Vinyl Record Sales Surge

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Ever since I was a kid, I've always had an odd fascination with vinyl records. I blame that on my father. When I was like 10 or something, I wanted a stereo. But CDs were still kind of expensive because they were relatively new...so, to teach me responsibility and to see if I could handle a CD player, my dad gave me his old turntable stereo setup. Ever since that day, I've been hooked. But, it seems like the nostalgia of vinyl records is hitting everyone because according to the latest data, vinyl just saw it's best sales numbers in a long, long time.

Small Business Trends is reporting that nearly 12 million vinyl records were sold (a 40% increase over 2019) in 2020. To give that number some context, when it comes to physical music (vinyl, cds, tape, etc.) the totally number of sales was 16 million, which means vinyl outpaced every musical medium other than digital sales. From a business perspective, while most industries were struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic, record stores, music shops and vintage stores were thriving. Seemingly, no matter what was happening in the world, consumers were going out of their way to buy physical copies of their favorite tunes. Many mainstream artist like Taylor Swift, the Weeknd and Billie Eilish are going out of their way to produce and promote vinyl versions of their new albums.

So, in a digital world, how is it possible that a medium first used in 1877 is coming back? Research suggest that it's millennial adults driving the resurgence. According to an article from the Manual, industry experts say that there's be a renewed romanticism about the art and equipment. Plus, due to the COVID pandemic, record collecting and music listening are activities you can do at home.

No matter what your reasons are. Whether you High Fidelity and caught the bug or you're like me and just have a personal connection the music, it sounds like vinyl is here to stay. Digital streaming is king of the mountain and that's probably not going to change, but it looks vinyl listening is number 2 and growing.

Locally, if you're looking to dive into the digital world, we actually have a couple of great record stores. The Little Shop of Music, Day Old Blues and Rick's Records all feature previously owned and new records and some equipment to get you started. If you're looking for vintage equipment or more upscale stuff than a basic turntable, Little Shop of Music offers some high quality solutions.