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· Conor Welsch
Not every record needs to be graded. Most should not be. Records are meant to spin, to breathe, to carry fingerprints and stories. But, the rare? The limited? The ones that mark turning points in sound and culture? Those records deserve something more lasting.
That is where Audio Media Grading (AMG) steps in.
AMG is not trying to lock the past behind glass. It is creating a standard for care, a way to preserve music’s most meaningful physical forms while giving collectors, artists, and labels a shared language of authenticity. As limited runs, artist exclusives, and micro pressings continue to shape modern collecting, AMG offers a framework for protecting the important pieces from the start.
This is not about perfection. It is about preservation. A way to recognize that some records are not just albums. They are relics, touchstones, and current OR future heirlooms.
AMG operates like a preservation lab for analog media. They evaluate, authenticate, and grade records, CDs, cassettes, and other formats with a blend of technology and human expertise. Each submission is carefully inspected, documented, and then sealed in a tamper resistant, museum grade acrylic case that blocks nearly all UV light and environmental damage.
The result is a certified, archival quality object. Not just a record, but a verified artifact of music history. Its authenticity and condition are preserved for decades to come.
Collectors from other spaces will recognize the idea. Sports cards have PSA. Comics have CGC. Now vinyl, tapes, and discs finally have a trusted standard of their own.
Grading has always been subjective. Near Mint to one collector could mean Excellent to another. AMG introduces a consistent, transparent standard that removes ambiguity and restores trust between buyers, sellers, and archivists.
But this goes beyond transactions. AMG is redefining what it means to care for a record. Every pressing, every groove, every imperfection tells part of a story, and encapsulating that story is an act of preservation.
As new generations of artists and labels create smaller runs, experimental pressings, and boutique releases, AMG’s approach gives those records the protection they deserve from the beginning. It is a way to honor craft while acknowledging that music’s physical form still holds cultural weight.
Submit your record or media through AMG’s online portal.
The piece is inspected, authenticated, and graded by AMG specialists.
It is encapsulated in their proprietary protective case and returned with full certification.
Pricing starts around $75 for vinyl and $50 for other media, depending on turnaround time and service level. The system is built for clarity and modeled on industries that have thrived on objective grading.
For decades, PSA has been the global authority for collectible card grading. Their standards created a universal language of trust. AMG aims to do the same for recorded sound.
Just as a PSA graded card instantly communicates value and authenticity, an AMG graded record tells its own story, one verified through consistency, inspection, and care. That level of credibility could reshape how collectors buy, sell, insure, and display their most valuable pressings.
It does not diminish the experience of listening. It adds another dimension to what ownership can mean.
Last weekend, I had the chance to meet AMG Co-founder Robbie Martinez, one of the guiding forces behind AMG’s development. Hearing him talk about the vision was inspiring. He spoke not just about grading, but about stewardship, about creating an ecosystem where physical media can be preserved, protected, and respected.
His outlook is both technical and deeply human. You can sense that AMG’s mission is not to make records untouchable, but to make sure the ones that truly matter never fade.
I recently submitted my test pressing of The National’s Laugh Track to AMG to experience their process firsthand, and I am eager to see how it returns. There is something powerful about knowing that a piece of your collection will carry a permanent record of its condition and authenticity, a moment in time sealed but not forgotten.
Here at Moose Vinyl, we see AMG as more than a grading service. It is a philosophy of preservation, a bridge between craftsmanship and credibility. Whether it is a first pressing from decades past or a limited run released last month, AMG gives collectors a way to honor the music that matters most.