Vinyl Gets Vital: A Classic Format Makes A Comeback:
As of Oct. 28, vinyl albums have scanned 766,000 units–up 22.4% from the 612,000 units scanned in the corresponding period last year, according to Nielsen SoundScan. What’s more, vinyl is outselling the cassette album, which has scanned 247,000 units year to date, by a little more than 3-to-1. But the vinyl album still consists of only 0.02% of total album sales. In contrast, digital sales are now 10.7% of album sales and increasing.
My favorite quote from the Billboard article comes from a “major-label distribution executive” who says, “I hear everyone talking about vinyl. But I just don’t get it.” And with an attitude like that, buddy, you never will.
“My favorite quote from the Billboard article comes from a “major-label distribution executive” who says, “I hear everyone talking about vinyl. But I just don’t get it.” And with an attitude like that, buddy, you never will.”
Exactly. Guess what? People are not statistics with slight variations in their preferences. This is why they didn’t understand p2p and boot trading. “Why won’t they buy the shit we’re pushing anymore???” Because we don’t have to.
You think that’s bad? In the hypothetical dorm room scenario, he mentions that there exist Joy Division posters (plausible) alongside Harry Nilsson posters (!!!). Nilsson can be gotten on a poster these days??? Your typical college student hangs posters of HARRY FUCKIN’ NILSSON on his/her wall??? A Joy Division fan is as equally big of a fan of HARRY NILSSON??? And no disrespect to the genius which was Mr. Nilsson. I’m just amazed at the dichotomy of the two hung on the wall of the same dorm room. That would be like a college student hanging a poster of Randy Newman next to one of the Dead Kennedys, with a Magritte print thrown in for good measure.
That would be like a college student hanging a poster of Randy Newman next to one of the Dead Kennedys, with a Magritte print thrown in for good measure.
But I’ll bet that’s what your dorm room looked like. (That’s a compliment.)
Nilsson’s hipster music now.
I didn’t even know pre-recorded cassettes were being sold anymore, so it is no doubt that vinyl is outselling cassettes (where do you buy even blank cassettes???)
Lou
I’m glad vinyl sales are rising–anything with better fidelity than mp3s is solid in my book–but is this a hipster-fueled trend or an honet-to-goodness alternate take on purchasing and enjoying music? Hopefully the latter.
(Here’s a crazy idea to mull over: what if EVERYONE decided from now on to release their music in vinyl format only. No CDs, no digital downloads. What do you thing would happen?)
“I didn’t even know pre-recorded cassettes were being sold anymore, so it is no doubt that vinyl is outselling cassettes (where do you buy even blank cassettes???)”
For about a year or so before going under the downtown NYC Tower Records location was doing relatively brisk busines selling pre-recorded cassettes @ 3 for $10. (Seems a lot of ’90s cars have cassette-based stereos.) I was told “people going on road trips” were their main customers.
Who cares if it’s hipster fueled? As long as vinyl is still available for the recordings for which I prefer that format, I couldn’t care less who else is buying them.
It stands to reason that if it’s just a hipster trend then the surge won’t be in any significant numbers to hold ground for any reasonable amount of time. (In which case production and availability are sure to decrease.) Whereas if hardcore music fans looking for a different option in terms of format are responsible for these numbers then it might be something to look forward to.
Just a thought.