and, hopefully, love some of them.
If we've done things right, you'll discover some of the best music without lifting a finger (other than for that needle drop, natch.) Many will be from lesser known artists so you can lord it over your friends with how cultured you are.
We’ve said it before and we’re saying it again: If there is one thing we’re good at (though I do hope there are others), it’s knowing our customers and their tastes
Anything else?
If you have any additional questions at all, go ahead and Contact Us and we'll give the answers you seek
