Sony are the first major record label to fully embrace the resurgence of vinyl as they reveal plans to begin manufacturing new records themselves.

Sony are to begin producing their own vinyl records again next year with the opening of a new production factory in Japan. Thanks to the massive revival of vinyl in recent years Sony’s decision will see them produce their first records since 1989.

Vinyl has surged in popularity in the past ten years with experts predicting vinyl sales to reach $1 billion this year. Despite it’s increasing popularity vinyl manufacturing has still been limited after most of the record manufacturing companies closed down after the 80’s saw CD’s take over.

Despite being one of the contributors to vinyl’s downfall, with the mass production of CDs, Sony are now taking the big step of re-opening a factory in Japan for the production of vinyl, the first major label to do this since CD’s took over. It was suggested that Sony may be moving back into vinyl personally as a months ago they provided their studio in Tokyo with a cutting lathe for producing master discs that vinyl records take music from.

Many labels gave up on the format as discs and digital music took the forefront of music, expected to remain as the primary ways to listen to music. However whilst recent years have seen the digital market boom, thanks in strong part to music streaming services, CD sales have dropped and continue to fall as fewer people look to compact discs for their tunes.

Various reasons have attributed to Vinyl’s against-the-odds survival. Many nostalgic music lovers remember it from their past, others feel it provides more of an experience to the music – having to handle the disc, place it on your set-top and lower the needle. Some cite vinyl as providing a higher quality thanks to its analog sound and then there are plenty who treat them like collectors items or decoration. Whatever their reason, vinyl is back and it doesn’t look it’s going to disappear again anytime soon.