For years, vinyl was framed as a comeback story — a nostalgic revival in the age of streaming. For some of us, the love of vinyl never went away. However, it’s undeniable that the business of records has changed – and continues to evolve at great speed. Innovation is reshaping what a “record” can be. Injection-moulded discs, more sustainable materials such as BioVinyl, miniature formats like Tiny Vinyl, and hybrid objects embedding NFC chips are expanding the possibilities of the format. Vinyl is increasingly more than an audio carrier — it’s a collectible, a design object, and sometimes even a digital gateway.
Special editions, unusual formats, and striking packaging increasingly define how releases stand out in a crowded physical market. Yet as these ideas spread across the market, a new question emerges. When every release is a special edition, does that creativity still create genuine excitement — or does it risk becoming expected?
Hosted by Andreas Kohl, Director of the international conference Making Vinyl and European Operations Manager at Key Production, joining in on the discussion are Marika Zorzi (The Flenser), Ruben Planting (Tiny Vinyl, Good Neighbor Music) and Jens Prüter (Nuclear Blast). The discussion will explore how vinyl can continue to create value in a hybrid music landscape where streaming and physical formats coexist.
After the talk, the floor opens for questions about anything related to vinyl manufacturing. Andreas has hosted similar sessions at Roadburn Festival before, and returns with The Vinyl Veda Vault — an open space to explore the craft, technology, creativity, and future of records.
