Producers Trying to Keep Up with Growing Vinyl Record Sales
2022-07-02
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1The invention of the Compact Disc (CD) caused vinyl music records to fall out of popularity over 30 years ago.
2But sales of vinyl records have been growing for the past 10 years.
3The COVID-19 pandemic only increased sales.
4In 2021, money earned from "vinyl" sales was greater than $1 billion for the first time since CDs took over the market.
5Vinyl records, made out of a kind of plastic, had been the main method for listening to music until the 1980s, when CDs took their place.
6As a result, many factories that produced vinyl records were shut down.
7Mark Michaels is head of United Records, based in the city of Nashville, Tennessee.
8The company is the largest record producer in the United States.
9He said the industry "has found a new gear, and is accelerating at a new pace."
10Many of the new customers are old enough to have listened to records during their childhood or young adulthood.
11But the recent increase in "vinyl" sales is not just from older buyers.
12A younger generation is buying records.
13More current artists are meeting the new demand.
14They have begun releasing their newest records on vinyl as well as the normal electronic releases.
15Because vinyl record sales were so low for so long, the industry has had to make major changes to keep up with increasing demand.
16Major record labels are restarting their old manufacturing plants.
17Smaller independent vinyl presses are also starting up.
18There are now around 40 active vinyl plants in the U.S. and most of them are small.
19They cannot make records as fast as people are buying them.
20It can take six to eight months for an order of records to be filled.
21Manufacturers are also dealing with shortages of materials, which can slow production even more.
22The answer to these problems is not as simple as opening more factories.
23The machines that are needed to create vinyl records are rare.
24In the 1980s, many manufacturers destroyed or took apart their vinyl pressing machines.
25Today, there are only a few companies that make the machines, and none of them are in the US.
26These machines are in such high demand that these companies cannot create them as fast as they are being bought.
27There is some debate about the sound quality of vinyl records compared to electronic recordings, but that is not the whole story.
28Mark Mazzetti develops musical artists and has worked for Sting, Janet Jackson, and others at A&M Records.
29He said: "I love the vinyl experience. All of it. To me, there is an electrifying sound when I play records that I don't feel from digital."
30Because record production is not meeting demand, nobody knows how much longer the market will increase at this rate.
31For his own part, Michaels is hopeful about the future.
32"I believe in music, and I believe in the importance of music in people's lives. I don't think that changes," he said.
33I'm Matthew Caputo.
1The invention of the Compact Disc (CD) caused vinyl music records to fall out of popularity over 30 years ago. 2But sales of vinyl records have been growing for the past 10 years. The COVID-19 pandemic only increased sales. 3In 2021, money earned from "vinyl" sales was greater than $1 billion for the first time since CDs took over the market. 4Vinyl records, made out of a kind of plastic, had been the main method for listening to music until the 1980s, when CDs took their place. As a result, many factories that produced vinyl records were shut down. 5Mark Michaels is head of United Records, based in the city of Nashville, Tennessee. The company is the largest record producer in the United States. He said the industry "has found a new gear, and is accelerating at a new pace." 6Many of the new customers are old enough to have listened to records during their childhood or young adulthood. But the recent increase in "vinyl" sales is not just from older buyers. 7A younger generation is buying records. More current artists are meeting the new demand. They have begun releasing their newest records on vinyl as well as the normal electronic releases. 8Because vinyl record sales were so low for so long, the industry has had to make major changes to keep up with increasing demand. Major record labels are restarting their old manufacturing plants. Smaller independent vinyl presses are also starting up. 9There are now around 40 active vinyl plants in the U.S. and most of them are small. They cannot make records as fast as people are buying them. 10It can take six to eight months for an order of records to be filled. Manufacturers are also dealing with shortages of materials, which can slow production even more. 11The answer to these problems is not as simple as opening more factories. The machines that are needed to create vinyl records are rare. In the 1980s, many manufacturers destroyed or took apart their vinyl pressing machines. 12Today, there are only a few companies that make the machines, and none of them are in the US. These machines are in such high demand that these companies cannot create them as fast as they are being bought. 13There is some debate about the sound quality of vinyl records compared to electronic recordings, but that is not the whole story. 14Mark Mazzetti develops musical artists and has worked for Sting, Janet Jackson, and others at A&M Records. He said: "I love the vinyl experience. All of it. To me, there is an electrifying sound when I play records that I don't feel from digital." 15Because record production is not meeting demand, nobody knows how much longer the market will increase at this rate. For his own part, Michaels is hopeful about the future. 16"I believe in music, and I believe in the importance of music in people's lives. I don't think that changes," he said. 17I'm Matthew Caputo. 18David Sharp reported this story for AP News. Matthew Caputo adapted it for VOA Learning English. 19________________________________________________________________________ 20Words in This Story 21new gear - n. to move from one level or area of activity to another 22accelerate - v. to move faster: to gain speed 23customer - n. someone who buys goods or services from a business 24digital - adj. using or characterized by computer technology 25What do you think of vinyl records? Do you prefer music on vinyl or digital? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.