The humble vinyl record sleeve: a simple, but essential accessory for any record collector. For a long time, we’ve recommended polyethylene inner sleeves, and polypropylene outer sleeves as the best way to protect and store your vinyl records. But what if they could be improved? Enter Mike Sarazin, the man behind Canadian-based startup, Vinyl Storage Solutions (VSS). By incorporating 100% … Read More
How to Extend the Life of Your Record Collection
Guest Article from Chris Scalise of Big Fudge: Vinyl records are the perfect way to experience the nuance and detail of your favorite artists and albums. But despite vinyl’s somewhat surprising resurgence in the digital age, the way we look after and maintain our records to ensure many years of listening pleasure hasn’t really changed at all. When done right, … Read More
Watch Out for These Faults When Buying New Vinyl Records
Marc Henshall
Culture & Industry, Record Care11 Comments
There are many reasons to love vinyl records. After all, when at their best, they sound great, they look beautiful, and they truly add something extra to the whole listening experience. However, while the resurgence in consumer interest for vinyl records is undoubtedly something to celebrate, there is a growing concern within the vinyl community surrounding quality control. In a … Read More
Creative Ways to Display Your Vinyl Records
Marc Henshall
Culture & Industry, New to Vinyl, Record CareLeave a Comment
Besides the great sounds, ritual, and process, a huge part of vinyl’s lasting appeal is undoubtedly the aesthetic. Enthusiasts hail the large format artwork and the sense of satisfaction that comes with physically owning the music you love as just part of the reason why vinyl record sales continue to grow year-on-year. Many album covers are pieces of art in … Read More
Top Record Cleaning Tools Every Vinyl Enthusiast Should Own
Marc Henshall
Record Care, Record CleaningLeave a Comment
Keeping your vinyl records clean is one of the most important aspects of collecting music on wax. It not only ensures that your records will sound great, but it also affects how long they will last – and, how long your stylus will last. Like any process in life, you’ll need the right tools for the job. Below is a … Read More
Is it safe to clean vinyl records with alcohol?
Marc Henshall
Record Care, Record Cleaning6 Comments
There is much debate among the vinyl community around the use of alcohol to clean vinyl records. Isopropyl alcohol, in particular, is popular with many collectors as a key ingredient in homemade record cleaning solutions. But is it safe? Some collectors swear by it, others warn of potential hazards. To help shed some light on the topic, we’ve done a … Read More
How to Use a Carbon Fiber Brush to Clean Records
Marc Henshall
Record Care, Record Cleaning6 Comments
The humble carbon fiber brush is an essential accessory for any turntable. If you don’t already own one, you should change that pretty quickly and start incorporating one into your daily playback routine. It’s good practice to use one before and after each play, as this will help to prevent dust and dirt building up into a bigger problem further … Read More
How NOT to clean vinyl records
Marc Henshall
Record Care, Record Cleaning1 Comment
Great vinyl records are clean vinyl records, that much is well understood. But with so much advice available on the internet, how can you determine which cleaning methods lead to vinyl nirvana, and which ones lead to frustration and regret? We’ve covered plenty of tried and tested cleaning methods at Sound Matters, but this article is different. This time, we’ll be … Read More
Clean Vinyl Records, According to the Folks at GrooveWasher
Marc Henshall
Record Care, Record CleaningLeave a Comment
Great sounding vinyl records are clean vinyl records, and few know more about this topic than GrooveWasher founder, Steve Chase. We talk to Steve about his journey in building a modern record cleaning system designed to enhance the listening experience for new and veteran vinyl enthusiasts. Steve also has some expert tips for our readers to help keep your precious … Read More
Cyber Clean Vinyl Phono Care Review
Marc Henshall
Record Care, Reviews1 Comment
When it comes to vinyl record cleaning, choosing the right product for you can seem daunting. I’ve covered a wide range of the available options through this website, ranging from the conventional to downright bizarre. By this point, it’s not very often I come across a method that’s new to me, which is ultimately why a product like Cyber Clean … Read More