Sony to start making vinyl records again after 30-year hiatus as demand for the retro music format surges

  • A Sony factory southwest of Tokyo will begin producing records by March 2018
  • The Japanese firm stopped making records in 1989 due to dropping demand
  • At the time consumers were flocking to CDs and other new music technology
  • But surging demand for vinyl records has forced Sony back into the market

Three decades after it abandoned vinyl production, Sony says it will start making records again on the back of surging demand for the retro music format.

A factory southwest of Tokyo will be churning out freshly pressed records by March next year, Sony Music Entertainment said Thursday.

The Japanese firm stopped making vinyl records in 1989, a company spokesman said, as consumers flocked to compact discs and other emerging music technology.

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Three decades after it abandoned vinyl production, Sony says it will start making records again on the back of surging demand for the retro music format (stock image) 

Three decades after it abandoned vinyl production, Sony says it will start making records again on the back of surging demand for the retro music format (stock image) 

VINYL'S COMEBACK 

In April official figures revealed that more than 3.2 million LPs were sold last year in the UK – driving revenues from vinyl up by two thirds.

Traditional LPs are now so popular that they account for 15 per cent of the record industry’s income from physical album sales.

It is a dramatic turnaround from a decade ago, when just 200,000 LPs were sold and record labels had resigned themselves to the idea that vinyl would die out.

Audio experts said at the time that digital downloads were vastly superior because the recordings were purer and did not have the hissing sound associated with LPs.

But the British Phonographic Industry said in April that those same crackles and scratches were driving today’s music fans back to LPs.

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Major music market Japan produced nearly 200 million records a year in the mid-seventies, according to the country's recording industry association.

Sony was a major global player in the development of CDs, which have since taken a back seat to downloads and music streaming.

Vinyl has been making a global comeback as it attracts not only nostalgic older consumers but also younger generations.

Japan's sole record maker Toyokasei is struggling to keep up with the resurgence in vinyl demand, the influential Nikkei newspaper reported.

Sony is now scrambling to find older engineers familiar with how to make records, it added.

Panasonic relaunched its legendary Technics SL-1200 turntable several years ago as the market picked up.

Sony did not say what music it will release in record format. The Nikkei said the lineup will include popular Japanese songs from the past, including Sony-owned titles, as well as chart-topping contemporary albums.

A factory southwest of Tokyo will be churning out freshly pressed records by March next year, Sony Music Entertainment said Thursday. A shop manager shows off a period Jimi Hendrix record at the RECOfan shop in Tokyo

A factory southwest of Tokyo will be churning out freshly pressed records by March next year, Sony Music Entertainment said Thursday. A shop manager shows off a period Jimi Hendrix record at the RECOfan shop in Tokyo

Global vinyl revenue will top £770 million ($1 billion) this year while sales of CDs and digital downloads continue to fall, according to estimates from consulting firm Deloitte.

In Britain, where vinyl's rebirth has been particularly pronounced, records generated more revenue than advertising-backed tiers of streaming platforms last year.

In April official figures revealed that more than 3.2 million LPs were sold last year in the UK – driving revenues from vinyl up by two thirds.

Traditional LPs are now so popular that they account for 15 per cent of the record industry’s income from physical album sales.

It is a dramatic turnaround from a decade ago, when just 200,000 LPs were sold and record labels had resigned themselves to the idea that vinyl would die out.

Audio experts said at the time that digital downloads were vastly superior because the recordings were purer and did not have the hissing sound associated with LPs.

But the British Phonographic Industry said in April that those same crackles and scratches were driving today’s music fans back to LPs.

Spokesman Gennaro Costaldo said: ‘If you listen to digital recordings, it can feel like something’s missing.

‘People might say that vinyl is not a perfect sound but actually it is a warmer sound, and all those scratches can make your copy unique.

‘When you buy vinyl, it feels like you are buying something much more substantial. People see it as an artefact.’