Records are being bought more and more. Analysts from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) note that by the end of the year, vinyl revenues will exceed those of CDs - this has not happened in more than 30 years. Let's talk about the reasons for this boom.
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Vinyl Renaissance
Vinyl remained a popular music format well into the mid-80s. Later it began to be replaced by CD and other digital formats. At the beginning of the 2010s, it seemed that the records were already a thing of the past, but in the 2016s, the demand for them began to gain momentum again - only in XNUMX, vinyl sales by 53% [and we even presented our showcase - ].
Records are moving further this year and may reach new heights. Professionals from the Recording Industry Association of America that revenues from the sale of vinyl records are gradually overtaking those from the sale of discs. In the first half of 2019, US residents spent $224 million on records and $247 million on CDs. Experts say vinyl will close the gap by the end of the year. Let's figure out what contributes to the growth of interest in it.
Causes
Oddly enough, one of the main drivers of the vinyl renaissance, growing popularity of streaming platforms. But the more people βgo digitalβ and take advantage of streaming while listening to music at work or in transport, the more interesting βofflineβ and formats that are the complete opposite become. They are suitable for less dynamic situations - listening to music at home or . One of those who prefer records is Jack White, a member of The White Stripes. He that streaming is a good tool for finding new songs and artists, but he prefers to listen to music on vinyl.
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Another reason people buy records is to support their favorite band or artist. Many of them are just releasing their albums on vinyl. Literally at the end of August Ozzy Osbourne box set with 24 records.
An important role in the popularity of vinyl is played by the aesthetic component and craving for collecting. We can say that partly this desire forms the picture that the directors of some films and TV shows paint in the minds of the audience. Vinyl players periodically appear in Woody Allen's films, such heroes as Tony Stark from Iron Man and Captain Kirk from Star Trek have their own record libraries (by the way, in detail about the role of records in films ).
Individual aesthete collectors do not just form a library of their favorite music on vinyl, but collect unique releases. For example, in 2012, Jack White collaborated with Third Man Records to release the limited edition vinyl single "Sixteen Saltines". His on the plate, inside . Considering that no one had done anything like this before Jack White, these recordings are highly valued among collectors.
Streaming services still ahead
Online the opinion that in the future vinyl will be able to overtake not only CD, but also streaming services. Subscription revenues for sites such as Spotify are growing at around 20% annually, compared to more than 50% for vinyl. However, most analysts consider this view to be overly optimistic.
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On RIAA, in the first half of 2019, vinyl record sales accounted for just 4% of total music industry revenue in the country. Streaming services accounted for 62%. At the same time, the number of records sold also - Large print runs, even for such well-known artists as Radiohead and Daft Punk, did not exceed 30 thousand copies. But the situation can still change, albeit slightly.
Back to vinyl
Experts say that vinyl sales will only increase in the near future. This point of view is confirmed by the growth in the number of factories involved in the production of records. In 2017 in the USA less than 30 plants, and today their number . New production facilities are also being launched in Russia - for example, records are printed at the Ultra Production plant in Moscow.
Companies are also developing that produce modern presses for printing records. For example, in the United States, new machines are supplied by Record Products of America. They are also developing new technologies designed to increase the volume of "vinyl" production. Viryl Technologies from Canada machine without a gas heater. This approach will reduce the size of the installation and accommodate more equipment in the workshop. All this will contribute to the further development of the vinyl industry.
Additional reading - from our "World of Hi-Fi":
Source: habr.com