Guetersloh/Munich, Mai 09, 2024 – Sustainability is increasingly becoming the focus of the music industry. Artists, labels and music majors as well as manufacturers and service providers are increasingly looking for ways to reduce the environmental impact of their work and thus actively contribute to protecting the environment and climate. In close co-operation with its long-standing customer Warner Music, the leading storage media manufacturer Sonopress recently launched EcoRecord onto the market. This is a revolutionary new form of long-playing disc that dramatically reduces the environmental impact of the manufacturing process. At High End 24, which takes place from 9 to 12 May in Munich, the experts from Sonopress will be presenting this world first at the Visions of Sound booth (Hall 3 / Booth M07).
At the beginning of March, after months of preparation, Sonopress produced and delivered the first EcoRecord order for Warner Music Group (WMG): sustainably produced long-playing records in the colour orange for an exclusive release of the first joint album by Liam Gallagher & John Squire. Sven Deutschmann, Managing Director of Sonopress, comments: “After many months of hard work, it's great to have finally brought a product to the market which puts us in a position to significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the LP and thus make a significant contribution to climate protection. The fact that we have already received numerous of other orders for the production of EcoRecords shows that we are right on trend with the sustainable LP.”
In the production of EcoRecord, recyclable polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is used as the base material instead of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and neither natural gas nor steam are required to press the discs. This means that the environmental impact of the manufacturing process is reduced by up to 85% compared to the conventional method.
The world’s first EcoRecords were produced on a new injection molding machine with nozzle contact pressures of up to 300 tons. The production line was completed at the end of last year along with other required special tools and additional equipment, which were also developed entirely by Sonopress. It used the same injection molding process that has been used for decades to produce laser discs, CDs, DVDs, and other digital storage media.
The EcoRecord not only impresses with its technical innovations and low emissions, but also with its excellent values in terms of precision, groove moulding and sound quality. Sven Deutschmann comments once again: “From the very beginning of development, we set out with the ambition that the quality of the EcoRecord should match that of a conventionally produced vinyl LP in terms of sound quality. It should not only convince the experts, but above all offer the music lover an excellent feel and a great listening experience.” Industry experts seem to be convinced by the sustainable LP, as they wrote in their reviews about the ‘crystal-clear appearance’ and the ‘excellent flatness’, among other things. They are also impressed by the ‘outstanding sound quality, especially in the higher audio frequencies’, the ‘smooth running of the record during playback’ and the ‘minimised background noise’.
The development of EcoRecord further demonstrates that Sonopress is one of the most innovative suppliers in the disc replication industry. The company’s experts, who also developed the replication technology for high-definition 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, have spent the past few years working intensively on novel manufacturing methods for records and on the use of alternative materials.
The EcoRecord’s launch comes at a time when the global vinyl market continues to grow. According to the IFPI, revenues rose by 17.1% in 2022, the third consecutive year of double-digit growth.
About Sonopress
Sonopress is a leading international provider of entertainment and media services and realizes an extensive range of services and solutions for its business partners in the games, video, audio, publisher and TV/broadcasting industries. Its service portfolio covers all aspects of media asset management: From digital services such as digitization, replication, Electronic Content Distribution, archiving and asset management to the replication of CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray Discs und 4K Ultra HD Blu-rays – both 66 GB and 100 GB – through to print management und print services, fulfilment and Supply Chain Management. All of these processes are supported by innovative end-to-end IT systems. Based on decades of professional experience and intelligent solutions, we create benefit for our customers and ensure that they are well equipped for the challenges of today's market. As part of Bertelsmann Marketing Services, Sonopress is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA.
EcoRecord Film Clips
Sonopress Produces The World's First EcoRecord (youtube.com): https://youtu.be/yJkhee46WSI
Sonopress Launches EcoRecord – A New Form Of Vinyl With A Drastically Reduced Environmental Impact (youtube.com): https://youtu.be/C9Og3mDCeD8
