Nashville’s The Vinyl Lab has closed after nearly 4 years of operation.
The vinyl manufacturing plant pressed albums for Dolly Parton, Old Crow Medicine Show, Lucinda Williams and others but competition in an increasingly cutthroat industry led to fewer orders on their books, Scott LeMasters, owner and operator of The Vinyl Lab, told Nashville Public Radio.
The pressing plant opened in 2021 in the boom of the pandemic. At the time, demand for vinyl was through the roof and there weren’t enough manufacturers to handle it. Independent vinyl manufacturing outfits like The Vinyl Lab opened all across the country.
Listen to more: Music Citizens: Nashville propels the vinyl record boom. Now manufacturers face competition from abroad.
“We got in kind of early, and business was great. We didn’t really need to advertise too much. They found us,” LeMasters said.
The plant had a unique vision. They made the manufacturing process public. They bought two brand new, safe Pheenix Alpha vinyl presses and a multi-use venue/bar where the public could stand and see a little plastic puck get smushed into vinyl record.
They also invited artists to come in and capture that process, and many did. Old Crow Medicine Show even wrote and performed a song in between The Vinyl Lab’s two presses. (The venue later separated and remains open.)
But the vinyl manufacturing industry has changed tremendously.
In the past three years, more independent record manufacturers popped up. Ten years ago, there were 32 vinyl manufacturers in the world and now there are over 200. And Nashville has become an epicenter for some of the largest plants.
Nashville’s United Record Pressing, the biggest US-owned vinyl manufacturer, expanded in 2021. And GZ Media, the biggest vinyl manufacturer in the world, built a plant in Nashville the next year, called Nashville Record Pressing.
Now, for the first time in 20 years, vinyl supply outpaces demand. And LeMasters said he found fewer and fewer orders coming in.
“I talked to many plants,” LeMasters said. “A lot of independent plants. You know, we’re all feeling the same pressures. I’m hearing you know, 70% down from 18 months to two years ago.”
Mark Michaels, the CEO of URP, shares Scott’s concern about the state of the vinyl manufacturing industry.
“A lot of plants are struggling,” he said. “The industry probably won’t have 200 manufacturers 10 years from now. It’s going to be hard for everybody to survive.”
The Vinyl Lab’s projects that were still on the presses when they closed will be transferring to another Nashville-based independent vinyl manufacturer: Physical Music Products.
According to PMP owner and operator Piper Payne, her company secured funding from a foundation to complete the projects.
“It’s almost six figures,” Payne said. “It’s a lot of money. But PMP is going to put in around the same amount in labor and materials for these 30 or so projects.”
Music City is now down to three vinyl manufacturers.
“I put my heart and soul and savings into The Vinyl Lab and it’s unfortunate but, bleh, that’s how it goes,” LeMasters said.
Clarification: This story was updated to clarify that the formerly affiliated music venue remains open.
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