For a long time, music industry observers have predicted that digital streaming would lead to the death of physical music media, but this has not been the case. Amid the huge popularity of streaming services, physical music such as vinyl records remain a testament to music fans' dedication to their favorite artists.
According to a report by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), vinyl sales in 2022 saw 16 consecutive years of growth and have surpassed CDs for the first time since 1987. Interestingly, a study by Luminate showed that half of consumers that bought a vinyl record in the past year did not own a record player, and even more surprisingly, the report revealed that Gen Z listeners were 25% more likely to purchase vinyl than the average music listener.
Ursina Beerli, co-founder of Precious Sound, says that even if many fans are unable to listen to the record, they appreciate owning a piece of their favorite artist’s music and being able to enjoy the album artwork. Thus, the vinyl record is no longer a medium of music, but rather a medium of connecting the artist to their fan base.
Beerli says that this trend in vinyl sales shows that there is a “premiumization” of vinyl records in the music industry. This means that there is a market for luxury music memorabilia, and that fans are willing to spend significant amounts of money for merchandise that represents the bond between the artist and their fans.
With streaming becoming the most common method of listening to music, a certain subset of fans are looking for a unique experience in owning and listening to an artist’s music. According to Beerli and co-founder Mark Sutton, this is one of the reasons why they established Precious Sound, which makes playable records from precious metals, such as gold, platinum, and silver.
Sutton says the idea for this was also inspired by the fact that the gold and platinum records awarded for reaching a certain number of album sales are not playable. These are usually vinyl records that are dipped in gold or platinum. When played, the sound is heavily distorted and often doesn't even contain the original music. With his 25 years of experience as a craftsman working with precious metals, he formed the company and set out to create a fully playable record from these metals.
The technology took five years to develop, with over 100 trial pressings in order to achieve the highest quality of sound. Sutton says metal is much harder to press into records than vinyl, requiring around 10 times more pressure. However, the end product is much more durable at eight times the hardness. The records are made with 100% pure gold, silver, and platinum, obtained sustainably through various recycling methods. Precious Sound works with artists and their management to create limited edition versions of their records, boasting exceptional sound quality and luxurious appearance.
“Aside from the rarity and financial value, precious metals are virtually indestructible, and this is why they are a big part of the collector business. Unlike other materials, these metals don’t evaporate, degrade, or corrode, allowing many gold and silver coins from ancient civilizations to survive until the present day. From all my years of working with gold, I learned why it has been so alluring to people for thousands of years. Aside from its beautiful color, 24-karat gold is one of the purest things on the planet – when you hold it, you can feel your body heat through the metal. It has that natural, earthy feel that other materials just don't have,” Sutton says.
According to Precious Sound, such a high-value, long-lasting product makes it the ultimate keepsake, which is what many dedicated fans want to symbolize with their purchases. Rare items, such as first pressings of iconic music, have been sold for large amounts of money. Combining that with the innate value of precious metal creates an item that has extremely high collectors’ value, which can fetch a very high price on the secondary market.
“We believe that our records are the pinnacle of luxury music memorabilia, especially because they are very limited edition products due to the rarity of their material. We see that it fits within a trend that's already been developing for quite some time. Gold and other precious metals have held an esteemed place in culture since time immemorial. It's something that will have staying power and will be interesting for many years to come. We want to immortalize the music in a way that builds a truly everlasting physical appreciation of the sound and bring to the music industry a sense of permanence that is sometimes lost in the digital age,” Beerli says.
Media Contact:
Name: Ursnia Beerli
Email: ursina@precioussound.com
Published by: Omar Hamdi