Wednesday, 3 February 2016

Vinyl sales spinning higher

Vinyl records--that old LP technology popular with Granddad and Mum--is continuing to flourish. By one estimate, vinyl LP sales hit 2.1 million in 2015, a record high not seen in more than 20 years.

Now some of the traditions from the LP era are returning, such as a separate chart for vinyl-based music.

Top musical artists like Adele are releasing new albums on vinyl. In fact, her album 25 was the top-selling vinyl record of 2015.

With the resurgence of vinyl, production is struggling to keep up with ever-higher demand. Many LPs are being pressed on old-fashioned equipment from decades earlier, kept alive by careful maintenance. More retailers (including Tesco) are adding vinyl LPs to their merchandise assortments.

Collectors are even more interested in rare vintage vinyl LP gems. In short, demand for vinyl sales is influencing demand for other goods and services. Record Store Day (16 April) should bring strong sales this year.