Vinyl record

A vinyl record is an analog audio recording that is pressed into vinyl in the shape of a flat disc. The first 12" vinyl LP (long-play) record (the standard record most commonly sold today) was created by Peter Carl Goldmark in 1949 while he worked at Columbia Records. The new material allowed for more songs to be placed on each side of an album and noticeably increased the sound quality from the previously used shellacked hard rubber records.

How It Works

Vinyl records are inscribed with a modulated groove in the shape of a spiral that starts on the edge of the disc, and as the record plays in a clockwise motion, a record needle will follow these grooves, producing sound, until the center of the disc is reached, music ceases, and the disc must be flipped.

There a multiple types of vinyl records, most commonly sold today in the 33 1/3 rpm and 45 rpm speeds. Some other speeds include the 78 and the 16 rpm record, but modern record players are not configured to play these more archaic speeds configurations traditionally only available on shellacked hard rubber records. Today, LPs most often refer to 45rpm records and have a playtime of longer than 40 minutes, which make these the popular choice for full album releases. LPs are larger than EPs (extended-play) in both size and capacity, most commonly coming in a 12" format. EPs are 33 1/3 rpm records that come in sizes ranging from 7"-10" and can only hold a couple songs.

Early History

The first vinyl LP was released in 1930 by RCA Victor, but failed due to lack of affordability and the economic down turn of the Great Depression. Columbia also tried selling vinyl records, but it they didn't catch on until the mid-1940s. The increased interest is credited to the increased cost of shellack during World War II and because radio stations began pressing albums onto vinyl because they were lighter to ship in the mail and didn't break as easily.

Columbia Records began working on improving the vinyl record in 1939. It was Dr. Peter Goldmark and his team's mission to develop a more inexpensive method of pressing vinyl while addressing issues with the modular printing process. It wasn't until June 21st, 1948 that Columbia Records debuted their perfected product at a New York press conference. In the following February of 1949, RCA Victor reentered the vinyl market when they released vinyl 45 rpm EPs, giving us the two popular vinyl record formats of today.