The records are double-weight vinyl discs that come with a unique code. With the code, buyers can download an unprotected, 320Kbps MP3 version of the music, to use however they like. The approach offers DJs and audiophiles the best of both analog and digital media.

First Word cofounder Andy H is a DJ and knows the difficulties and dangers of traveling with rare discs.

“The sheer weight and size of vinyl meant that I had to be very selective of what I took abroad to DJ,” says DJ and First Word cofounder Andy H. “By contrast, digital files weigh nothing, and if you have a backup, they are impossible to lose.”

The MP3 downloads are DRM-free.

“Once a customer has paid for the track, they should be free to play it in any player,” says First Word cofounder Aly Gillani. “Making a legal, paid-for version of the file less useful than a copied or pirated one doesn’t make sense.”