Guetersloh – September 23rd 2025 - Sonopress, a leading global provider in the field of media production, is working with US technology pioneer Citizen Vinyl / vinylkey® to integrate patented NFC chip technology into Sonopress' sustainable EcoRecords. At the heart of the collaboration is an innovative RFID chip that is embedded directly into the LP and provides end consumers with proof of authenticity and additional digital content related to the album and artist via smartphone – including song lyrics, exclusive videos, and bonus tracks. The technology also enables consumers to easily register these albums onchain, creating a powerful fan to artist connection.
“This technology opens up a whole new way of consuming music,” explains Sven Deutschmann, Managing Director of Sonopress. “It combines the physical music experience of the record with the possibilities of the digital world – while fully preserving the audio quality and sustainability of our EcoRecords.”
Market launch in September 2025
The jointly developed product will be presented to music labels and industry experts during Making Vinyl Europe – the leading industry conference for LP production and distribution, which will take place in Haarlem (Netherlands) from September 24 to 26, 2025. Sonopress and Citizen Vinyl aim to set new standards in the field of smart physical sound carriers with their transatlantic development cooperation.
“The combination of sustainable product manufacturing and digital added value is pointing the way forward for the future of physical media formats. We are delighted to be able to realize this vision together with a strong partner such as Citizen Vinyl“, Sven Deutschmann continues.
”We are very excited to be partnering with Sonopress to integrate our patented vinylkey® technology with sustainable EcoRecords“, says Gar Ragland, founder and CEO of Citizen Vinyl. “This marriage of two state of the art manufacturing technologies represents a major innovation in the vinyl pressing industry, and offers a new level of sustainability and expanded functionality to drive ongoing demand for collectible and environmentally friendly physical media.”
About Citizen Vinyl
Opened in 2020, Citizen Vinyl is an innovative and award-winning high-quality record pressing plant located in Asheville, NC. In addition to its record pressing services and patented vinylkey® technology, it also offers high quality cassette duplication, direct-to-consumer fulfillment services, and the newly launched Citizen Soundcheck pre-order platform.
Citizen Vinyl is the 2024 recipient of Hi-Fi News’s 2024 Audiophile Vinyl Pressing of Year for Dr. John Plays Mac Rebennack(Sundazed).
citizenvinyl.com
About vinylkey®
A vinylkey record is a super-fan release, pressed with an embedded NFC tag. Using a smartphone to tap the record allows the purchaser to access exclusive digital content and to register ownership. The authenticated pressing, numbering, and ownership information are all stored onchain. A vinylkey project is a collector's item. Examples include Umphrey's McGee's sold-out Hall of Fame Class of 2022 (one of three vinylkey projects from the band), Big Money by Money Man, and Rosita Rapida by DeWolff.
vinylkey.com
