Evolution Music at Making Vinyl 2025: A Step Towards a Collaborative, Sustainable Future.
The Evolution Music team has just returned from Making Vinyl 2025 in Haarlem, Netherlands, and the experience has left us inspired, energised, and more committed than ever to building a sustainable future for the vinyl industry. Over the course of three days, we travelled, networked, learned, and shared our vision for EvoVinyl with some of the most influential voices in music manufacturing.
From the first evening’s warm introductions to the final night of celebration, the event reinforced one thing for us: sustainability is no longer a side note in the vinyl industry. It is the central conversation.
Arrival & First Impressions
Our journey began with an evening networking event hosted by Key Productions. It was a fantastic opportunity to reconnect with old friends and meet new ones, including John Service, Karen Emanuel (Key Productions), Sean Preston (Ninja Tune), John Wardle, Onno-Pieter Sonnega, Gerben Tieltjes (Plastchem), Andreas Kohl, Ruben Planting, Brian Ekus (Making Vinyl), Cash Carter (Conectiv), Vladimir Visek (GZ Media), and Ian Stanton (Beggars Group), among many others. This set the tone for the days ahead: open, collaborative, and full of energy.
That first evening reminded us of why gatherings like Making Vinyl matter so much. It cemented with us that it is about building genuine connections with the people who shape this industry. People who share the same passion for music, innovation, and increasingly, sustainability.
Day 1 – The Future of Vinyl
The first day of the conference opened with a series of Future of Vinyl panels, where sustainability was not just a talking point but was the core of the conversation. One of the highlights was hearing Cash Carter (Conectiv) specifically call out EvoVinyl as a leading option for the future of vinyl manufacturing. This recognition validated years of research, development, and advocacy. EvoVinyl is no longer just our vision. It is being recognised by industry leaders as a serious, practical solution to what we see as one of vinyl’s greatest environmental challenges and the reasons behind us starting this endeavour: its reliance on PVC.
Further panels focused on how labels can work to ensure a positive and safeguarded long-term future for vinyl pressing. With contributions from Sean Preston (Ninja Tune), Geoff Sadler (Cooking Vinyl), Caroline Hansen (Warp Records), Marianne Frederick (United Record Pressing) and Stine Muhle (Clouds Hill), all sharing their unique perspectives on how the industry should prepare for the future.
Throughout the day, we were encouraged by the volume of interest in EvoVinyl from pressing plants, labels, and brokers across the globe. Scaling up suddenly felt not just possible, but imminent.
We ended the day on a high, joining our colleague Jeroen Van Driel for dinner and reflecting on just how much momentum was building around our mission.
Day 2 – Sustainability Summit & Beyond
The second day was dedicated to the Making Vinyl Sustainability Summit, and it did not disappoint. The summit provided a wide-ranging look at the sustainability challenges facing the vinyl industry, as well as potential solutions.
A standout session was the panel led by Julia Völkel (Key Production EU), alongside Rob van Wegen (ESNS), Dirk van den Bosch (Nationaal Klimaatplatform), John Service (Key Production) and Fridolin Pflüger (HolyPoly).
Their discussion highlighted the complexity of the vinyl supply chain, from analogue production processes to the highly specialised skills and international coordination needed at every stage. Introducing sustainability measures into such a system is no small task, and the panel explored both the challenges and the opportunities this presents.
Key themes included:
- The need to learn from other industries while respecting vinyl’s unique analogue heritage.
- The importance of collaboration across borders and sectors.
- The role of cultural practice in shaping innovation within entertainment and music.
It was a reminder that true change is not about simple fixes, but about systemic shifts—and that those shifts require partnership, persistence, and shared vision.
Later, a joint programme with the Haarlem Vinyl Festival further underlined the urgency of sustainable solutions. Hosted by Karen Emanuel (Key Production), the public panel explored a wide range of factors shaping the industry’s environmental impact—including carbon emissions, waste management, energy consumption, and comprehensive life cycle assessments. While these efforts demonstrate a strong commitment to providing the transparency and accountability that consumers demand, the diversity of methodologies and measurement criteria introduces complexity. The discussion emphasised the importance of dialogue, cooperation, and coalition-building to navigate these challenges effectively. Once again, EvoVinyl was highlighted as a vital step forward in making this vision a reality.
The night closed in true Making Vinyl fashion—with more networking, more conversations, and even some time on the dance floor.
Reflections and Looking Ahead
Our time at Making Vinyl made one thing abundantly clear: the vinyl industry is entering a pivotal moment. The conversations in Haarlem highlighted the urgency of tackling sustainability across every stage of the supply chain. From raw materials and production methods to energy use, emissions, and waste management. Yet with that urgency also comes complexity. Diverse methodologies, objectives, and measurement criteria across the industry can make the path forward difficult to navigate.
What stood out most was the shared recognition that no single company, label, or plant can solve these issues alone. Building strong partnerships, fostering open dialogue, and aligning around collective goals are essential if we are to achieve meaningful and lasting change.
In this landscape, EvoVinyl has emerged as a beacon of possibility — a practical, scalable innovation that not only reduces environmental impact but also inspires broader collaboration across the sector. The overwhelming interest we received from pressing plants, labels, and brokers at the conference confirms that the appetite for sustainable solutions is real, and growing fast.
Making Vinyl was more than just a conference. It was a rallying point for us, and a realisation that we are not just part of the conversation but deep at its heart.
Now is the time to take action. If you’re a label, pressing plant, distributor, or music professional ready to be part of this sustainable shift, we’d love to connect and explore how EvoVinyl can support your vision for the future of the music industry. And if you’re a music fan, your voice matters just as much. By learning about sustainable alternatives, sharing the message, and choosing eco-friendly options when they’re available, you help push the industry forward.
Let’s work together to Make Music Better.