“The Listening Session is a new format that aims to network industry representatives and convey information in an entertaining way,” said Sonopress Managing Director Sven Deutschmann at the opening. The event is an expression of Sonopress' ambition to actively shape the future discourse of the music industry - especially with regard to sustainable forms of production such as EcoRecord.
Looking back with vision: Berliner Schallplatten Innovationen
Frank Wonneberg, renowned specialist journalist and non-fiction author, provided a little historical depth with his keynote speech “Berliner Schallplatten Innovationen”. In a lively and informative presentation, Wonneberg took the audience on a journey through 140 years of Berlin record history - from the world's first double-sided long-playing record to pioneering advances in electronic recording technology and patented innovations such as the DMM (Direct Metal Mastering) process. His
conclusion: Berlin was and is a hotspot of technical creativity - also and especially in the world of analog sound carriers.
Panel talk: Sustainability as the sound of the future
This was followed by a high-caliber panel discussion on the topic of “Sustainability in the music industry”. Under the moderation of Sven Deutschmann, Frank Wonneberg, hi-fi entrepreneur Norbert Lehmann, mastering icon Helmut Erler and Tom Nieuweboer, Managing Director of the Berlin-based indie label !K7 Music, exchanged views on ecological challenges and opportunities in the LP business. The 140 gram EcoRecord developed by Sonopress, which was praised for its high sound quality, smooth running and precise production, was particularly highlighted.
Erler and Nieuweboer emphasized in unison that sustainable production processes such as EcoRecord make a significant contribution to reducing the environmental impact of the music industry. Looking to the future, all panel participants agreed that vinyl records will continue to enjoy resilient and constant demand in the coming years.
Thorens CEO Gunter Kürten: The LP is the perfect complement to streaming
Gunter Kürten, CEO of Thorens GmbH, discussed what this future could look like in his presentation “With heart & needle - the magic of vinyl”. He used impressive figures to demonstrate the ongoing comeback of the analog medium: between 2015 and 2024, global sales of LPs rose from 50 to 150 million units per year. This comes as no surprise to Kürten, as he sees the record as “not a relic, but a contemporary cultural asset - sensual, long-lasting and the perfect complement to streaming.”
Finale with a variety of sounds
To round off the afternoon, the motto was: “To your ears!” In an exclusive listening session, Sonopress presented a musical best-of of the EcoRecord played on high-quality Thorens music systems - including tracks by Coldplay, Ella Burkhardt & Band and a selection from the legendary DJ Kicks series.
About Sonopress
Sonopress is a leading international provider of entertainment and media services and realizes an extensive range of services and solutions for its business partners in the games, video, audio, publisher and TV/broadcasting industries. Its service portfolio covers all aspects of media asset management: From digital services such as digitization, replication, Electronic Content Distribution, archiving and asset management to the replication of CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray Discs und 4K Ultra HD Blu-rays – both 66 GB and 100 GB – through to print management und print services, fulfilment and Supply Chain Management. And the fully integrated production of long-playing records both as EcoRecord and as vinyl are now also part of the product portfolio again. All of these processes are supported by innovative end-to-end IT systems. Based on decades of professional experience and intelligent solutions, we create benefit for our customers and ensure that they are well equipped for the challenges of today's market. As part of Bertelsmann Marketing Services, Sonopress is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA.
Contact
Sonopress – Unternehmenskommunikation
Carl-Bertelsmann-Straße 161F • 33311 Gütersloh
Phone: +49 (0) 5241 80-41625
Mobile: +49 160 90541431
Email: gernot.wolf(at)bertelsmann.de
