Have you ever listened to anything on vinyl? Whether it be through your parent’s old records, or if you haven’t had any experiences with what vinyl is like, vinyl has given life to what music can be to people. 

KWSC will be participating in the yearly tradition of Vinylthon this weekend, dedicating on-air radio play to strictly vinyl records. 

Vinyl has been a music format for nearly a century, and was originally the standard for listening to music, aside from the radio. If you wanted to listen to a specific song or album, you would have to own or borrow a record from a friend and set it on a record player. 

As time went on and technology improved, vinyl was becoming outdated as cassettes, CDs and digital formats became the preferred form of music listening. Streaming has dominated the music industry, while physical formats have become something of the past. 

While there has been a resurgence in purchasing physical formats, most people prefer listening to music on streaming platforms, leaving vinyl collections sitting in dusty basements, waiting to be played. 

Despite the audio format being decades old, the late 2000’s saw an increased interest in vinyl. 

According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), there was reportedly $1.04 billion worth of vinyl sales in 2025, with other major formats such as CDs prospering as well. 

Vinyl has grown more popular year by year, and record companies have noticed this trend. Popular events such as Record Store Day help give both record stores and artists support to keep the music scene alive. 

Rob Quicke began Vinylthon in 2016 after he saw the recent revival of collecting vinyl, considering the possibility of playing records live on air for extended periods of time to appreciate the craft and culture of dropping the needle on the grooves. 

On the official Vinylthon website, Rob Quicke said, “we invest in vinyl because the artists invest themselves in it too.” 

Vinylthon allows for an appreciation of the art and craft of physical records. It also gives communities a chance to bond over music of all genres and styles, with both newer and older generations contributing to the effort. 

KWSC, the local radio station on campus, will be contributing to the event by allowing anyone to provide their vinyl to be played live on air. 

The radio station is open to any donations for vinyl. If you would like to provide any records or have any questions about the event, you can reach out to Dr. Sean Ahern, the current advisor for the radio station.