Case study N.E.W.S. Records
The tech stack behind physical music sales: BC, Azure, NVision, Magento, Hyvä
In a world dominated by digital streaming, music is just a tap away. However, there’s still something special about holding a physical record in your hands — the weight of the vinyl, the artwork on the sleeve, the anticipation as the needle drops.
Belgium-based N.E.W.S. Records has been keeping this tangible music experience alive for decades. As a leading distributor of vinyl records and CDs, they connect independent labels and artists with both B2C and B2B markets — from dedicated record stores to passionate collectors. N.E.W.S. stays true to physical music, selling analog nostalgia (vinyl) and digital classics (CD) through their new Magento stores. And of course, using Business Central as the backend of all this.
Project snapshot
Company name: N.E.W.S. Records
Website (B2C): https://www.newsdistribution.be/
Website (B2B): https://b2b.newsdistribution.be/
Country: Belgium
Industry: Music — Vinyl records & CD albums
Business model: B2B & B2C
ERP partner: ESC
Web agency: Baldwin
Integration partner: NVision Commerce Solutions
A new Business Central
N.E.W.S. migrated from Dynamics NAV to Business Central.
New Magento
From a custom-built webshop, and a failed attempt to implement a competing solution, to a brand new multi-store Magento environment. One B2C store and one B2B store.
Commerce 365 for Magento
To integrate their Magento stores with Business Central.
Commerce 365 for Sendcloud
To streamline their shipping processes in Business Central.
The challenge: merging tradition with technology
Staying relevant in the digital age requires more than nostalgia, though. N.E.W.S. faced a significant challenge: maintaining their unique brand identity while modernizing their ecommerce operations.
Their previous setup (custom-built webshop and Microsoft Dynamics NAV) was outdated and didn’t support the real-time data synchronization needed to manage large product catalogs and dynamic pricing. With two separate stores — B2C and B2B — and the complexity of handling stock levels, pricing updates, and media files, N.E.W.S. needed a robust solution to streamline operations and improve performance.
The solution: Commerce 365 for Magento and Hyvä technology
N.E.W.S. decided to migrate from Dynamics NAV to Business Central, paired with a new Magento multi-store system. NVision played a key role in this transformation with the implementation of Commerce 365 for Magento. N.E.W.S. needed an integration that allowed a real-time data flow between the ERP and the storefronts — from customer data and product information to orders and pricing. With NVision's solution, every box was ticked.
Hyvä Theme
The Magento front end was developed by Baldwin using Hyvä technology, which delivers a fast, lightweight, and highly customizable theme. This helped optimize the site’s speed and user experience while maintaining a minimalist design that highlights the vivid and diverse album artwork. With Hyvä’s focus on performance, the new webshop now ranks among the fastest in its category, providing a smooth browsing experience.
Commerce 365 for Magento = Hyvä compatible
Web agencies love Hyvä. NVision loves Hyvä as well. That’s why we made all NVision Magento extensions Hyvä compatible.
I'm very happy with how things went. NVision works quick and efficient. If there's a problem, they solve it.
Samual Mahy
Webmaster @N.E.W.S.
Integrated music player
One of the standout features that N.E.W.S. implemented is audio snippets on product pages, powered by Commerce 365 for Magento. The software retrieves these audio snippets directly from a Microsoft Azure storage location and automatically turns them into Magento product attributes. The integrated music player then provides the visitors with the possibility to sample tracks on the spot, which is a great enhancement of the overall user experience.
The snippets aren’t just valuable for B2C customers; they’re also essential for B2B users. Once registered, they can download audio snippets for their own promotional activities. This innovation keeps N.E.W.S. ahead of competitors and shows how physical media can coexist with digital convenience.
Download real-time stocklists
Another small but powerful feature is the ability to download stock lists in Excel format. This allows B2B buyers to easily use with this data in other systems or processes.
Belows is a screenshot of the N.E.W.S. website with the stock list download feature.
Real-time control and full synchronization between BC and Magento
Managing a vast catalog of vinyl and CDs requires real-time control over product data, prices, and stock levels. Commerce 365 for Magento made it possible to maintain accurate, up-to-date information across both stores, while automatically synchronizing changes directly from Business Central.
Some of the key integration features include:
• Automatic product synchronization with updates from the ERP system.
• Real-time stock level management to reflect accurate availability.
• Dynamic pricing for B2B customers, based on personalized agreements.
• Custom endpoint for downloadable stock lists and order statuses.
Thanks to Commerce 365 for Magento, N.E.W.S. has eliminated data discrepancies and significantly improved their workflow efficiency.
Inspired by this story? Let’s explore what we can build together.
Whether you’re looking to enhance your ecommerce workflow, connect Business Central with Magento, or add unique features like N.E.W.S. did with the audio previews — Commerce 365 is designed to help you move faster and smarter.
Tell us about your goals, and let’s see how we can turn them into solutions.
