Goldsmith Addresses Pressing Problems

He told the recent Hay Festival, one of the UK’s foremost literature and arts events, that factories are springing to meet a new-found revival of the format, with bands desperate to bring out their albums to meet trends.

“Sales of vinyl have gone up 100-fold in the last two years,” he said. “And in fact, the biggest problem we’ve got now is that we can’t find the factories.

“They’re opening them up as fast as they can, but they’ve got to find the craftsmen who know how to make a vinyl record. “If you want to produce a vinyl version of whatever you’re bringing out today, you’re literally in a queue for four to six months before you can get into a factory to get them made.”

Goldsmith’s comments echoed those of Thaddeus Herrmann, long-standing label owner and editor of German online magazine Das Filter, who two weeks ago warned it may soon be difficult to press enough vinyl to meet demand. Goldsmith also told Hay Festival the music business is suffering from a lack of upcoming acts to carry on the legacy laid out by the likes of The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, and The Who.

He said that instead of plying their trade in pubs and dingy clubs, building up a body of work and an army of fans, musicians are now thrust into the limelight quickly to have their music streamed. His advice to save live music, he said, was to ensure that “every night was a first night,” in order to give fans value for money.