We could be looking at a new standard called “HD-Vinyl”

All recorded music formats are made to international standards. This way we know that a CD/tape/vinyl album recorded and manufactured in Indonesia will work on equipment anywhere in the world.

The standards for the manufacture of vinyl records have served us well, but because of the rise of the CD in the 80s and 90s, none of those standards have been revised since 1978. That’s about to change.

With vinyl sales into their 11th year of double-digit growth, the recording industry has decided that it’s time to bring the old manufacturing standards into the 21st century. Some new upgraded specifications are sorely needed. But like what?

One term that’s being thrown around is HD-Vinyl, records created by a new laser-guided process that allegedly results in a longer-playing record with better fidelity than anything we see today. And yes, it has to be backward-compatible for turntables and styluses used today.

The goal is to create a premium level of vinyl above whatever we have for premium today. Why bother? To keep the vinyl train running, of course. Labels love the high margins they get on the stuff.

Read more at Digital Music News.