What is a Vinyl Record? The Complete Guide

Vinyl records became popular in the 1940s, and their development has played an important role in the growth of music throughout history. In recent years, they have made a significant comeback with music lovers rediscovering the unique experience that comes with listening to a vinyl record.

Within this article, we will discuss exactly what a vinyl record is, what they’re made of, the different types of vinyl records available to purchase, and the history and resurgence of vinyl.

What exactly is a vinyl record?

A vinyl record is an analogue sound storage medium, which is a flat disc made of a compound containing polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The disc then has a spiral groove pressed into its surface, which contains the audio.

In order to hear the audio from the record, the disc must be placed onto a turntable and a playing stylus attached to the tone arm is placed in the groove of the disc. The record player then rotates the disc at a constant speed, and the stylus needle is made to vibrate by micro undulations along the groove of the record. A transducer converts these vibrations into electric impulses which are amplified and sent to speakers or headphones which allows the listener to hear the recorded sound.

What different types of vinyl record are there?

There are several different types of vinyl record with different sizes, different speeds and, as a result, different sound qualities.

12-inch LP (long play)

The 12-inch LP vinyl record is the most common type of vinyl record. As its name suggests, the records are 12 inches in diameter and can store approximately 20 minutes of audio per side. 12-inch LPs are designed to played at 33 1/3 rpm.

7-inch single

7-inch singles generally contain just one song per side. They used to be a rather affordable way to press one song, usually a hit and were used mostly in radio stations. Some of them were compiled and put together in a book-like album – this is where the term generated to describe a collection of songs or 'album'. As their name suggests, the 7-inch single is 7 inches in diameter and spins mostly at 45 RPM.

10-inch EP

This type of record pays reminiscence to Shellac records popular in the 1930s and 1940s before vinyl records were invented. The format has been kept for vinyl records and is commonly used for shorter albums, some being called EPs (Extended Plays). Most 10-inch records are cut (which means to have a song recorded on a record) at 33 RPM which can hold around 12 minutes per side or cut at 45 RPM which can hold around 8 minutes per side of audio.

Picture Disc

A picture disc record is pressed on to a clear film layer which has been placed on top of the vinyl puck and picture label is sandwiched between the two. They are usually made for special edition releases of music and are popular collector’s items amongst music fans.

Coloured Vinyl

A standard vinyl record is typically black, however a record can be produced in another colour to become a coloured vinyl. Similarly to picture disc records, coloured vinyl is typically used by artists for special edition releases of their music.

Shaped Vinyl

Vinyl records don't all need to be circular, as records can be made into all sorts of different, unique shapes. The Rolling Stones ‘She Was Hot’ release was cut into the iconic red tongue and lips logo, and Ray Parker Juniors' ‘Ghostbusters’ was pressed as a disc in the shape and colour of the iconic Ghostbusters logo.

The history and resurgence of vinyl

What came before vinyl records?

Before vinyl was used as a material for making records, the earliest recording of sound was produced late in the 19th century, using cylinder recordings made of zinc and glass.

In the early 20th century, flat disc records made from materials like wax became popular, as they were cheaper and provided a higher sound quality.

The birth of vinyl

It wasn’t until the 1920s that researchers began experimenting with using vinyl as a material for making the records, which were initially unsuccessful due to the technical limitations of the time. 

We had to wait another 20 years for Columbia Records to introduce the Long Player in 1948, which was the beginning of the popularity of vinyl. The LP quickly became the most common format for artists to record their albums onto.

The rise of the single

RCA Victor introduced the 7-inch single (also known as the 45) that can play for around 4–5 minutes per side in 1949. This version of the vinyl record was extremely popular with songs that were expected to become huge standalone singles.

The introduction of cassettes, CD’s and digital music

Cassettes

In the 1960s, the cassette was introduced to the industry and quickly took over as the primary format for recording music.

Cassettes were small and more portable than other existing reel-to-reel tapes, as well as vinyl records, meaning they were perfect for people who wanted to listen to music on the go. 

Cassettes were also cheaper and more affordable to produce, meaning they became a very attractive option for musicians and record labels to record and release music on. 

CDs

Cassettes were the main format in the industry for around 20 years, until the release of the CD marked a major shift in the way we listened to music.

They were small, durable, and offered fantastic sound quality, and their ability to be played in a Compact Disc player allowed listeners to easily skip and repeat songs from an album.

Digital

Along with the rise of the internet in the 1990s, digital music began to surge in popularity. 

The potential of the internet saw the birth of the MP3, which allowed music to be compressed into a digital file and be shared and downloaded online.

Coinciding with the growth of the Smartphone, online streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music made it easy to download and listen to music no matter where you are in the world, reducing the need to have a physical copy of the album or song you love to listen to.

The vinyl revival

Despite the introduction of newer, more accessible mediums of listening to music, vinyl never fully went away.

Music enthusiasts appreciate the art, culture, history, and audio quality of vinyl records, which has led to an increase in the number of people listening to vinyl in the 2020s.

Record labels have begun to reissue classic albums, and today's artists are releasing their albums and songs on vinyl for people that appreciate the craftsmanship and audio quality that a vinyl record has to offer.

What’s next for vinyl?

Vinyl records have a rich history, and their recent resurgence in popularity is a testament to the everlasting appeal, audio quality and love that people have for them.

This resurgence is expected to continue and keep growing, as more music lovers both discover and rediscover the unique experience that comes with listening to music on a vinyl record.

Vinyl records are also becoming more accessible, with the increase in the number of turntables that are being produced for listeners to enjoy their vinyl records on. 

Vinyl isn't simply for collectors and audiophiles, but for anyone that craves experiencing music in an immersive and tangible way, like no other audio format can.

Vinyl is also becoming more sustainable with 100% biovinyl options now on the market which remove the fossil fuel element of the PVC

Whilst streaming services may continue to dominate the industry, there has been and will always be a place for the unique experience that listening to music on vinyl offers.