Factory south-west of Tokyo will be pressing records by March as demand for format surges

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Three decades after it abandoned vinyl production, Sony will start making records again amid surging demand.

A factory south-west of Tokyo will churn out freshly pressed records from March, Sony Music Entertainment said on Thursday.

The Japanese company stopped making vinyl records in 1989 as consumers flocked to CDs and other emerging technology. Japan produced nearly 200m records a year in the mid-seventies, according to the country’s recording industry association.

Sony was a large global player in the development of CDs, which have since taken a back seat to downloads and music streaming.

Vinyl has been making a global comeback as it attracts not only nostalgic older consumers but also younger generations.

Japan’s sole record maker, Toyokasei, was struggling to keep up with the resurgence in vinyl demand, the Nikkei newspaper reported. Sony was scrambling to find older engineers familiar with how to make records, it added.

Panasonic relaunched its popular Technics SL-1200 turntable several years ago as the vinyl market gathered pace.

Sony did not say what music it would release in record format. The Nikkei said the lineup would include popular Japanese songs from the past, including Sony-owned titles, as well as chart-topping contemporary albums.

Global vinyl revenue will top $1bn this year while sales of CDs and digital downloads continue to fall, according to estimates from Deloitte consulting firm.

In Britain, where vinyl’s rebirth has been particularly pronounced, records generated more revenue than advertising-backed tiers of streaming platforms last year.