Being the short form of "vinyl record", "vinyl" is an analog sound storage medium in the form of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove. The groove usually starts near the outside edge and ends near the center of the disc. The stored sound information is made audible by playing the record on a phonograph.
Vinyl was the primary medium used for music reproduction throughout the 20th century. It had co-existed with the phonograph cylinder from the late 1880's and had effectively superseded it by around 1912. Records retained the largest market share even when new formats such as the compact cassette were mass-marketed. By the late 1980's, digital media, in the form of the compact disc (CD), had gained a larger market share, and the record left the mainstream in 1991. Since the 1990's, records continue to be manufactured and sold on a smaller scale, and during the 1990's and early 2000s were commonly used by disc jockeys (DJs), especially in dance music genres. They were also listened to by a growing number of audiophiles. The phonograph record has made a niche resurgence in the early 21st century, growing increasingly popular throughout the 2010s and 2020s.
Vinyl was the primary medium used for music reproduction throughout the 20th century. It had co-existed with the phonograph cylinder from the late 1880's and had effectively superseded it by around 1912. Records retained the largest market share even when new formats such as the compact cassette were mass-marketed. By the late 1980's, digital media, in the form of the compact disc (CD), had gained a larger market share, and the record left the mainstream in 1991. Since the 1990's, records continue to be manufactured and sold on a smaller scale, and during the 1990's and early 2000s were commonly used by disc jockeys (DJs), especially in dance music genres. They were also listened to by a growing number of audiophiles. The phonograph record has made a niche resurgence in the early 21st century, growing increasingly popular throughout the 2010s and 2020s.
I just scored a limited edition vinyl of my favorite album at the record store—nothing beats the warmth of that analog sound!
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