PRELIMINARY PROGRAM

*panelists, times subject to change; all times in EST (NEW YORK, USA)

Day One

Dec. 8, 11:00 AM – 11:10 AM (EST)
WELCOME & INTRODUCTION
Bryan Ekus & Larry Jaffee, Making Vinyl 

11:10-11:25 AM (General Session)
NOTHING CAN STOP THE VINYL RESURGENCE
When the Apollo Masters fire in February, industry observers predicted the vinyl resurgence was over. Guess what? It didn’t happen. Same thing with the pandemic.
Speaker: Michael Fremer, Analog Planet

11:30-11:45 AM (General Session)
QUARANTINE = NEW VINYL SALES
Before March 2020, mobile music consumption was via radios, smartphones and subscriptions. Then COVID-19 lockdowns spurred hundreds of millions of commuters to become reacquainted with vinyl and turntables. Here’s why.
Speaker: Duncan Stewart, Deloitte Global

11:50 AM-12:20 PM (General Session)
PANEL DISCUSSION: MAKING TURNAROUND TIMES MORE PREDICTABLE
Ways vinyl producers can smooth curves in global demand, which, in turn, would make turnaround times more predictable, as well as help cutting houses, plating facilities, pressing plants, and packaging suppliers operate more efficiently.
Moderator: Matt Earley, Gotta Groove
Panelists: Micki Windham, Thirty Tigers; Greg Reierson, Rareform Mastering; Terry Cole, Coleman Records

12:25-12:55 PM (General Session)
RECORD STORE DAY 2020 REPORT
April was canceled, rescheduled, then broken into three “Drops.” Here are those positive results and Black Friday too.
Speaker: Carrie Colliton, Record Store Day

1:00-1:15 PM
NETWORKING CAROUSEL
Quickly connect via video with fellow Making Vinyl attendees to exchange contact info for future follow-up meetings

1:20-1:50 PM
Track 1
PANEL DISCUSSION: QUALITY STANDARDS WILL HELP US ALL
The rapid growth of vinyl production in recent years makes it clear that a clear set of voluntary quality control standards that most cutting engineers/plating facilities/pressing plants/packaging suppliers would be willing to adhere to, thus gaining the continued trust of consumers.
Moderator: Alex Cushing, Hand Drawn Records
Panelists: Dustin Blocker, Hand Drawn Pressing; Rob Mashund, Stoughton Printing; Mike Elliott, Independent Record Pressing

Track 2
PANEL DISCUSSION: CUSTOMER SERVICE: HOW DOES IT FEEL, TO TREAT ME LIKE YOU DO
We are all in the business of vinyl, and our clients can be artists, managers, labels, brokers, and consumers, moreover each other! How can we improve customer service in 2021?
Moderator: Stacy Karp, AtoZ Media
Panelists: Mona Dehghan, Mute Records; Josh Madell, Secretly Group; Dan Kuster, Gold Shop

1:55-2:25 PM
Track 1
PANEL DISCUSSION: WHAT LACQUER SHORTAGE & OTHER CUTTING ISSUES?
Leading cutting/mastering engineers compare notes on whether turnaround times have been impacted by the disappearance of Apollo Masters lacquers, styli, cost increases and other mastering/cutting trends during this most peculiar year.
Panelists: Adam Gonsalves, Telegraph Audio; J.J. Golden, Golden Mastering; and Clint Holley, Well Made Music

Track 2
PANEL DISCUSSION: VINYL EXCLUSIVES: SO MANY FLAVORS
This panel will help you determine best practices around vinyl account exclusives. How to determine if it makes sense, when you should consider it and some of the hoops you’ll need to jump through to make it happen. You’ll be able to walk away with a bit more insight to the world of exclusives.
Moderator: Jocelynn Pryor, AMPED Distribution
Panelists: Becky Wilson, Urban Outfitters; Carl Mello, Newbury Comics; and Jamie Beck, Merge Records

2:25-2:40 PM
Track 1
GREEN VINYL RECORDS
Speaker: Phillip Pounders, Green Vinyl Records

Track 2
APPLYING LEAN PRINCIPLES TO RECORD PRESSING
A fully functioning pressing plant with 16 presses tackles problem-solving, knowledge acquisition with a lean manufacturing philosophy for vinyl production.
Speaker: Mark Reiter, Furnace Record Pressing

2:45-3:00 PM (General Session)
THE ECONOMICS OF TOURING WITH VINYL
Jeffrey Lewis is an acclaimed singer/songwriter and comic book artist. In normal times, he’d be on tour in Europe, where his popularity for the past two consecutive years has put his as the lead track on a Rough Trade UK LP compilation. But taking vinyl on the road is easier said than done.
Speaker: Jeffrey Lewis

Day Two

Dec. 9
11:00–11:15 AM
WHO’S BUYING VINYL
Who buys vinyl? Gen Z treating vinyl-like merch for their favorite artists, or Baby Boomers seeking to recapture their youth? The reality is more complicated according to MusicWatch. Our look at recent consumer research from MusicWatch will provide insights into who is listening to, and buying, vinyl –and why.
Speaker: Russ Crupnick, MusicWatch Inc.

11:20–11:35 PM
HOW ONE MAJOR DECIDES WHAT CATALOG ALBUM GETS THE VINYL TREATMENT
With a huge catalog to choose from, the team at Universal Music Enterprises has to decide which albums are reissued on vinyl. VP of A&R Harry Weinger demystifies the process by explaining which titles they keep in-house, which are outsourced to other labels, and which receive the “deluxe” treatment.
Interviewer: Larry Jaffee, Making Vinyl
Speaker: Harry Weinger, UMe VP of A&R

11:40 AM–12:10 PM
Track 1
WHAT GOES INTO MAKING THE BEST SOUNDING VINYL RECORD POSSIBLE
Their names adorn scores of album credits for good reason. These two well-experienced engineers on both coasts compare notes on state-of-the-art cutting and mastering.
Speakers: Scott Hull, Masterdisk; Kevin Gray, Cohearant

11:40-11:55 AM
Track 2
IT’S NOT WHERE WE’VE BEEN; IT’S WHERE WE’RE GOING
Here’s a description of the vinyl market from 2007 to the present with a few ideas of where it’s going in the future from the perspective of a sales organization leveraging all aspects of the business to deliver the best possible experience to the fan.
Speaker: Billy Fields, WMG

12:15-12:30 PM (General Session)
SURVIVING AS A CD MANUFACTURER IN A VINYL WORLD
CopyCats Media, a division of the ADS Group, the largest CD manufacturing company in the U.S., now handles replication, packaging, and vinyl production, from some of the biggest artists and releases year after year.
Speaker: Justin Kristal, President, CopyCats Media

12:35 – 12:50 PM
NETWORKING CAROUSEL
Quickly connect with fellow Making Vinyl Virtual attendees to exchange contact info for future follow-up meetings.

12:55-1:25 PM
Track 1
PANEL DISCUSSION: VINYL PRODUCTION PROCESS FROM THE CLIENT TO THE CONSUMER
The session provides insights from three leading indie labels into following best practices that ensure everyone meets deadlines and each job meets quality expectations.
Moderator: Sean Rutkowski, Independent Record Pressing
Speakers: Riley Manion, Secretly Group; Katy Clove, Merge Records; Rhonda Jessee Epitaph

12:55-1:10 PM
Track 2
EUROPEAN-STYLE VINYL QUALITY ASSURANCE
For a quarter-century, Optimal Media has passionately produced the beautiful analogue medium. But our speaker has been with the company for 29 years, during which he’s worked in various aspects of media manufacturing, but currently focused on vinyl.
Speaker: Thorsten Megow, Optimal Media

1:30-1:45 PM
Track 1
KEEPING CUSTOMERS HAPPY WITH CREATIVITY
Stellar customer service is key to retaining clients in a competitive business like manufacturing vinyl records. Here a few challenges that came one pressing plant’s way and how the projects exceeded expectations.
Speaker: Dustin Blocker, Hand Drawn Pressing

Track 2
A CUTTING CAREER LAUNCHED
Here’s a story of taking a chance on coming to a trade conference without knowing anyone and leaving with a job and a new career.
Speaker: Robyn Raymond, Lacquer Channel Mastering

1:50 -2:20 PM
Track 1
PANEL DISCUSSION: ANATOMY OF A DELUXE BOXED SET
Using the Stooges’ second album Fun House as an example, this session will demonstrate to collectors, critics, vendors, and colleagues how Rhino staff work together to craft vinyl releases with authenticity and care, creating upscale products that connect with fans in this increasingly digitally trending world.
Moderator: Susanne Savage, Rhino
Panelists: Jason Jones, Rory Wilson, Kristin Attaway

Track 2
1:50 -2:05 PM
GREEN VINYL RECORDS
Speaker: Phillip Pounders, Green Vinyl Records

2:25-2:50 PM
Track 1
DEEPENING THE EXPERIENCE: A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO CREATING FAN-FOCUSED PACKAGING
Throughout his career, this art director works with music in the physical and digital spaces to build deeper connections between passionate fans and the music that inspires them. Having won a Grammy and Clio Gold for his music packaging work, he’s always focused on expressing the artists and their music in unique ways that enhance the listening experience.
Speaker: David Gorman, 1021 Creative

Track 2
PRODUCTION UPDATE: THE ‘PHONOCUT’ LATHE
Debuted at Making Vinyl 2019 in Los Angeles by its inventor, an affordable, quality analogue lathe for 10-inch records is soon to roll out commercially.
Speaker: KamranV, PHONOCUT

CONFERENCE WRAP UP
2:55-3:00
Speaker: Bryan Ekus