In 2019, Americans purchased $226 million worth of vinyl records. This marked the first year since 1986 that record sales volume outpaced that of CDs.
But the re-birth of this classic music medium is facing some new challenges.
There are only two manufacturers worldwide who produce the lacquer that’s needed for making master discs. One is California-based Apollo Masters.
In early February, a fire at Apollo Masters in Banning, CA wiped out a big chunk of the manufacturer’s plant and storage area.
Apollo reportedly makes about 80 percent of blank master lacquer discs globally.
One pressing company said this would be “disaster for the vinyl pressing industry,” and that it “will directly affect all vinyl plants.”
In a statement on its website, Apollo Masters expressed gratitude that no employees were injured in the blaze, but called its future “uncertain.”
