The digital age has meant that we have more access to music than ever before. Streaming platforms like Spotify have captivated a huge audience through their catalogue of over 70 million songs, all available on your device at the click of a button. These industry giants have risen to the top of the market, passing other media forms such as cassettes and CD’s- however, one physical distribution has managed to avoid fading into obscurity, being picked up by the younger generation.
Its modern prominence has led many to wonder: what is causing the rise of the record?
2020 saw the most sales in vinyl since the early 1990’s: a statistic that many attribute to a longing for the past as a result of global quarantining. Scott Buckle, owner of local record shop and café The Orpington, speaks on this topic commenting: ‘I really think lockdown has helped introduce more people than ever to the joys of buying music on physical format.’
Another factor that has helped the recent explosion in vinyl sales is a continuously growing event taking place across the globe: Record Store Day. Since 2008, music industry legends from all genres have provided exclusive variants of their albums, EPs, and singles to be sold in independent record shops on two days per year (known as Drop 1 and Drop 2). 2021 saw the event be held on June 21 as well as July 17, featuring major artists including Ariana Grande, The Rolling Stones and Lady Gaga. The Orpington has also taken part in the festivities- ‘We’ve been part of RSD in 2019 & 2021. We couldn’t do 2020 due to the challenges with COVID unfortunately. We’ve also taken part in National Album Day this year which saw amazing titles released all by female artist. Some real gems were included.’ when asked about why they decided to join in with events like RSD, Buckle explains ‘I’ve always had a fascination with music on vinyl format from a childhood and could see that excitement in my customers feelings for the day with amazing exclusive titles being released only available as part of RSD. I just had to be a part of it, it really reminds me of the excitement I experienced from buying records as a child.’
Along with the sudden sales increase, the target audience for vinyl has expanded too: the product once associated with the older generation is currently experiencing a wave of popularity amongst young people. Although most purchasers are ‘Usually male with an age range 40–60-year-old’ The Orpington are experiencing a wider demographic than ever before: ‘We have noticed a change not only in numbers but with younger customers for records and a shift towards a higher proportion of these customers being female than ever before. Most record sales are made to men we’ve found but the female customer is on the increase which is great to see more people get involved.’
It is clear that the record isn’t going away anytime soon: with Record Store Day expected to take place April 16 next year and an array of Black Friday exclusives dropping later this month, longtime fans of vinyl and new collectors alike share the anticipation of getting their hands on rare pressings of their favorite music and supporting the artists they love and appreciate. The Orpington reports that their most frequently sold vinyl are the classics- Queen, David Bowie and The Beatles are among the more popular artists: it seems that some things never change!
See website sources NME and Spotify for more information on the topic.
