Does anyone really need to be told that retro is making a comeback? If there are still doubters, they only have to look at Sony Music Entertainment. The company officially left the vinyl market in 1989, betting everything on compact discs. Yet its spokespeople have now confirmed that starting in March 2018, Sony will once again cut and press vinyl records. The artist lineup remains a mystery, and there are technical hurdles to overcome, but if Sony thinks it’s worth coming back, perhaps its competitors will follow the same path.
The state of vinyl is striking. Some say it’s back; others insist it never went away. That debate might be open from a consumer’s perspective, but for companies like Sony Music Entertainment the past was much clearer. With CDs dominating every corner, Sony gave vinyl the thumbs down in 1989. Twenty-eight years later, CD sales are stagnant, digital services are caught in a brutal price war, and vinyl records have become a $900 million market. Latest projections suggest vinyl could account for 18 percent of all physical music sales this year. In other words, the arrows are pointing up, and consumers want more. Given that, the news that Sony will again manufacture vinyl doesn’t surprise us much.
Sony's Vinyl Comeback: What We Know
According to the available information, Sony installed a cutting team in one of its studios during February, and pressing will take place at a plant in Shizuoka Prefecture, southwest of Tokyo. Sony Music Entertainment represents a roster of high-profile artists around the globe, including Adele, Beyoncé, Daft Punk, Ozzy, and Tina Turner — and we could keep listing names until next week, to be honest. Unfortunately, Sony’s spokespeople gave no details about what kind of music will appear on its new vinyl, but they did confirm that production kicks off in March 2018.
Why the nine-month wait? Technology has come a long way, but recording, cutting, and pressing vinyl is still an art. Sony is recruiting audio engineers who previously worked with that format for the company to serve as advisors and trainers, in an effort to reclaim much of the lost expertise.
