The Death of Vinyl? [Archive]

blacksun24

21-Jan-08, 01:06pm

Syntax Music, the biggest vinyl production company in North America has closed its doors forever recently. There arn't too many other big vinyl production companies in existence now.

This is a sad day for all, whether you prefer digital or vinyl.

I can't post a link to this this at the moment, as the forums won't allow me :(

DJ Fusion

21-Jan-08, 01:10pm

Link here: http://www.thedailyswarm.com/headlines/syntax-distribution-closes-digital-distribution-closing-stores-weak-dollar-poor-economy-and-rising-cost-every-aspect-distributing-vinyl-have-brought-us-end/

But I wonder where are all these small indy bands getting their vinyl cut then. I've noticed a growing vinyl movement in the indy and alt rock scenes and I'm not sure how they can afford to do it.

edit - stop press! First comment from that site:

Syntax Music is a completely separate company from Syntax Records and Syntax Distribution... There is no relation.
Syntax Records and Syntax Distribution are still alive and kicking. www.syntaxrecords.com & www.syntaxdistribution.com

...but then why does the press release say, "Digital distribution, closing stores, a weak dollar, a poor economy and the rising cost of every aspect of distributing vinyl have brought us to an end."

blacksun24

21-Jan-08, 01:12pm

There are still a number of companies producing vinyl records around the world, and in europe espically. However this will probably lead to a massive shortage of any newer releases coming out on vinyl.

:(

truba

21-Jan-08, 01:15pm

i just read the interview somwhere where mr c said that vinyl is back big time and apparently its selling now more than it ever did in the last 10 years, dunno about that one
i only buy records and i dont think that i will ever go dijital

DJ_Tingles

21-Jan-08, 01:43pm

i still buy the good vinyl ... like vinyl that will be classics ... i still love whipping on the odd vinyl in a set, hell i'm flogging my crap decks off and getting a set of 1200's soon cause i still enjoy it ... i hope vinyl doesn't die out completely, would SUCKKK

blacksun24

21-Jan-08, 02:21pm

It may be selling now more then it has in the last 10 years, however newer releases just arn't going to be anywhere near as common anymore.

ChemicalJames

21-Jan-08, 02:28pm

What original thread! *feels self slowly turning to funkedub's dark side*

truba

21-Jan-08, 02:58pm

i just read somwhere that amato went bust few months ago

holtless

21-Jan-08, 03:00pm

What original thread! *feels self slowly turning to funkedub's dark side*

what an original reply!

did you read the original post? it's about a record company shutting down.

Bumpy

21-Jan-08, 03:06pm

Lol lets leave it at that..

back to the original topic.. that sucks wang I still want to continue buying vinyl and hope it never get completely wiped off the face of the earth.. although it would raise the price in some people collections.

brooklyn909

21-Jan-08, 03:09pm

No nO nO NO .

ChemicalJames

21-Jan-08, 03:27pm

what an original reply!

did you read the original post? it's about a record company shutting down.

They're all about something shutting down.

brooklyn909

21-Jan-08, 03:56pm

Syntax distribution is still going....

hoppuspears

21-Jan-08, 03:57pm

Im sure all the vinyl emulation software didnt help..

tone_deaf

21-Jan-08, 04:40pm

you could just start making your own vinyl!
http://www.vestax.com/v/products/recorders/vrx2000.html
at around $10,000 maybe not the most practical but would still be great to be able to make your own vinyl

HAKS

21-Jan-08, 05:07pm

i just read somwhere that amato went bust few months ago

yeap Amato went down in about November last year

toilet trained

21-Jan-08, 05:22pm

It may be selling now more then it has in the last 10 years, however newer releases just arn't going to be anywhere near as common anymore.

the big leg up for vinyl is indeed as DJ fusion said for indy and rock.

walked into a 'record' store in Sheffield at the start of the year, just about every indy band you could think of had their record on vinyl

why?

its from the growing market of audiophiles (especially +35) that will pay 800 quid for a good record player, to get 'that sound' that only vinyl can bring to the table

i.e its basically cashed up thirty somethings and of course the newly retired babyboomers wanting quality audio at home.

so this isn't in fact great news for the future of vinyl in clubbing land. i would say the rebirth of indy vinyl will further squish dance music out of vinyl, as there is obviously a decreasing number of places to get vinyl pressed.

IMHO vinyl is not a model that can survive in dance music, but im happy its not going to die completely

p.s i also think this is a blacklash to the ever decreasing quality of audio from the mp3 generation

trashy

21-Jan-08, 08:08pm

the more i hear though, the more people seem to be getting back into vinyl

Bracko

21-Jan-08, 08:32pm

consolidation of an industry based on most efficent performance.

nothing more, nothing less.

Funkedub

21-Jan-08, 09:15pm

this thread was started on the basis on a US company shutting up shop yea?

can't recall the last time i bought vinyl pressed in the US

noiser

21-Jan-08, 09:21pm

^^ i think every record in my collection is pressed in the EU.

Bracko

21-Jan-08, 09:31pm

this thread was started on the basis on a US company shutting up shop yea?

can't recall the last time i bought vinyl pressed in the US

US house really does suck, I'll give it that.

Funkedub

21-Jan-08, 09:52pm

ooh ... actually ... the last US vinyl i scored was probably some Underground Resistance 8)

hoppuspears

21-Jan-08, 10:58pm

a few local bands ino released records on vinyl

jazam

21-Jan-08, 11:14pm

Sent by a PR/Trends company...

The large format record is making a comeback

While technology may be hurting the music industry in some ways, it appears an old school trend may in fact be helping it. Vinyl records are growing at an impressive rate and industry professionals are taking note. According to Nielsen SoundScan, vinyl sales were up 15.4% in 2007 (from the year before) and qualitatively many independent music retailers are reporting that vinyl has become a big hit with their niche consumers. Speaking to this trend, this past fall Amazon.com introduced a vinyl-only store and now offers a lineup of 150,000 records.

Consumers are drawn to vinyl records because they expressly offer everything that MP3s do not. The sound of vinyl is richer and more multi-dimensional than both CDs and digital downloads because compressing audio files gives them a tinny low-resolution quality. And while smaller formats offer the benefit of portability, they lack tangibility. Young music collectors are drawn to the large album format’s cover graphics, sleeve photos, and liner notes as well as the design of the vinyl itself which can be pressed into different shapes (hearts, triangles) and colors (sparkles) to provide a fun and tangible memento of their fandom. The vinyl experience has been touted as the only way to go for audio purists, but for young consumers it also serves as an impetus for social listening gatherings while also making them feel connected to the music artist.

Taking advantage of vinyl’s popularity, labels are increasingly releasing contemporary artists’ albums, such as The Killers, in record format. To make vinyl even more appealing to consumers, labels sometimes offer bonus tracks on records while also including vouchers for audio downloads so that consumers have the high quality music listening experience and the ability to take their music on the go.

johnjay

21-Jan-08, 11:24pm

Actualy i find most bonus tracks are not on records anymore but on digital site. And i've noticed that most tracks get released on digital first then vinyl.

Labels will soon realise that it should be the other way around, its just logic

Vinyl releases create a big buzz and hype, and personally i find waiting for the record to be released after hearing it makes me want it more rather then knowing i can home that night and just download it

I do think vinyl will make a comeback again,

1. Its too easy to pirate digital and with all these blogs etc its becoming worse, yes you can rip the vinyl but who can be fuked
2. Some labels will want to be exclusive and release on vinyl only etc
3. Cbf listing more reasons

I cant see vinyl dieing,

Bracko

21-Jan-08, 11:32pm

Actualy i find most bonus tracks are not on records anymore but on digital site. And i've noticed that most tracks get released on digital first then vinyl.

Labels will soon realise that it should be the other way around, its just logic

so.... let me get this straight....

you're the same user that fucking had a go at me for switching to digital, not for the love of ableton, not for the love of CDJ's.... but for the pure logic that i wanted to continue buying prog, tech, house and trance while trying to own a house.

and you have the gaul to come here and post digital being "logic"....

Bracko

21-Jan-08, 11:33pm

johnjay

21-Jan-08, 11:48pm

so.... let me get this straight....

you're the same user that fucking had a go at me for switching to digital, not for the love of ableton, not for the love of CDJ's.... but for the pure logic that i wanted to continue buying prog, tech, house and trance while trying to own a house.

and you have the gaul to come here and post digital being "logic"....

sorry i have no clue wtf ur talking about

johnjay

21-Jan-08, 11:58pm

ferretrock

22-Jan-08, 12:15am

i think the two of you got confused...

bracko: johnjay actually wrote that he thinks labels should release special tracks onto vinyl, and that they have things backwards.
johnjay: i agree (and would definetely prefer vinyl release first - a hardcopy and artistic design etc creates hype and image), but realistically it's much cheaper and faster for a label to release onto the net.

well - i just got TTs about 2 months ago, and so my collection is all vinyl atm (obviously not stuff i had before - but tunes that i intend to play out are all vinyl). I must say I'm finding it a little frustrating that I can't find alot of the tunes I want locally, but I knew that would be the case...
Unlike CDs, vinyl is unlikely to ever die. Either way - both still have a while longer to go before their respective expiries.

Also, in the indie/underground market there is definetely a big market of people rocking vinyl singles.... my mates' band did a 7" about 12 months ago, supported by a melbourne label/distributor, but this kind of stuff isn't really stocked in shops much - more sold at shows or little niche scene things (such as the sedition barber etc)

Bracko

22-Jan-08, 12:23am

oh are you talking about when you accused me of stealing music? such an uncalled for comment btw coz its not true

and then I hurt your feelings did I?

Why don't you just use limewire, then you can pay off your mortgage even quicker

lawl, nice delete and repost.

my job is low life cunts attacking my, my company's and my industry's credibility up for thousands, if not millions.... an insult about Djing is a welcome intruption, if more, training for the game. no hurt feelings here :D

*hugs*

johnjay

22-Jan-08, 12:36am

wtf are u talking about? I am seriously lost
atleast ferretrock understands, maybe i wont have to post and edit as much if you read my posts as clearly as he does

gamblore

22-Jan-08, 01:10am

Hug it out

Skirtchaser

22-Jan-08, 10:34pm

totally dead I reckon, I stilll love vinyl, but alot of the time at some clubs (wont mention names) they dont have vinyl turntables or they havnt been serviced since Coxy Fact 1...

I still like to scratch a little bit and drop the odd vinyl track but Im meeting young up and coming DJ's that have never even mixed on vinyl once!

I remember when I used to do nights and cdjs first came out we wouldnt book ppl if they were CD only... how times have changed!

still love vinyl for stuff I want in my collection, but id rather a cd for playing out to do all the cdj trickery with

ever made a loop with vinyl and stickers?

lol

stay rad

skirtchaser

twistedbydesign

23-Jan-08, 07:34am

This is stupid

things like this don't 'die'

they may fade out of the eye of the mainstream and become a less common medium but inanimate collectibles don't die, bandwagons do

holtless

23-Jan-08, 09:30am

can't recall the last time i bought vinyl pressed in the US

you're not into any U.S. hip hop?

or do you mean you can't remember the last time you bought a dance record from the U.S.?

johnjay

23-Jan-08, 09:40am

Funkedub

23-Jan-08, 09:50am

you're not into any U.S. hip hop?

or do you mean you can't remember the last time you bought a dance record from the U.S.?

most of my hip hop comes from diggin in 2nd hand ... so not much recently made in the US ... probably a BDP 12" i bought a few months ago

the last two major hip hop purchases i got were a bargain double CDs full of classics ... saved myself some $$$ and space there ;D

twistedbydesign

23-Jan-08, 01:35pm

A recent BDP record?

if you found one of The Breaks 12s on bronx river i might cry

Funkedub

23-Jan-08, 01:38pm

^^^

The Bridge is Over

twistedbydesign

23-Jan-08, 02:02pm

dude the bridge was over in 1987 :haha:

Funkedub

23-Jan-08, 02:24pm

i know that ... i wasn't saying it was a new release .. just a new purchase

it's a purchase in my plan to get as many of the tracks from Colduct's 70 Minutes of Madness as i can ... really want/need those 1st tracks :drool:

holtless

23-Jan-08, 02:25pm

ah Coldcut.. is there anything they can't do?

plan-b

23-Jan-08, 02:53pm

just coz they dont play it out doesnt mean they dont buy it

You would be suprised at how many big djs actually buy vinyl and rip it to cd,
I still buy shitloads of vinyl... Especially stuff I don't play out...

DJ_TMC

04-Feb-08, 04:43pm

CDJS Killed Vinyl.. Serato Reinvented it. Period.

Funkedub

04-Feb-08, 06:12pm

The following blog entry is quoted from Andy @ Vinyl Fatory Australias myspace...

http://www.myspace.com/vinylfactoryaustralia

"Music format, Vinyl and getting paid for your music.. ..Andy Cuddihy. Vinyl Factory Australia

The last ten years or more have been a very interesting time for the music industry. Sales and revenues were stable when vinyl ruled. Then we all got sold a bit of a dud with CD's by the tech heads and the equipment manufacturers. We were told that CD's would be everything that vinyl is not and to a degree they were right. Portable, durable, capable of storing more music. What we didn't see coming was the ability for people to burn their own copies on any home computer. Whilst this looks like a good thing on one hand what it really does is reduces they value of music to nothing. A CD burnt by a friend with the name of the artist written in marker pen has no personality and is essentially a storage device for data. I-pods and other Mp3 players are also just that... storage devices in pretty colours. When someone offers to load 10000 songs on to your i-pod it just doesn't really excite you that much , one: because you didnt have to go out and find them and two: you got them for free so you assign no value to them. Anyway, most of them are usually rubbish.

We have a situation now where CD sales are dropping and record labels are lookingfor news ways to get music out there. You hear about this label and that label going under and in dance music there has definitely been a contraction. The last 3 years have seen a few record stores and labels close.There are a few factors affecting this. There will always be a steady bunch of new recruits going out every weekend but what we see now is the general population have made dance music just part of their overall lifestyle and are choosing a few events like Field Day or Good Vibes as their "lifestyle choices" for dance parties. A few of the big names who play at these events have come out saying that vinyl is dead and they only play cd's or mp3's. You have to remember that these guys spend all their life travelling and lugging 400 records around the world just means you cant take your golf clubs or that extra surfboard on the plane. The ones who put on the best show still use vinyl. There is not a lot of joy seeing someone wave a cd over their head or sit there on their laptop clicking a mouse. On the other side of that, at a grass roots level, we are seeing a bit of a return to small parties and there is a real early nineties sort of feel to them. 100 people or more, underground and out there. I think that is where the really interesting stuff is going on and vinyl is definitely still strong at this level.
People who buy vinyl are collectors. Dj's are just one subset of this group. Humans like to collect things because its enjoyable. It gives a sense context and of history. There is a whole generation of music that has never been released on vinyl that the new breed of collector is just waiting to get.

Another thing we are seeing is the return of other genre to vinyl. The guitar driven indie rock sound is finding that they have stolen the jump on the major record companies by creating a demand for "must have" 7" singles. These small labels are putting out short runs of 500 to 2000 limited release selling at retail for less than $10 then turning up on ebay the next month for over $50. These labels are now putting so much attention and love into the art for their vinyl release's sleeves that they are in themselves become collectable. It just adds to the overall vinyl experience. Releasing music on vinyl demonstrates a real commitment to the music by the label. Not just putting it up on some website and waiting for the cash to roll in.

Good Vinyl record shops will always survive because they are doing more than just selling records. You want to go down there.These shops provide a meeting place , build sense of community and the actual act of buying a piece of vinyl, feeling the weight of it,checking out the sleeve ,is enjoyable. Sitting in your front room on the internet, buying vinyl online and having it turn up a week later whilst being very clever doesn't give you any of the things that make spending time in a record shop enjoyable. Phonica records in Soho London is a seriously cool record store with decks , listening booths and chill out areas with sofa's and cool things to read and are finding music buyers to treat the store as a the place to hang out ( they also have a killer online store!) The HMV's and Virgin megastores of this world are scrambling to catch up, rolling out their own version of the same.

What we are seeing in the UK is the move toward releases on vinyl and mp3 only and the real challenge is for labels to manage their releases to maximise sales. It is useful to look at how novels are sold. Your first release comes out in hardback with an attractive sleeve, printed on nice paper and it is something that you want to keep.It is collectable. It is also a premium product and is priced accordingly. Months later the paperback is released to fulfil the residual demand. Cheap to make ,cheap to buy. and you give it to you friend when you've finished with it. By doing it this way the book publishers get the maximum return, can make a profit and can afford to publish a wider range of books. Good for the reading public.
Record labels are now devising release schedules that follow the same idea. Putting out 1500 12" records, building a buzz, getting it out there and played in the clubs builds the demand for the download. Releasing the 12" and the mp3 simultaneously is not really helpful.

Like most people who are mad about music I can clearly remember buying my first record. I wont say what that record was as it would be a constant source of embarrassment but I will say that as an 11 year old I thought it was the coolest thing on the planet and I still to this day have it tucked away somewhere. There is something magical in being able to see the music on vinyl as valleys and peaks. I couldn't tell you what the first CD i bought was and Im sure it doesn't play any more .....if I still have it. CD's are one removed from the earthy, physical nature of vinyl, sort of hiding behind their mirrored surfaces.
Audiophile's will bang on for hours about vinyl being more faithful reproduction than CD's and there is that. But I think there is so much more to the whole history of a record, its owners, scratches, scuffs, fingerprints and dirt. Vinyl has a certain dilapidated charm. The same as why people holiday in Venice rather than some cookie cutter housing estate built by Meriton.

It's said that evidence of blind love is knowing the limitations of the object of your love and accepting them as charming.....be it vinyl or anything else. Humans are analogue beings. We are a rich tapestry of everthing that has got us to this point, not a combination of one's and zero's. Vinyl is about context, history ,music with a story. A vinyl record is fragile and does need to be looked after, respected if you like. So much of vinyl is "music as object". CD's just dont last , Mp3's are this untouchable,intangible entity that you cant hold in your hand and you can get for free. Makes it pretty hard to charge for.

Anyway.......... who will remember their first download?"

baax

05-Feb-08, 07:21am

http://www.smh.com.au/news/music/were-having-a-vinyl-revival/2008/02/04/1202090317972.html

trenthalliday

05-Feb-08, 08:33am

funke, thats all good and I do agree with it to an extent.
BUT (and there is always a but...) its like saying 'take an old beat up Datsun 120y that has history, a charm if you will, or take that Porche over there......I understand the fact that the 120y may have the history and the charm etc, but 99.9% of the time, the general public will take the Porsche.

Dont get me wrong though, I love vinyl, and when my dad leaves this world I will inherit a vinyl collection that most vinyl stores would be jeleous of, first release dark side of the moon, first release never mind the bollocks, plenty of Dylan, Thin Lizzy, The Clash and many many more that hold history, sound so warm, and smell so damn good!!

Funkedub

05-Feb-08, 09:40am

i wouldn't compare a datsun 120 to a porche ... more like an old porche to a new porche ;P

trenthalliday

05-Feb-08, 10:20am

agreed, may of pushed the boat out a bit too far, but you catch my drift.....

bobanny

05-Feb-08, 12:05pm

sound so warm,

That's what analog sound is to me. It's like a big warm hug... phat bass and crackling in the backround. Digital just doesn't sound as good for some reason. I even like tapes better. Although honestly 95% of ppl can't tell the difference.

Check It - Clipz is here to save the day from the Evil Dracuload

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ly2jLrH2bI