You know it’s good when even the stylus industry is booming

Fine needle work.

Record sales we know about. Turntables sales now too. But when even the microscopic industries that make turntable styli are feeling flush then perhaps it’s finally time to acknowledge that vinyl is here to stay.

Read next: Incredible photos of turntable styli under the microscope.

Recording an 80% rise in sales between 2010 and 2015, Japan’s Nippon Precision Jewel Industry Co. is one of the world’s top producers of record needles. Last year, they alone shipped a staggering 175,000 units of 2,000 different kinds of styli, which, given the sheer precision involved in the process is quite something.

Watch the video here to get a unique glimpse into how styli and cartridges are put together. [via The Asahi Shimbun]

As discussed in our recent podcast, the future of the format relies as heavily on the health of the craftsmen and manufacturers that support the whole vinyl ecology as purely on record sales alone. You can listen to the discussion below: