Brought to you by the Artist Rights Institute www.artistrightsinstitute.org
Host: Chris Castle
In this episode of the Artist Rights Watch Podcast, we dig into a story that affects artists, fans, and the entire music ecosystem—how outdated U.S. trade policy is quietly strangling America’s vinyl pressing industry.
While demand for vinyl continues to climb, independent U.S. manufacturers face steep tariffs on the raw materials they need—like nickel, PVC, steel, and paperboard. Meanwhile, finished records can be imported tariff-free. It’s a textbook case of policy failure that rewards offshore production and punishes domestic creators.
We explore how this imbalance hurts artists, independent pressing plants, and local economies—and what can be done to fix it.
Why vinyl records are tariff-free but not the materials used to make them
How the Berman Amendment protects culture—but fails U.S. producers
The crisis around lacquer disc supply and the lack of DMM machines in the U.S.
How foreign ownership and inter-company transfers create unfair advantages
Actionable policy reforms to support domestic cultural manufacturing
Full blog post:
Why Tariffs Are Quietly Undermining the American Vinyl Comeback (MusicTechPolicy)
Berman Amendment – 50 U.S.C. § 1702(b)(3):
vinylinfo.org
Chlor-Vinyl Industry Alliance (CVIA):
chlorvinyl.org
Overview of Direct Metal Mastering (DMM):
Wikipedia – DMM
Blog: artistrightswatch.com
Twitter: @artistrights
#VinylRevival #MusicPolicy #TradePolicy #Tariffs #PressingPlants #IndependentMusic #LacquerShortage #CulturalInfrastructure #ArtistRights #VinylRecords #MadeInUSA #MusicIndustry #SupportLocalMusic #AnalogIsBack #VinylManufacturing
Terms of Service and Copyright; NO AI DATA SCRAPING
The information provided in this video is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or a solicitation for legal services. The views and opinions expressed are those of the moderators and guests and do not necessarily reflect the views of any organization or legal entity. If you need legal advice, please consult with a qualified attorney. Copyright 2025, Artist Rights Institute. All Rights Reserved. Neither this video nor any transcript may be used for text or data mining or for the purpose of training artificial intelligence models or systems. Subject to Terms of Service at
