Pathanamthitta: Old LP records are once again winning the hearts of music lovers. With the arrival of tape cassettes and later digital audio formats, long play (LP) records had fallen out of favour. However, over the past three to four years, many people have taken to buying and preserving these records, leading to a thriving second-hand market for LPs.

Prices depend on the condition of the records, with an average starting at around ₹600. For rare collections, prices can soar to ₹2,000 or more. LPs such as The Jetliners’ At the Taj Mahal Bombay, Anand Shankar and His Music and Bappi Lahiri’s Dahshat command premium prices. Record players also fetch good amounts in the second-hand market, with prices starting from ₹3,000 for used players in good condition. New record players are available from ₹5,000, with high-quality models averaging around ₹10,000. Most of the second-hand trade happens through online platforms such as WhatsApp and Facebook.

The return of the LP

As demand for LP records rises again, several audio companies have resumed production. The last Malayalam movie LP was released in 1988 for the film Chithram. After that, in 2011, Sathyam Audios released an LP titled Timeless Melodies. In 2016, a person named Ullas Parambath started a WhatsApp group called Gramophone and Music Lovers to bring together enthusiasts of LP records. A Facebook group named Gramophone and Vinyl Friends was also established. Under his leadership, in 2021, Ullas Parambath, along with Thomas Korul and Anilraj, released an LP titled Thamarappookkalum Njaanum under the banner of Thiruvananthapuram Swaram Musics.

Following this, LPs for Dhavni, Manichitrathazhu, Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha and Ponnithaloram were released. New LPs for recent films such as Marakkar: Lion of the Arabian Sea (2022) and Varshangal Ksheshichu (2024) have also been launched. Recently, several more LPs including those for Aaram Thampuran, Aniyathipravu, Vietnam Colony, Summer in Bethlehem and Mazhayethum Munpe have been reissued. Most of these LPs are priced around ₹2,000 on average. Currently, LP discs are not manufactured in India and are imported from Europe.

About LP records

LP records, or long play records, are vinyl discs used for recording music. They are an improved version of the discs used in early gramophones, which could only record a very limited number of songs. An LP can store approximately 22 minutes of sound on each side, providing a unique listening experience.

The revival of LPs

"The Gramophone and Music Lovers group has played a major role in the resurgence of LP records. The analogue sound quality of LPs offers a richer, more authentic audio experience, allowing listeners to appreciate the nuances of the music more fully. In addition, the focus is often on the singer’s voice rather than just the musical arrangement,” says Ullas Parambath, founder of the Gramophone and Music Lovers group.