How to Clean Your Turntable Stylus – Without Causing Damage

Marc HenshallCleaning Vinyl, New to Vinyl, Record Care, Vinyl 1015 Comments

Your record player or turntables’ needle (better know as the stylus) is the first point in the audio signal chain. It is the instrument responsible for directly tracking your record and beginning the process of transforming an otherwise useless groove into sweet, sweet music. For it to perform at its best, you need to keep it clean. If you allow … Read More

GrooveWasher Mondo Record & Stylus Care System Review

Marc HenshallCleaning Vinyl, Record Care, Reviews1 Comment

Our favorite manual record cleaner gets an update with the release of their top-of-the-line record cleaning bundle.  Regular readers will know why we’ve recommended GrooveWasher as our go-to manual record cleaning solution for over four years now. Quite frankly, in our opinion, it’s the best product on the market in this category. GrooveWasher G2 cleaning fluid is safe, highly effective, … Read More

How to Get The Best Vinyl Record Deals Online

Marc HenshallCulture & Industry3 Comments

Starting a vinyl record collection isn’t the cheapest way to enjoy music. After all, you could just sign up for Spotify or Tidal and have done with the entire process. But that’s not the point. If you’re reading this page, there’s a good chance, like me, you value music as more than a service you can rent. Streaming services might … Read More

Best Vinyl Record T-Shirts

Marc HenshallCulture & IndustryLeave a Comment

Vinyl records are more than just a music format; they’re a way of life. Eat, sleep, vinyl, repeat. From endless digging through crates of records, to continually checking the Discogs Wishlist, it’s an all-consuming hobby and the endless pursuit of the next holy grail. Safe to say, there’s a whole culture surrounding vinyl as the format continues to surprise critics … Read More

Thrift Store/Charity Shop Vinyl – Still Worth It?

Marc HenshallCulture & Industry6 Comments

Over the years, vinyl record enthusiasts have long hailed thrift, charity, and antique stores as a goldmine for used vinyl. But is this still the case? Much has changed over the last couple of decades. The vinyl hobby is more popular than ever, and far from being an obscure endeavour of pure nostalgia, the vinyl format has earned and secured … Read More

What’s Your Dumbest Vinyl Record Mistake?

Marc HenshallCulture & Industry36 Comments

One Christmas, I made a school-boy level error when listening to some records with the family… Being the holiday season, we were enjoying a few drinks while sorting out the living room decorations. I have two turntable setups in my home (one in my office for uninterrupted listening, and another one in the living room to enjoy with the family). … Read More

Liner Notes: Bob McNally – Handmade Christmas Music

mitchandersonLiner Notes - BCRLeave a Comment

Welcome back to Liner Notes. In this special festive edition of the series, we’ve got an absolute treat of an album to brighten up your holiday season. It’s just so sweet; cavity-inducing even, like an almond milk eggnog stirred with a candy cane straw. Bob McNally hand-built and played every instrument you hear on this record. But if that wasn’t … Read More

Groovalo Ethical Record Subscription Review

Marc HenshallReviewsLeave a Comment

Inspired by the concept of a more sustainable future, Groovalo are seeking more renewable sources of new music. In doing so, they hope to support artists while rewarding fans with outstanding music for many years to come. As vinyl sales look set for another record-breaking year, it’s perhaps no surprise to see the popularity of record subscription services traverse a … Read More

Sound Matters Supports the Making Vinyl Conference

Marc HenshallCulture & Industry, NewsLeave a Comment

We are proud to support this year’s Making Vinyl conference. A virtual event with a physical feel. Each year, the Making Vinyl conference takes place across the United States and Europe, helping to bring together a collective voice of experts, icons, and industry legends that are passionate about the vinyl record industry.  Making Vinyl brings together representatives from the world’s … Read More