HD Vinyl partners with major pressing plants for autumn 2019 launch

HD Vinyl is promising 30% more audio information and 30% longer playing time – and it's now taken a step closer thanks to a raft of new agreements with major pressing plants. The company used the Making Vinyl conference in Detroit to announce a deal with GZ Media, the world's largest vinyl manufacturer, reports DigitalMusicNews.

Based in the Czech Republic, GZ employs more than 2000 people and accounts for 60% of the world's vinyl record production. Two other plants, RSA in Connecticut and Viryl Technologies in Toronto (which has worked with Jack White's Third Man Records), have also signed-up to produce HD Vinyl, bringing the format a step closer.

But it won't be an overnight job. Guenter Loibl, HD Vinyl founder, explained a fair amount of work will be required to get the factory producing the new records. "Since HD Vinyl stampers will be made out of laser-cut ceramic instead of electroplated metal stampers, new molds and fittings have to be developed."

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Earlier this year, Rebeat Innovation, the company behind HD Vinyl, revealed it had raised $4.8m (£3.4m) to develop the format. The patent behind the format describes a method of manufacturing vinyl records with greater fidelity, greater amplitude and longer playing times than conventional LPs. This year, Rebeat has raised a further $1.9 million. So it looks like the company is serious.

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Joe is the Content Director for What Hi-Fi? and Future’s Product Testing, having previously been the Global Editor-in-Chief of What Hi-Fi?. He has worked on What Hi-Fi? across the print magazine and website for almost 20 years, writing news, reviews and features on everything from turntables to TVs, headphones to hi-fi separates. He has covered product launch events across the world, from Apple to Technics, Sony and Samsung; reported from CES, the Bristol Show, and Munich High End for many years; and written for sites such as the BBC, Stuff and The Guardian. In his spare time, he enjoys expanding his vinyl collection and cycling (not at the same time).