cremation vinyls trend 2024

Photo Credit: Dalibor Bosnjakovic

The vinyl resurgence has brought a new trend to the surface for music lovers—cremation vinyls as an act of remembrance. This trend is catching on—meet the bespoke vinyl pressing outlet behind it.

Vinyl purchases rose for the 16th consecutive year in the UK in 2023, rising 11.7% compared to 2022 data compiled by BPI. More than 80% of music consumption in the UK is streaming music, but sales of vinyls in the last few years have been the highest since the ‘90s. With so much interest in vinyls, their collection, and the nostalgia attached to playing them, it’s no surprise that a new trend has emerged.

Crematoriums are partnering with And Vinyly to offer bespoke vinyl creation services to the bereaved, pressing the ashes of a lost loved one into a record that can be played. And Vinyly has established a partnership with Westerleigh Group, the UK’s largest owners and operators of crematoria and cemeteries—with 40 sites spread across England, Scotland, and Wales.

Some of the options for cremation vinyls include a 7” or 12” record available for a price similar to a single vinyl—allowing for a unique memorial for family members.

“The record may include a personal message, someone’s own soundtrack, or just the sound of silence with the unmistakable background of the pops and crackles of a vinyl record,” writes And Vinyly. The service offers a unique way for family members to remember their loved one—especially if they loved music.

“We are always looking to expand the range of memorial options available to the bereaved in order to give them the widest possible choice and help them create uniquely personal memorials for their loved ones,” adds Wessex Vale Crematorium Manager Lisa Johnson. “What you receive is a real, playable vinyl record containing around 18 minutes of audio on each side—along with a small amount of the ashes.”

While music is a popular choice to include, Johnson shares that many people choose to include “recordings of special occasions or conversations with their loved ones on the vinyl.”

Through And Vinyly, people can design their own vinyl sleeve and label artwork using templates provided by the company. And Vinyly was established in 2006 by music producer Jason Leach. “We have developed a unique additional process that enables us to press a small amount of a loved one’s ashes into real vinyl records,” creating an audio-visual memento,” Leach shares.

“The first step is the collation of the content. This can be collaborative and is, we have learned, often a cathartic experience with friends and family contributing photographs, words, voicemails, answering machine messages, and recordings from special times.”