{"id":8806,"date":"2026-04-13T07:49:45","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T07:49:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/2026\/04\/13\/hellbender-vinyl-expands-record-printing-operations-to-north-philly-whyy\/"},"modified":"2026-04-13T07:49:45","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T07:49:45","slug":"hellbender-vinyl-expands-record-printing-operations-to-north-philly-whyy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/2026\/04\/13\/hellbender-vinyl-expands-record-printing-operations-to-north-philly-whyy\/","title":{"rendered":"Hellbender Vinyl expands record-printing operations to North Philly &#8211; WHYY"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>NPR&#8217;s Morning Edition takes listeners around the country and the world with two hours of multi-faceted stories and commentaries that inform, challenge and occasionally amuse. Morning Edition is the most listened-to news radio program in the country.<br \/>The Pittsburgh-based pressing plant is expanding into Philadelphia as U.S. vinyl record sales surpassed $1 billion last year.<\/p>\n<p>The Pittsburgh-based pressing plant is expanding into Philadelphia as U.S. vinyl record sales surpassed $1 billion last year.<br \/><em>From Philly and the Pa. suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, what would you like WHYY News to cover? <a href=\"#Section1\">Let us know!<\/a><\/em> <br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/hellbendervinyl.com\/\">Hellbender Vinyl<\/a> has opened up a new location in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hellbenderphilly.com\/\">North Philadelphia<\/a> after acquiring a pressing plant in the city\u2019s Lawncrest neighborhood. <br \/>The Pittsburgh-based record-pressing company shipped its first order in 2023, offering recording artists and labels direct access to vinyl manufacturing. <br \/>The expansion from Pittsburgh is a result of the acquisition of Softwax Record Pressing, formerly based in the Bond Building, a converted bread factory. Co-founder and CEO Matt Dowling called the opportunity \u201cserendipitous\u201d and said operating on both sides of the state connects two cities with deep manufacturing roots.   <\/p>\n<div class=\"block block--doubleclick side-ad\" style='width:100%; padding-top: 10px;'>\n<div class=\"ad-cat-value\" data-value=\"whyy_arts-entertainment\"><\/div>\n<ul class=\"list list--ads double-ads\">       <!-- newsworks_medium_rectangle_300x250_top -->       <\/p>\n<li style=\"width:300px; margin:0 auto;\">\n<div>\n<div id='div-gpt-ad-1632838654069-0' style='width:300px; height:250px;'>             <script async=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/securepubads.g.doubleclick.net\/tag\/js\/gpt.js\"><\/script>             <script type='text\/javascript'>\n              var googletag = googletag || {};\n              googletag.cmd = googletag.cmd || [];<\/p>\n<p>              googletag.cmd.push(function() {\n                googletag.defineSlot('\/1050414\/whyy_inline_300x250_1', [300, 250], 'div-gpt-ad-1632838654069-0').addService(googletag.pubads());\n                                  googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"adcat\",\"whyy_arts-entertainment\");\n                                googletag.enableServices();\n                googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1632838654069-0');\n              });\n            <\/script>           <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>                    <a href=\"https:\/\/whyy.org\/corporate-underwriting\/\" title=\"WHYY thanks our sponsors \u2014 become a WHYY sponsor\" class=\"ad-caption\">WHYY thanks our sponsors \u2014 become a WHYY sponsor<\/a>               <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<p>\u201cPhiladelphia is so central for the East Coast, and in a lot of ways, it has become the most important East Coast city in music in general,\u201d Dowling said. \u201cThat&#8217;s probably very fair to say for both big music and independent music \u2026 Pittsburgh, it&#8217;s this doorway to the Midwest, and so a lot of Midwest people end up hearing about it.\u201d         <br \/>For project manager Benjamin Schurr, a musician and third-generation Philadelphian, the pressing plant provides another avenue for <a href=\"https:\/\/whyy.org\/articles\/philly-music-fest-2025\/\">the city\u2019s music scene<\/a> to grow and expand. <br \/>\u201cThere&#8217;s always been music here, that&#8217;s not anything new,\u201d Schurr said. \u201cAs long as people have been here, they&#8217;ve been making really awesome, viable art \u2026 The fact that there is now a place where you can actually manufacture records is really, really incredible.\u201d <br \/>Demand for vinyl records continues to surge, according to a March report from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.riaa.com\/riaa-reports-us-recorded-music-annual-revenue-achieves-new-high-of-11-5-billion-in-2025\/\">Recording Industry Association of America<\/a>. U.S. sales grew for the 19th straight year and surpassed $1 billion in 2025, driven largely by younger listeners and the appeal of collectible, physical media. <br \/>That momentum is playing out locally. As demand rises, Hellbender is adding staff at its North Philadelphia location. Returning to the city after nearly a decade away, Schurr said the music scene now feels like it\u2019s growing \u201cat a different level\u201d than before.   <\/p>\n<div class=\"block block--doubleclick side-ad\" style='width:100%; padding-top: 10px;'>\n<div class=\"ad-cat-value\" data-value=\"whyy_arts-entertainment\"><\/div>\n<ul class=\"list list--ads double-ads\">       <!-- newsworks_medium_rectangle_300x250_top -->       <\/p>\n<li style=\"width:300px; margin:0 auto;\">\n<div>\n<div id='div-gpt-ad-1632838704911-0' style='width:300px; height:250px;'>             <script async=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/securepubads.g.doubleclick.net\/tag\/js\/gpt.js\"><\/script>             <script type='text\/javascript'>\n              var googletag = googletag || {};\n              googletag.cmd = googletag.cmd || [];<\/p>\n<p>              googletag.cmd.push(function() {\n                googletag.defineSlot('\/1050414\/whyy_inline_300x250_2', [300, 250], 'div-gpt-ad-1632838704911-0').addService(googletag.pubads());\n                                  googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"adcat\",\"whyy_arts-entertainment\");\n                                googletag.enableServices();\n                googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1632838704911-0');\n              });\n            <\/script>           <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>                    <a href=\"https:\/\/whyy.org\/corporate-underwriting\/\" title=\"WHYY thanks our sponsors \u2014 become a WHYY sponsor\" class=\"ad-caption\">WHYY thanks our sponsors \u2014 become a WHYY sponsor<\/a>               <\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<p>\u201cI was like, &#8216;Whoa,\u2019 this is what Seattle must have felt like in the late \u201880s before Nirvana. \u2026 That&#8217;s a really clich\u00e9 thing, but it&#8217;s true,\u201d Schurr said. \u201cThat was a thing that Matt and I definitely talked kind of at length about, and being like, if there was ever a time to do that, it would be now. It&#8217;s really exciting to be living in Philadelphia now.\u201d         <br \/>Plant manager Nick Landstrom handles day-to-day pressing operations and oversees quality control. He said a good amount of work comes via word of mouth, as more artists hear about Hellbender\u2019s operations. Some notable artists who have <a href=\"https:\/\/whyy.org\/articles\/vinyl-club-free-library-philadelphia\/\">vinyl<\/a> made through the company include Wiz Khalifa and Victoria Mon\u00e9t.<br \/>\u201cMusicians more than any other demographic are immune to marketing,\u201d Landstrom said. \u201cThey don&#8217;t believe anything unless they hear it from somebody that they trust.\u201d<br \/>                   <a href=\"https:\/\/whyy.org\/articles\/vinyl-club-free-library-philadelphia\/\" target=\"_self\" title=\"New vinyl club at the Free Library of Philadelphia sees overwhelming numbers, unexpected attendance and interest\">                 New vinyl club at the Free Library of Philadelphia sees overwhelming numbers, unexpected attendance and interest                  <\/a>                 <\/p>\n<p>Starting as just an idea from personal interest, one of the free library\u2019s newest clubs taps an unexpected note in the community.<br \/>9 months ago<br \/>He said that has led to the company\u2019s slow and steady growth, which is ultimately why it was able to expand into North Philly.<br \/>\u201cIf [artists] work with Hellbender, you get a dedicated project manager who&#8217;s going to work with you; he&#8217;s going to update you at every step,\u201d Landstrom said. \u201cIf there&#8217;s any issue, we have full transparency about it and work with you, which is in contrast to a lot of the industry.\u201d<br \/>Record stores across the country, including many in the Philadelphia metro area, will celebrate <a href=\"https:\/\/recordstoreday.com\/\">Record Store Day<\/a> on Saturday, April 18.<br \/>Get daily updates from WHYY News!<br \/>The free WHYY News Daily newsletter delivers the most important local stories to your inbox.<br \/><i>WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please <a href=\"\/support-our-journalism\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"no-ajaxy\">give today.<\/a><\/i><br \/>                   <a href=\"https:\/\/whyy.org\/articles\/pennsylvania-tigers-jaw-lost-on-you-album\/\" target=\"_self\" title=\"Pennsylvania\u2019s Tigers Jaw returns with the release of \u2018Lost on You,\u2019 pushing new creative ground with 11 new tracks\">                 Pennsylvania\u2019s Tigers Jaw returns with the release of \u2018Lost on You,\u2019 pushing new creative ground with 11 new tracks                  <\/a>                 <\/p>\n<p>The album was recorded with Philly-based Grammy-winning producer Will Yip. <br \/>2 weeks ago<br \/>                   <a href=\"https:\/\/whyy.org\/articles\/roots-picnic-2026-jay-z\/\" target=\"_self\" title=\"Erykah Badu, Jay-Z headlining Roots Picnic at Fairmount Park\u2019s Belmont Plateau\">                 Erykah Badu, Jay-Z headlining Roots Picnic at Fairmount Park\u2019s Belmont Plateau                  <\/a>                 <\/p>\n<p>The Roots will serve as Jay-Z\u2019s backing band during his performance Saturday, while Badu will headline Sunday.<br \/>4 weeks ago<br \/>                   <a href=\"https:\/\/whyy.org\/articles\/sweet-pill-new-album-philadelphia\/\" target=\"_self\" title=\"Philly band Sweet Pill releases sophomore album \u2018Still There\u2019s a Glow,\u2019 diving into themes of depression and self-reflection\">                 Philly band Sweet Pill releases sophomore album \u2018Still There\u2019s a Glow,\u2019 diving into themes of depression and self-reflection                  <\/a>                 <\/p>\n<p>The Philadelphia-based band\u2019s sophomore LP comes after pushing through a period of writer\u2019s block and some restarts in the recording process.<br \/>1 month ago<br \/>Cory Sharber is a general assignment reporter for WHYY News.<\/p>\n<p><span>Want a digest of WHYY&#8217;s programs, events &#038; stories?<\/span> Sign up for our weekly newsletter.<br \/>Together we can reach 100% of WHYY\u2019s fiscal year goal<\/p>\n<p>WHYY provides trustworthy, fact-based, local news and information and world-class entertainment to everyone in our community.<br \/>WHYY offers a voice to those not heard, a platform to share everyone\u2019s stories, a foundation to empower early and lifelong learners and a trusted space for unbiased news. Learn more about <a href=\"https:\/\/whyy.org\/whyy-social-responsibility-program\/\">Social Responsibility at WHYY<\/a>. It\u2019s how we live.<br \/><a href=\"tel:+1 (215) 351-1200\">215.351.1200<\/a><br \/> <a href=\"mailto:talkback@whyy.org\">talkback@whyy.org<\/a><br \/><a href=\"tel:+1 (302) 516-7506\">302.516.7506<\/a><br \/> <a href=\"mailto:talkback@whyy.org\">talkback@whyy.org<\/a><br \/>\u00a9 2026 WHYY <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/rss\/articles\/CBMifkFVX3lxTE4yZ1loZVZhTzI3VVlzMk0zems1RUZHa21FS0xiTkRjeWhkYVFKdUNkRDVxMUVUaHM4WHQxY1VDNFJjUnpDV0o2NVhKTzhJZmpJTUlMRTROUUJjYWpQVTlMYmNtRVRCUk5FNXNOa3YwOEIzdzQ4ZlM0YUVJbVdrUQ?oc=5\">source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>NPR&#8217;s Morning Edition takes listeners around the country and the world with two hours of multi-faceted stories and commentaries that inform, challenge and occasionally amuse. Morning Edition is the most listened-to news radio program in the country.The Pittsburgh-based pressing plant is expanding into Philadelphia as U.S. vinyl record sales surpassed $1 billion last year. The [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8807,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-8806","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entertainment"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8806","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8806"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8806\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8807"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8806"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8806"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8806"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}