Ed Lansink
Curious about vinyl records?
Looking to learn what they’re all about, how they work, and who collects them?
Many people have, and not everybody gets a straight answer.
This guide covers 20 frequently asked questions on the topic of vinyl records. From how vinyl records are made to whether vinyl is worth collecting, I answer some of your biggest questions.
Tap into our expert knowledge, free of charge, to help you get a comprehensive understanding of this groovy music format.
Vinyl records are a physical container for sound. They’re the ancestor of the CD and were the main format for storing sound and music in the 20th century, before cassette tapes and digital technology.
Vinyl records look like flat black discs (if you didn’t know) and can be played on a turntable or a record player. Turntables have a small, thin “needle” that runs through grooves cut into the vinyl to create vibrations.
In techy terms, Vinyl records are a continuous analog sound medium. The vinyl format is analog rather than digital, meaning the media is stored in a 1:1 (analogous) method – the grooves on the record are a direct, physical representation of the sound waves. This differs from digital, where the media is converted to data.
Vinyl records are made of a mixed resin material, commonly containing Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which is heated to make it pliable. When the resin cools, it becomes hard.
The full ingredients include:
Typically vinyl records are made from black PVC, although any color combination can be used. They also come in different weights and thicknesses.
Vinyl records work by storing sound vibrations in the form of a spiraling groove cut into the PVC material. The depth and width of the groove determine the frequencies of the vibrations that can be reproduced.
Turntables are fitted with a small thin device – the stylus, also called the needle. The stylus slots into the grooves and tracks through them as the platter rotates the record.
The stylus wobbles based on the groove information. On the other side of the needle is the cartridge, which contains a magnet and coil mechanism.
Due to the magic of electromagnetic forces, a magnet moving back and forth near wire coils creates an electrical signal.
This phenomenon is used to create small electronic audio signals via the movement of the needle based on the groove information.
The rest of the record player amplifies this signal set up to become the loud audible sound produced by the speakers.
Check out my full guide on this topic here → How vinyl records and record players work.
Vinyl records are made through a complex process that has remained the same for decades now.
The simplified version of how vinyl records are made is as follows:
This stamping process is repeated for each copy, taking roughly 30 seconds per press.
Check out my full guide on this topic here → How are vinyl records made?
Vinyl records come in three standard sizes; 12-inch, 7-inch, and 10-inch. These sizes were created to accommodate different lengths of releases. The sizes weren’t all created at the same time; they developed through the years.
RPM stands for revolutions per minute and describes the number of rotations a record makes every 60 seconds.
The most used RPM speed has changed over time, with the most common now being 33⅓ and 45. 33⅓ RPM speeds are typically found in LPs and compilation records, while 45s are more common in EPs and singles. 78 RPM is an older speed, rarely used by modern pressings.
The RPM speed also affects sound quality. Faster speeds have the potential to produce higher frequencies, which create increased detail and greater dynamic range. Slower speeds have room for more music at the cost of diminished quality.
More on this topic here → 33 Vs 45 Vinyl Records.
The most common size for vinyl records is 12 inches in diameter. This is the most popular format above 7-inch, then 10-inch. 12-inch is the most popular size mostly due to the increased playing time available.
The terms EP and LP describe the nature of the vinyl product and its musical contents.
EP stands for Extended-Playing and typically features around 4-6 songs lasting 15 minutes in total. LP stands for Long-Playing and features around 8-12 tracks, generally lasting for 44 minutes total. LPs are usually 12 inches; EPs are mostly 7 or 10 inches, sometimes 12.
Check out my full guide on this topic here → Vinyl Record Sizes and Types.
If you want your records to stay in good condition and last a long time without warping, you should store them properly, based on a few best practices.
Here are three different ways you can keep your vinyl records safe, and organized, and make them easy to find when you want to listen to them again.
Some serious collectors take records out of the original sleeve and store them in separate plastic inner sleeves. This helps to keep the outer sleeve in better condition by preventing wear to the card cover.
Check out my full guide on this topic here → How to store vinyl records properly.
There are a few methods you can use. Here are my suggestions → Organizing Vinyl Records 101.
Vinyl records are old, but not as old as you might think. The ancestor to vinyl, the Gramophone, was invented in the mid-19th century, almost 150 years ago.
Thomas Edison invented the first record player-like device (the phonograph) in 1877 (source). In the early 1900s, the first vinyl records were made from a mixture of shellac and wax. These were similar, but not identical, to the modern record, having a softer feel and using cylindrical “records” rather than discs.
The original units were hand-cranked rather than powered by electricity.
In the late 1950s, vinyl records started being made from polyvinyl chloride plastic instead of shellac, which allowed for a more durable and flexible material for recording music. As electronics became more available to consumers, it became more common for people to own a record player.
In the late 1970s, the new plastic polyvinyl chloride was introduced, which is still being used today.
Read more here → Vinyl and record player history.
If you’re passionate about music and sound, then records are absolutely worth collecting. Collecting records is a fun way to build a music collection, with many other benefits.
If you enjoy listening to records, there’s no reason not to collect them. It’s a lot more fun to have a vinyl collection than an MP3 collection…
Financially, there’s good evidence to suggest vinyl records are a good store of value and often increase over time. It depends on how well you look after them, but many records can be sold on for a higher price. Limited runs often rapidly increase in value. Quality has a huge impact on the value of a record, so keep them clean and fresh to retain their worth.
It’s an unethical practice, but some people act as “record scalpers.” or “flippers.” These greedy individuals buy all the new copies of a limited pressing, essentially taking all the supply. They then sell them at a higher cost on online marketplaces like eBay or Discogs for profit.
The answer to this really depends on the vinyl release itself.
Some records are worth nothing; others are worth thousands of dollars.
In one way, you could see the value of vinyl as the value of the listening experience and ownership of a piece of music. You can also see vinyl as collector’s items, like expensive cars or historical jewelry, or old coins.
As you’ll see in the next section, rare records can sell at enormous prices, with the most expensive record selling at $2 million.
There are a few factors that determine the value of a record:
More on this topic here → How much do vinyl records cost?
To demonstrate just how much money collectors are willing to spend, here are some of the most expensive vinyl records ever sold. These have garnered eye-popping price tags thanks to their rarity, history, and provenance.
1. “Once Upon a Time in Shaolin” Wu-Tang Clan: – $2 million
The only copy of this record ever made. Sold at auction to Martin Shkreli.
2. The Beatles’ “White Album”- $790,000
Ringo Starr originally owned the first-ever pressing with serial number 0000001.
3. “My Happiness” Elvis Presley – $300,000
Elvis’ original test pressing, brought by Jack White of White Stripes/Third Man Records.
4. “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” The Beatles – $290,000
Original Mono version, signed by all members of The Beatles.
5. “Double Fantasy” John Lennon & Yoko Ono – $150,000
Signed by Lennon hours before he was murdered.
Vinyl requires a few pieces of equipment to play. The exact things you need depend on the kind of vinyl setup you’re looking to achieve. This can range from a simple, all-in-one record player to a complex system using multiple separate devices, amps, and speakers.
Check out my full guide on this topic here → How to set up a turntable.
People collect vinyl records for a variety of reasons. Some common reasons are: to preserve music, to be part of a community, and to experience music in a more involved way. Although motivations vary between collectors.
Some do it to reminisce, some do it for the sound quality, and others do it to enjoy music in a physical form. Vinyl records are not just a way to listen to music. They’re also a piece of artwork and history that can be appreciated on their own merit.
For some, the sentimentality attached to these objects plays a significant role in their decision to keep them around. For others, they buy records to support artists and musicians, as they make more money with vinyl sales than from Spotify streams.
There are many reasons why vinyl records sound “better” to some people than digital versions of music. The truth is, it is ultimately personal taste, as what one person perceives as “sounding better” may differ from somebody else’s perception.
However, for better or worse, there is a clear difference in sound based on the limitations and mechanics of each format.
In contrast to vinyl records, which rely on mechanical technology to capture and reproduce music, digital recordings are made from binary information, representing the data of sound waves.
These formats differ at the wavelength level. Vinyl is analog, which has a continuous waveform.
Digital is discrete (stepped) rather than continuous. This means it’s symmetrical and has a comparatively unnatural sound texture. Digital has a technically cleaner, less distorted sound, although some people’s ears (and brains) like the natural analog coloration of vinyl.
A further reason is the absence of a lot of compressions that is present in digital music files. Compression is an important part of how music is recorded, processed, and mixed for digital release. Many digital files are more compressed than their vinyl counterparts, which creates a lower dynamic range. This compression is particularly noticeable in lossy digital formats like MP3.
However, digital files can also be “lossless,” which, technically speaking, results in better audio quality.
Owning, maintaining, and setting up a vinyl system is more complex, larger, and potentially more costly than digital technology like mobile phones and iPods.
A second issue with vinyl is that they degrade over time. Each playing of a record creates a small amount of wear and degradation to the grooves. This eventually diminishes the quality of the record. They are also prone to be scratched, which can create unwanted noises or totally ruin a record.
A further drawback of vinyl is that the records cannot carry very high frequencies. This limits the range of sound that can be reproduced, which in turn limits how accurate it can be in terms of reproducing music. Although they are capable of covering the human hearing range, the limitations of the medium do cap the quality to an extent.
If not cared for or stored incorrectly, vinyl records also tend to warp over time which reduces fidelity and playback quality even further.
In the last decade, vinyl has seen a massive resurgence after slowly dying out in previous eras.
The resurgence of vinyl records may be attributed to the nostalgia of the analog sound, the proliferation of audiophile culture, or for other social, cultural, and economic reasons.
As digital music becomes more common, people seek a niche product to enjoy. There’s no tangible, physical element of a digital download. People like the physical, real element of the vinyl. They buy it for the unique listening experience and to own a solid copy of the music and artwork.
Another factor is getting closer to the music and artists. Listening to an album on vinyl is a continuous, undisturbed experience, and you’re hearing it exactly as the artists intended, from front to back. This creates a more involved, immersive listening experience, rather than listening to music in a disjointed fashion when shuffling or on the radio.
Another reason for this trend is the availability of new, affordable vinyl record players. You can also find old records at thrift stores and garage sales, making it easier to collect them.
Vinyl can be used as a marketing tool as well. Brands will produce vinyl records to promote their products, and they will also use the opportunity to create exclusive content that cannot be found on any other platform.
Vinyl records can last for a lifetime. But they are prone to wear and tear with repeated use.
It doesn’t mean they will stop playing music, but the sound quality may decrease over time.
The more times you play it, the more the vinyl wears out. This eventually results in a dull, flat sound after many plays.
If you scratch it with a sharp object like a needle or sharp fingernail, it can cause deep cuts on the vinyl, which creates issues with playback. For example, the needle will become unable to follow the grooves properly and start skipping, or at the very least, create an annoying popping noise.
You can protect your vinyl from wearing to some degree. For instance, you can place a protective sheet between your record and sleeve to lower the chances of scratches on your record sleeves. Also, make sure your turntable is set up properly to ensure the needle isn’t exerting excessive force (thus wear) on your records.
It depends on how severe the damage is. Some issues can be fixed, but others cannot.
It’s relatively easy to clean dirty vinyl using a variety of cleaning tools or techniques.
Snapped vinyl records present a larger issue and may not be savable. You can glue snapped vinyl together, but the join mark could cause a bump during playback, which in turn could damage the needle.
Once the grooves of a record are worn from repeated playback, little can be done to restore the former quality.
Warped records can be slightly repaired by flattening them, but they will probably never sound as good as new ones.
Whilst vinyl records can technically be recycled, they cannot be recycled in typical plastic recycling plants.
If you put your records in your recycling bin, they will get filtered out and put in the landfill, as industrial machines aren’t designed for recycling PVC.
However, you can find specialist vinyl recycling plants with the right machines, although these usually work at bulk scale for industrial quantities rather than your small record collection.
Some other “upcycling” methods include turning old vinyl into bowls, wine bottle holders, or other fashionable accessories.
For the most part, yes, I believe so.
We don’t have a magic crystal ball, so we can’t objectively say one way or the other. But looking at the historical market trends, many vinyl records have increased in value over time.
It depends on the pressing run, how exclusive or limited the record is, and its condition.
Mass-produced records with multiple pressing runs often inflate prices over time, losing value.
Rare and limited pressings do increase in value over time, provided there is a demand for the record.
A good way to check the demand for a record is to look at how many Discogs users have it on their watchlist.
If you look after your records, you will probably be able to sell them for a higher price later on. (Provided people are interested in the record itself). Some collectors keep them unopened, and sealed in their original packaging to keep the quality and value high.
When sold, records are categorized into different grades based on their condition.
Check out my full guide on this topic here → How record grading works.
It’s hard to give a straight answer to this question, as vinyl records weren’t invented in a single event. The technology evolved to reach the stage it’s at today.
Peter Goldmark invented the modern style of 12-inch “LP” vinyl in 1948.
The invention of vinyl records can be traced back to the 19th century, with the first experiments being recorded in the first half of the century. The first recorded experiments with vinyl-style recordings were conducted around 1857. (Source)
In 1887, a German-owned company called the Berliner Gramophone Co. invented the precursor to the modern vinyl record, using shellac. Their invention was motivated by their previous invention of the gramophone record not being as successful as they had hoped it would be.
The first vinyl discs were created and listened to on a gramophone, which is a device that plays sound from wax cylinders or flat discs with a needle that vibrates along a groove etched into them, which is what you can find on today’s vinyl records too.
Read more here → Vinyl and record player history.
I’ll start by saying that yes vinyl records do wear out, but the exact amount of time it takes varies based on a few factors. But as a general fact, vinyl is a physical medium, so the details slowly get worn away with each play due to the friction of the needle.
In general, provided you take good care of your records, they can last for hundreds of plays before noticeable degradation occurs. Even over 1000 before things get bad.
Ultimately the lifespan of a record depends on how well you treat it.
Here are the defining factors:
Records can be ruined in the first play if you’re not careful. If you use a broken needle, it will quickly damage the record’s grooves, creating permanent damage. Also, if you store them in a stack or in too much heat, they can get warped.
Overall, if you take care of records, they can last a long time, but they are also super sensitive and can be damaged easily. In terms of the actual PVC material, if you don’t play a record, then theoretically, it could last for thousands of years before decaying. The materials used nowadays are very strong so they can resist standard atmospheric pressures really well. The main thing that degrades them is playback or contact with other surfaces.
This is just a short answer, so see my full guide on how long records last for more details!
In general, colored vinyl records can sound a little worse in comparison to black records, although this doesn’t have to be the case.
The differences and black and colored records come from the materials and the manufacturing process. Whilst the technology for producing colored records has improved over the years, there are still a few areas where differences can occur.
To start, black vinyl uses a mix of carbon and PVC. The carbon decreases the static of the record, in turn reducing the amount of dust it attracts. Moreover, the carbon also increases the general strength and rigidity. This means that colored records tend to wear out faster compared to sturdier black records, so their sound quality can decrease quicker.
Besides the chemical/material effects, the manufacturing and quality control process of colored records also comes into play. Most factories are designed for pressing black records, so the overall quality might be lower for colored editions. Also, it’s harder to perform accurate quality control for colored records, so some imperfections and dodgy pressings might slip the net, and end up getting distributed.
Most colored records sound more compressed, with more limited frequencies compared to standard black ones. This could be because inferior PVC is used, but it could also be due to the re-mastering process. Picture discs are also widely regarded as having a worse sound quality. This is because the grooves are cut on a thin piece of transparent vinyl, which has less room for depth and detail.
That said, I own several colored records that sound fantastic, with equally high quality as many black records. These are usually special collectors editions, which cost a little more than the standard colored cuts, but it goes to show that with the proper care, a colored record can still sound great.
More on this topic here → Colored Vinyl vs Black Vinyl.
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I'm a passionate vinyl collector, analog fan, and lifetime enthusiast of most things audio.
On VinyliQ I help fellow vinyl collectors enjoy their hobby to the max, sharing my knowledge about and passion for vinyl.