The music industry has, for years, stood in awe of the vinyl record resurgence, as this long-offered medium saw a renaissance in the last decade that has resulted in higher sales than compact discs. But just because vinyl dates back many decades doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement. Just ask elasticStage, a UK-based company in stealth mode that intends to spearhead a “revolution” in vinyl.
elasticStage — established in 2016 — has continued to successfully seek funding, wooing investors with an updated pitch deck that brings detail and excitement to the idea of what a modern vinyl record industry could look like.
That’s because the company is hoping to offer an on-demand approach to record production that allows for emerging artists with smaller audiences to also get in the game. They say creators can upload their songs free and the records can be produced in low volumes with no lead time. The customized vinyl can then be sold by the creators or even purchased directly by consumers to be created on-demand and shipped by elasticStage.The company’s pitch deck even touts a feature that allows consumers to create their own playlists and have them printed on vinyl and accompanied with custom artwork. Likewise, artists can create one-of-a-kind custom compilations or releases, which elasticStage likens to an NFT; where one person could be in possession of a truly unique asset.
But that’s not the only development, nor is it even the most impactful. elasticStage will also use a new process for producing the records and they say it’s much more environmentally friendly.Instead of a PVC electro-plating process that uses harmful chemicals and an energy-intensive heat source for pressing, the company has its own, patent-pending process that they say enables a much smaller carbon footprint. While elasticStage is keeping the details of this close to the vest, they do refer to it as a fully re-engineered one-step process that’s fast and automated.
According to elasticStage CEO and co-founder Steve Rhodes, the company “can’t wait to help the industry in meeting commercial demand for vinyl at speed.”
