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…