<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>We explain recent popularity in vinyl records by reframing Walter Benjamin’s notion of ‘aura’ in terms of social forces such as alienation and cultural capital. Where he pays attention to specific artefacts’ mechanical reproducibility as a way of assessing their aura, we consider how <italic>mediums</italic> themselves broadly possess variable levels of aura inversely related to their ability to be mechanically reproduced by consumers. The more easily consumers can reproduce a medium, the less aura it possesses.</p>
</abstract>

We explain recent popularity in vinyl records by reframing Walter Benjamin’s notion of ‘aura’ in terms of social forces such as alienation and cultural capital. Where he pays attention to specific artefacts’ mechanical reproducibility as a way of assessing their aura, we consider how mediums themselves broadly possess variable levels of aura inversely related to their ability to be mechanically reproduced by consumers. The more easily consumers can reproduce a medium, the less aura it possesses.

The Work of Reproduction in the Age of Digital Art: The Role of ‘Aura’ in the Revitalisation of Vinyl Records and Cassettes

International Journal of Music Business Research

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

We explain recent popularity in vinyl records by reframing Walter Benjamin’s notion of ‘aura’ in terms of social forces such as alienation and cultural...

The Work of Reproduction in the Age of Digital Art: The Role of ‘Aura’ in the Revitalisation of Vinyl Records and Cassettes

Article Category: Research Article

Published Online: Apr 28, 2023

Page range: 13 - 23

Received: Dec 20, 2022

Accepted: Jan 05, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ijmbr-2023-0002

Keywords
Aura, vinyl records, audio cassettes, Walter Benjamin

© 2023 Tsitsos and Breckenridge, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The Work of Reproduction in the Age of Digital Art: The Role of ‘Aura’ in the Revitalisation of Vinyl Records and Cassettes

Article Category: Research Article

Published Online: Apr 28, 2023

Page range: 13 - 23

Received: Dec 20, 2022

Accepted: Jan 05, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/ijmbr-2023-0002

KeywordsAura, vinyl records, audio cassettes, Walter Benjamin

© 2023 Tsitsos and Breckenridge, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
Aura, vinyl records, audio cassettes, Walter Benjamin