Size Matters
Tiny vinyl and the question of style — and size — over substance
Tiny Vinyl. The hot new trend.
With a diameter of just 4 inches, you’ll be forgiven if you haven’t yet spotted it at your nearest record store.
It’s… *ahem* tiny. Like it says on the tin.
I don’t want to hurt sensitivities, so let’s just put it this way: it’s objectively smaller than your standard 12” or 7” record. Better? 😉
The manufacturers tout its sustainability virtues while proudly claiming it’s the perfect product for the Spotify age: shorter tracks, fast-paced culture, modern listening habits, etc.
Less depth, basically.
The audacity of encouraging (sometimes, as is the case in Europe, forcing) sustainable habits on us consumers while governments and corporations around the world play by different rules has never sat well with me.
As vinyl lovers, we’re often scolded for our supposedly “dirty” habits, while the virtuous conveniently forget that, unlike vinyl, with its thriving second-hand market, streaming requires untold amounts of energy every singl…
