Develop a case study of the after-life of an ‘obsolete’ music format

Vinyl Records

Music is delivered to its audience through various formats. Each format has its period of dominance and then with the natural process of technology evolving, the once considered latest and greatest music format is often seen as obsolete. The vinyl record in today’s society is viewed as an obsolete music format. However due to new trends and nostalgia it is slowing resurfacing from its after-life. This essay discuses the vinyl record, its history and its current role in consumer lives through a socio-cultural approach.

The vinyl record was first introduced in 1930 by RCA Victor. RCA is mostly commonly known as the Radio Corporation of America, which is the flagship label of Sony Music Entertainment. The production in 1930 was for the long-playing music record included the advantage of a lower surface noise and was a durable material. The first commercially produced record was 12 inches in its diameter with a playback of 33 revolutions per minute (rpm).
A vinyl record, also commonly called records or gramophone record uses a spiral groove that runs from the outer edge of the disc to the center to record and play back sound. During playback the sound causes a stylus to vibrate at certain frequencies while it engraves the vinyl. When the needle is placed into the record's groove, it will vibrate at the same frequencies and re-create the sound that was recorded.
Sound quality of music on vinyl is much dependant on the quality of the vinyl itself. In the 1970s, to be more cost efficient there was a move made towards using a lightweight, flexible material as a cost-cutting move. This edition of the vinyl was marketed as the "Dynaflex" by RCA Victor. However this move was not favoured by record collectors and music lovers as the quality of the record caused imperfections in the