ABSTRACT
The fall and revival of vinyl have much to do with digital technologies. The analog vinyl record was deliberately targeted by the digital compact disc (CD). Many important features of the analog record were in existence before vinyl was used for record manufacture. The differences between sub-formats have proved crucial for vinyl’s continued success. Vinyl is the only sound carrier with sub-formats that sound and perform differently from one another, and it is vinyl that provides the most effective means of putting musical preferences on display. The more recent vinyl revival has been based on long-playing (LP) sales, as a mature market has emerged for classic rock releases. One curious factor about the vinyl record is how late vinyl enters the frame. The groove, the disc shape, the label, and the sleeve were all in existence before polyvinyl chloride (PVC) was used for record manufacture.
