Wasn’t the ipod-generation that bought music online suppose to kill off CD’s and no doubt the vinyl?
Latest figures show a big jump in vinyl sales in the first half of this year, confirming the anecdotal evidence from specialist shops throughout the UK.
According to a report, Teenagers and students are developing a taste for records and are turning away from the clinical method of downloading music on to an MP3 player.
7in vinyl sales were up 13% in the first half, with the White Stripes’ Icky Thump the best seller. (data released by BPI)
Two-thirds of all singles in the UK now come out on in the 7in format, with sales topping 1m.
Record Stores are preparing for this new trend….
“The student population seem to be loving the 7in,” says Stuart Smith, who runs Seismic Records in eamington Spa, Warwickshire. He sells 300-600 records a week and is preparing to launch an online store.
I’m still not sure about the MP3 generation. You can have a full hard drive and nothing to show for it. Record collections are very personal. You can view into a person’s soul really,” he says.
The White Stripes’ ‘Icky Thump’ has just touched the highest weekly sales for a 7in single for more than 20 years.
It’s not unusual for fans to buy a 7in but have nothing to play it on, says Paul Williams at industry magazine Music Week. “It’s about the kind of acts that have very loyal fan bases that want everything to do with that act,” he says. “They maybe will buy the download to listen to, but they get the vinyl to own. It’s looked at like artwork.”
“Labels have realised that it’s cool for bands to release their music on vinyl, especially in limited edition form, which makes it highly collectible,” he says.
Bottom Line: I believe consumers who are loyal fans will buy vinyls as collector items. In fact, it could be a good idea for ‘some’ artists’ to sell vinyls at live shows along with other merchandise. Of course, this will only work with credible artists’ that have built a loyal community.
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