Skipping Record Player – How To Fix It

Before we start, if you’re actually interested in skipping tracks on vinyl yourself check out this article.

To prevent your record player or records from skipping first make sure the surface below the record player is sturdy. Then make sure there is sufficient arm pressure pressing down on the vinyl record. Also make sure your stylus isn’t worn out. Finally it’s important that your record isn’t damaged or warped.

I love my record player and vinyl records, but they’re not always as durable as I’d like them to be and that might just be their only downside. The issue of a skipping record can be very annoying, but it’s not the end of the world. There are some fixes that are very likely to solve it. It can either be caused by the record player, the record, or the setup. So let’s take a look!

Surface Below Skipping Record Player

It’s very important that the surface below your Record Player is a heavy and sturdy object like a heavy oak cabinet. We want this to be sturdy to minimize vibrations applied to your Record Player.

We don’t want footsteps to pass a shock to your needle so be wary of the placement. It’s also very important that the surface is level. Having a sloped surface position has a big impact on a skipping Record Player.
Finally, and most people don’t expect this, it might be a good idea to move your speakers farther away from the Record Player. The vibrations from your music reaching your Record Table can also cause skipping.

Insufficient Arm Pressure

It’s important that the arm is applying enough pressure to the record. You can imagine that if it’s pressing weakly that it’s more likely to bounce off. There are two main ways to fix this.

Firstly, and this mainly works for older Record Players, you could use a penny or coin to attach to the top of the arm(where the needle is). This adds some extra weight and pressure.

Secondly, if that doesn’t work or isn’t an option, most newer models have a knob you can turn to increase the pressure. Try to increase the pressure with that and it might fix your skipping problem.

Worn Out Stylus or Needle

Your needle or stylus might have worn out over time. If you’re having doubts about the state of your needle or stylus it might be time to replace them. But at least you won’t have to buy an entirely new Record Player.

Before you grab your wallet it might be a good idea to clean them with a cotton swab or compressed air. If you want to learn more about the symptoms of a worn out stylus check out our other article dedicated to this.

Dirty or Damaged Record Grooves

If your records have been gathering dust now might be the time to take some time cleaning them. Foreign objects like sand grains could have gotten stuck in the grooves. So try cleaning it with with cottons swabs or compressed air.

Now if the Records Grooves aren’t dirty but they are damages there some steps you can take to repair these yourself. But since this is something you need to be careful about, I’m writing articles like this one about cleaning vinyl records with alcohol.

Warped Record

Finally a common issue is a warped record. You can probably imagine why this can cause skipping since it essentially turns the Record Player into a rollercoaster. If you notice warping or bending of the vinyl record when you look at it from the side you might want to consider straightening it out. This isn’t too hard to do though. To straighten out a warped record follow the following five steps:

1. Get two panes of glass that are wider and higher than your record.
2. Place the warped record between the two panes.
3. Place them in an lowly heated oven. (150°F or 65°C)
4. Wait for 30 minutes.
5. Remove the record and let it cool down to room temperature.

It might take several repetitions of these steps to get it perfectly. Just be patient and don’t turn on the heat too high.

Hopefully these tips have been able to help you. If these hadn’t worked out it might just be an idea to pay a professional to fix it for you. Another option is to ask on the Vinyl subreddit. Or is it maybe time to treat yourself and get a new setup? For this reason we’ve created Record Player Top-Lists. In any case good luck out there!