We are living in a highly modern world where technology took over everything. We could all agree that digital technology is included in every little aspect of our lives. The days were vinyl records were popular and attractive seem like it is in the far past. However, we have interesting news since it is noticeable that the popularity of vinyl records for music brands grows extremely in the last period.
Therefore, we can freely say that now, this is considered a highlighted trend that you should not miss. However, many people out there are still not very familiar with what exactly vinyl records present, how they are custom made, and why they are highly popular in the first place taking into consideration that we are living in the digital and streaming era.
Additionally, for the ones that are interested to own custom vinyl records of their favorite band we are going to give you some tips on how you can make that idea into reality. Now, let’s go to the point and see what hides behind a vinyl record trend in 2024.
Why is vinyl so popular again?
Before we start speaking about what vinyl records represent, let’s start this article by explaining why vinyl become extremely popular again, after so many years. This is something that everyone is interested to find the answer to. However, the comeback of vinyl is actually long in the development process. The biggest popularity vinyl experienced in the late ‘70s and after those years vinyl started to lose its fame and dominance.
What happened back then is something that you are probably wondering. The vinyl was replaced by new innovative technology that came in the form of cassettes and after that in the form of CDs. At that point, those two became the main sources people listen to music and they were very attracted by it. For example, heavy metal music never sounds the same on the vinyl and on the cd. If you are a fan of this kind of music you will know that. Also, if you are a fan, you can get some latest news if you just click on wearethepit.com.
This trend of listening to music through cassettes and CDs continues to follow decades that were coming. At the same time, the popularity of the vinyl record faded away which will eventually lead to the ‘90s, when vinyl was a basically outdated trend that no one thinks about anymore.
As the years passed by, we have been introduced to new, innovative, and advanced music technology. However, vinyl still found its way back and started to attract people and gain popularity all over the world in the mid-aughts which was fueled by new demographics – millennials and Gen Z that were not around when vinyl primarily was popular.
Now, this is one of the most popular and authentic ways of listening to music physically. There are various theories that explain and define why the popularity of vinyl come back again.
One of the common answers refers to the fact that people think that records provide better sound. In fact, this is true if you are comparing the quality of the vinyl to the quality of some popular streaming services.
The second reason why vinyl is so popular now is the fact that it offers its fans a tangible product that provides a real-life representation of the music. This means that vinyl comes with an authentic and original sound.
Now, you have the opportunity to hold your phone and listen to some songs, however, you do not have the opportunity to hold the whole album of your favorite band through any streaming service. Vinyl is more than music, it represents art that comes with the nostalgia of the past decades. When you are listening to vinyl, you are feeling music more alive and vivid and there is something charming about it.
Where and how are custom vinyl records are made?
In general, vinyl records are traditionally created in the way that the vinyl pressing plant was using a lathe to cut a groove into a master disc that is made of lacquer or metal. That final master disc is used for creating a metal stamper that has been pressed the copies that go into a vinyl run.
When it comes to the amount, it can range from several hundred copies for a small band to incredible tens of thousands of copies for some great music artists.
There are some special operations used so the one-of-a-kind custom vinyl record can be created. Some of these operations are using a lathe cut process that represents manually making every copy one at a time only by using your hands. Now, you can find different sources where you can purchase these unique vinyl records and if you have a musician in your family, you just found a perfect gift for him.
What kind of music can be pressed on vinyl records?
This is also a very common question that people want to find the answer to. However, there is no specific genre that some artist needs to sing so he can end up on vinyl record. This means that literally, all types of artists, of all genres can listen to the vinyl records.
Many people think that vinyl is reserved for certain styles of music, however, that is not true. Whatever you love listening to, whether it is rock, folk, rap, pop, hip hop, electronic music, or the classic ones, you can have it custom made for you on the vinyl record.
What do you need to prepare to press custom vinyl records?
If you want to listen to your favorite bend on the custom vinyl record, you have to consider several things that you can consider, before you order any custom vinyl records.
Primarily, you need to prepare vinyl audio masters. Some heavy or inadequately balanced bass frequencies can make the needle jump when the record is playing. Therefore, you need to find a mastering engineer that will optimize your music for the format.
Your next step is to consider the resolution. Remember that high-resolution artwork is the key. For instance, a 2” LP is a large physical object. That means that all pressing plants that are offering packaging services will not accept the low-quality artwork.
Therefore, you need to work with an expert designer to ensure that you are having the source project files that are ready and available. In case you want some additional features like including liner notes or some other content, you are going to need to finalize that also.
After that, you need to ensure that if your wanted music is using samples they are cleared. This is a very significant thing to check since pressing plants are taking the copyright and you can be asked to fill out an Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) to confirm that your work is your own.
Despite that, you should obtain a mechanical license for cover songs that will ensure the necessary copyright holders are compensated for your cover. Many services are offering that type of service.
Finally, you can take a lot easier approach and according to the unifiedmanufacturing.com, you can be free to consult with them since they have a lot of reputation, credibility, and professionalism in this field and they will help you achieve your goal and get a custom created vinyl record of your favorite bend.