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Split EPs are back on the table for UK underground labels in 2026, and not just for nostalgic reasons. Here is why shared releases make the maths work — plus a practical checklist for pairing artists, splitting costs and turning the launch into a proper shared event.
Across the UK underground, small labels are quietly cutting the number of artists they sign and putting longer, slower deals behind the ones they keep. We look at the artist-first economics behind the shift — and what it means for bands still waiting on a first yes.
Photocopied booklets, folded lyric sheets and hand-numbered inserts have quietly become the hardest-working item on the merch table. We look at why UK independent labels are putting paper back at the centre of a release, profile three doing it well, and run through what actually works when you're printing fifty copies in your kitchen.
A 300-run 12-inch still costs more than most emerging bands earn from a month of streams. We asked UK underground labels how they fund pressings, split royalties fairly and keep vinyl alive in 2026 — and what first-timers should know before they order.