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vinyl records

headphones in the foreground in front of CDs

Streaming vs. CDs — Who wins?

January 6, 2023January 27, 2023 Tony van Veen

We live in a streaming world — yet revenues from physical media (i.e., CDs and vinyl LPs) continue to grow every year. Read the post.

graphic of CDs with Bandcamp logo insert

Sell your CDs online: Stake a tent at Bandcamp

March 31, 2022December 23, 2022 Andre Calilhanna

Ready to start selling CDs and merch online? Bandcamp offers a customizable solution with the independent musician in mind. Read the post.

woman shopping for CDs — there's a CD revival

There’s a CD revival in the making

February 24, 2022August 2, 2022 Tony van Veen

CD sales are up for the first time in over a decade, and we take a dive into the DIY market to explore the details of what’s being hailed as a CD revival. Read the post.

music industry predictions

Tony’s 2021 recap and 2022 predictions for the music industry

December 20, 2021February 24, 2022 Tony van Veen

Let’s take a look back at the year in review and go out on a limb for what could happen in 2022. We’re in unpredictable territory, but there are encouraging trends in the music industry. Read the post

physical music sales

The data is in: Physical music sales are UP in 2021!

September 2, 2021September 2, 2021 Tony van Veen

It may be hard for skeptics to believe, but physical albums were up a robust 37.5 percent compared to this time last year, from almost 28 million units to over 38 million units. Read the post.

vinyl records

The art and science of vinyl records

April 20, 2021April 20, 2021 Andre Calilhanna

Excerpted from “The Musician’s Guide To Vinyl,” we review a brief history of vinyl records and share some basics when it comes to mixing for your vinyl release. Read the post.

vinyl manufacturing process

The vinyl manufacturing process at work (watch the video!)

February 6, 2020March 26, 2020 Tony van Veen

Whatever your relationship to music is, the manufacturing process for CDs and vinyl is just plain cool to see in action. Let’s take a look! Read the post.

Disc Makers 70th Anniversary

Disc Makers is celebrating its 70th anniversary

March 1, 2016February 6, 2018 Andre Calilhanna

When I tell people I’ve been at Disc Makers for 20 years, they often assume that’s when the company was founded. When I say, “No, no, no – Disc Makers has been around for 70 years,” it’s usually followed by a strange silence. I put them out of their misery and follow that up with, “Disc Makers predates the CD by many years. Read more.

Music News: Adele breaks sales’ record, Willie Nelson gets Gershwin Award, Shrapnel records catalog acquired by The Orchard

November 25, 2015February 6, 2018 Andre Calilhanna

music news adele 25Whatever you think of Adele’s decision to follow the likes of Taylor Swift and Thom Yorke and sidestep streaming services like Apple Music and Spotify, she’s proven again that she has the star power and “four quadrant” appeal to change the trajectory of album sales for the industry this year. Read more.

Music news: Happy Birthday’s disputed rights, vinyl vs. streaming, and the last CD-R for Taiyo Yuden

October 27, 2015February 6, 2018 Andre Calilhanna

music news happy birthday“Happy Birthday To Me:” a complicated history – and future – for the world’s simplest song; vinyl sales continue to make headlines, with sales generating more revenue than free Spotify, YouTube, and VEVO combined; JVC and Taiyo Yuden to stop producing optical media – FalconMedia remains a reliable option. Read more.

Global album release days: New Music Fridays and Vinyl Tuesdays

June 12, 2015February 6, 2018 Andre Calilhanna

vinyl Tuesday record releaseMany retailers have expressed concerns over the choice of Friday as the global record release date. The inability to re-stock a popular title over the weekend, as well as limiting the reporting of first-week sales to a mere three days (reports track through Sunday in a given week) are cited among the chief objections. Read more.

Record Store Day 2015 Releases: The Spotify Playlist

April 16, 2015April 20, 2015 Lucy Briggs

RSD_Spotify_bannerRecord Store Day is almost upon us! The full list of releases has been published, and there are three categories: Record Store Day Exclusive Release, Record Store Day Limited Run, and “Record Store Day First” Release. We’ve created a Spotify playlist to get you in the mood for some crate digging. Read more.

vinyl records

9 groovy facts about vinyl records

April 9, 2015April 20, 2021 Andre Calilhanna

Perhaps the most famous records in the universe are the two copies of the Golden Record aboard the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecrafts. The records feature musical selections and spoken greetings in fifty-five languages. Read more.

record store day collage

Why we love independent record stores and Record Store Day

April 3, 2015January 16, 2017 Lucy Briggs

Record Store Day 2017 is on April 22nd, and we’re joining in to help celebrate the enduring importance and coolness of the independent record store. Five Disc Makers employees share favorite albums and why vinyl records have a particular place in their hearts when it comes to their love of and relationship to music.

VNYL: the Netflix of vinyl albums?

January 13, 2015January 13, 2015 Disc Makers

VNYL is a vinyl albums subscription serviceFocused on providing a curated listening experience and an easy rental process, VNYL strives to be as intimate as possible. Each record is shipped with a paper sleeve insert and borrowers are encouraged to write comments and thoughts about the music directly on the sleeve, so that the vinyl albums’ travels can be documented. Read more.

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