Vinyl Record Manufacturers Association

What Vinyl Record Manufacturers Association does

Vinyl Record Manufacturers Association (VRMA) is a 501(c)(6) non-profit professional trade association founded in December 2019 and formally incorporated in May 2022, headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. The organization serves the vinyl record manufacturing ecosystem, with a stated membership of over 48 companies as of September 2023, spanning pressing plants, mastering and plating services, raw material suppliers, equipment manufacturers, print and packaging companies, record labels, and independent retailers. Working groups cover Press Operators, Cutting & Mastering, Plating, Technical Specifications, and Purchasing. Member companies include Third Man Pressing, Furnace Record Pressing (majority-owned by Metallica), Memphis Record Pressing, Sonopress, United Record Pressing, Neotech Vinyl, Gotta Groove Records, Echo Base, Welcome to 1979, and Hand Drawn Pressing, among others.

VRMA's business model is built on recurring membership dues priced in two tiers: A-1 Single Service Voting Member at $90/month or $1,000/year, and A-2 Multiple Service Voting Member at $130/month or $1,500/year. Secondary revenue comes from merchandise sales (hats, t-shirts, hoodies priced $20-$35) and from co-hosted events such as the Making Vinyl conferences in Nashville, Memphis, and Europe. The association delivers value through downloadable industry resources (Audio QC Manual, Carbon Footprint Report, Vinyl Industry Glossary, Field Guide, Anti-Piracy Guidelines), Specialist Sessions for technical peer exchange, working groups, and advocacy partnerships with the Vinyl Sustainability Council and Vinyl Alliance.

The organization is governed by an elected Board of Directors with member-company executives in officer roles (Dustin Blocker, Hand Drawn Pressing, as President; Yoli Mara, Welcome to 1979, as Vice President; Michael Greig Thomas, Echo Base, as Treasurer; Cam Sarrett, United Record Pressing, as Secretary). Bryan Ekus, co-founder of Making Vinyl, serves as Managing Director. The stated headcount is 7 employees. Geographic footprint spans North America (US), Europe (UK, Netherlands, Poland), with active participation in industry events including NAMM, SXSW, NPE Plastics, MusicBiz, A2IM Indie Week, and Record Store Day.

Name

Vinyl Record Manufacturers Association

Legal name

Vinyl Record Manufacturers Association

Website

https://vrmagroup.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Vinyl Record Manufacturers Association (VRMA) is a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association serving 48+ companies across the vinyl record manufacturing value chain, including pressing plants, mastering studios, plating facilities, and suppliers in the US and Europe. It generates revenue through tiered membership dues and merchandise sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: VRMA generates primary revenue through annual membership dues from vinyl record manufacturing companies. Single service companies (pressing plants, mastering services, etc.) pay different rates than multiple service companies. The association offers voting membership with access to documentation, events, and working groups.
2. Merchandise Sales: VRMA operates an online store selling branded merchandise including trucker hats ($25), t-shirts ($20), pullovers ($35), and zip-up hoodies ($35). These sales generate supplementary non-dues revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

VRMA is a professional trade association that delivers tiered voting memberships to vinyl record manufacturing companies (A-1 Single Service at $90/month or $1,000/year; A-2 Multiple Service at $130/month or $1,500/year) along with access to industry documentation, working groups, conferences, and statistical programs. It also sells branded merchandise and publishes downloadable industry resources such as the Audio QC Manual, Carbon Footprint Reports, and Vinyl Industry Glossary.

Product overview

The Vinyl Record Manufacturers Association (VRMA) is a professional trade association that does not offer a unified software product but rather provides membership tiers and industry resources to the vinyl record manufacturing ecosystem. Its core offerings include two voting membership plans (A-1 Single Service at $90/month for single-service companies and A-2 Multiple Service at $130/month for multi-service companies), merchandise (trucker hats, hoodies, t-shirts), and downloadable industry resources including the Audio QC Manual, Carbon Footprint Reports, Vinyl Industry Glossary, Field Guide, and Care Cards for consumer education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• A-1 Single Service Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• VRMA Press Operators Workgroup attracted 30+ press operators and manufacturing professionals in first session (June 2026)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, moderate and minor.

• Futuresource ConsultingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 March 2024VRMA & Making Vinyl announced a data partnership with Futuresource Consulting, the UK-based market research company. Futuresource will produce Global Vinyl Market Reports including annual, quarterly, and regional reports on pressing volumes, product breakdowns, and active plants/pressing lines. This addresses historical data gaps in vinyl manufacturing statistics. First findings were presented at Making Vinyl Nashville June 2024, with full annual report available to VRMA members at end of 2024.
• Making VinylcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 March 2024VRMA co-hosts and presents at Making Vinyl conferences (Nashville, Memphis, Europe), the premier events dedicated to the global resurgence of vinyl records. These conferences bring together key players from vinyl manufacturing and distribution for insights, idea exchange, and innovation exploration.
• Vinyl AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 December 2023VRMA and Vinyl Alliance issued joint statements on Luminate's indie retail reporting changes and collaborated on Carbon Footprint Reports. The Vinyl Alliance is a global industry group committed to the future of vinyl records, uniting prominent players across the global vinyl value chain. Both organizations work together to strengthen vinyl's market position.
• Vinyl Sustainability Council (VSC)moderateStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 June 2023VRMA officially joined the Vinyl Sustainability Council in Washington, DC. The VSC operates as a platform for vinyl industry stakeholders to share knowledge and develop best practices for sustainability, addressing environmental concerns including waste reduction, energy consumption, and eco-friendly manufacturing processes.
• MerchFriendsmoderateGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 March 2023VRMA partnered with MerchFriends to help fill production gaps for vinyl record pressing plants. MerchFriends developed 'The Vinyl Production Board' tool that captures job data and routes information to a job board where pressing plants can choose to pick up jobs and coordinate directly with clients. This pass-through tool connects clients to plants and helps new plants build business and legacy plants fill seasonal gaps.
• Carbon Footprint (verification partner)minorOthersCarbon Footprint, an environmental assessment agency, performed independent third-party verification of VRMA's carbon footprint reports following GHG Protocol guidance and ISO 14064-3 standard. This verification reinforces credibility of the association's sustainability research.
• Welcome to 1979minorOthersWelcome to 1979 (Nashville studio) served as host venue for VRMA Members Meeting & Specialist Session: The Cutters (January 2026), along with Sterling Sound and Infrasonic Mastering.
• Sterling SoundminorOthersSterling Sound (Nashville studio) served as host venue for VRMA Members Meeting & Specialist Session: The Cutters (January 2026), along with Welcome to 1979 and Infrasonic Mastering.
• Infrasonic MasteringminorOthersInfrasonic Mastering (Nashville studio) served as host venue for VRMA Members Meeting & Specialist Session: The Cutters (January 2026), along with Welcome to 1979 and Sterling Sound.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@vrma
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vinyl-record-manufacturers-association

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Vinyl Record Manufacturers Association