Vinyl Sales Surpass CD Sales For The First Time Since 1986

[GChief]

Interesting. Do they have good quality turntables or are they happy with entry-level turntables?

My daughters have “vintage” tables I went thru (Lab420 and a B&O) one has a Fluance RT82 she uses more than the B&O. Their friends have a mix of vintage and new. The Fluance is probably the “lowest” entry level one I know of. It is not a bad table. It was not embarrassed by my modded AR XA when I tried it in my system before giving it to her. I know a couple of them just bought VPI Scouts a couple months ago. This group of youngster is as serious about their music as any of us.

 

[RunOutGroove]

Part of this, is just plain ole availability. Big producers don't want to print and handle CDs anymore, so they push the download, itunes, streaming thingy that most folks prefer anyway. LP fans aren't up for options: Its vinyl or nothing. But CDs still serve a purpose: onsite retail for musicians. Performers need to sell product on site, cash in hand. Hard to do with download, itune streaming thingys, lol. Oasis will still be around for independent musicians for that reason, and may be the only outlet for new CD production. I bought a CD at a coffeehouse recently from a regional performer. I don't see that changing anytime soon.

Yeah, that's something that I've brought up before: CDs being cheaper to make and sell for cheaper mean that they're really the ideal media to sell at a show. You can play the thing in your car too on your way home from the show, which is something that you obviously can't do with an LP. For affordable, high quality (and portable) physical media, the CD has no competition... which makes it ideal for artists to sell at shows. I feel like that aspect is pretty important too as selling merch is a big source of revenue for the artists and with lesser well known ones, their releases might not even be available in stores. Not to mention the fact that it feels good to buy from the performer as they're able to keep more of the money. Sometimes too the artist sells material that's only available at the shows...

 

[tonyg88]

I have a feeling a lot of those vinyl people end up buying vinyl and then a crosley record player and prob end up very disappointed.

 

[GChief]

I have a feeling a lot of those vinyl people end up buying vinyl and then a crosley record player and prob end up very disappointed.

That’s 100% my sister and B-in-law. For some reason they are completely happy

Yeah, that's something that I've brought up before: CDs being cheaper to make and sell for cheaper mean that they're really the ideal media to sell at a show. You can play the thing in your car too on your way home from the show, which is something that you obviously can't do with an LP. For affordable, high quality (and portable) physical media, the CD has no competition... which makes it ideal for artists to sell at shows. I feel like that aspect is pretty important too as selling merch is a big source of revenue for the artists and with lesser well known ones, their releases might not even be available in stores. Not to mention the fact that it feels good to buy from the performer as they're able to keep more of the money. Sometimes too the artist sells material that's only available at the shows...

I normally do 50-60 shows a year, not this year because of the plague. In 2019 I did notice a lot more vinyls on the merch tables than in the past. Still mostly CD’s and even a few cassettes

Edit: I forgot to mention they typically also have a “sign” that tells you what streaming services they are available on.

 

[tonyg88]

That’s 100% my sister and B-in-law. For some reason they are completely happy



I normally do 50-60 shows a year, not this year because of the plague. In 2019 I did notice a lot more vinyls on the merch tables than in the past. Still mostly CD’s and even a few cassettes

I went over my friends house years ago she was 20 at the time and was happy with her crosley... Oh well good for them keeps our hobby alive with new releases lol

 

[tonyg88]

I am sorta an odd ball being 32 so I can't really answer why younger people are into vinyl as I've been into since the first time my grandma showed me her console record player. It seemed it started off as thing for people who are sorta into that Punk/Emo look and music as they like being odd balls and "different" in order to make a stance. then "POP" started being released for it.

 

[RossW]

You can play the thing in your car too on your way home from the show

You hit on another reason CD sales are hurting, more and more cars don't have CD players. I think something like 40-50% of new cars don't have one!

 

[GChief]

You hit on another reason CD sales are hurting, more and more cars don't have CD players. I think something like 40-50% of new cars don't have one!

No need when you can stream right from your phone to the head unit.

 

[OldPolishGuy]

For me, I still have a lot of LPs from way back. I've sold some here on AK and may still sell some more, but for now I've got the LP collection pretty well slimmed down. Have cassettes, but the bulk of those are recordings of the LPs that I bought new plus a few pre-recorded ones; came in handy when I had a cassette player in the car. I do stream some now along with digital downloads, it's easy for me to check out new artists or older musicians from years past without having to buy a physical product, some costs savings there. CDs, though, are my preference. I can have a physical product in hand and to look at, can listen to it anytime I choose to on most any player and CDs are available just about anywhere on the used market for really low prices. There are some musicians that I've paid "retail" for a CD but most of those were from musicians or bands from long ago that are hard to come by in any format. I too like to buy CDs from musicians/groups at a performance site, I feel like I'm getting something special for myself. OPG.

 

[Bander]

You hit on another reason CD sales are hurting, more and more cars don't have CD players. I think something like 40-50% of new cars don't have one!

But, they have a USB. So performing artists could sell USB drives like CDs, if they are cheap enough? I think I saw a 64 Gb drive the other day for under $10? Heck, if a producer can buy a 1 Gb thumb drive for $1 each, the cost is close to the same as a CD for the artist? Order300 copies for $500, retail at $15 each, about the same net as using CDs? Not as great of an art product with no graphics, but it does work for those who no longer have a CD player at home or in the vehicle.

 

[RunOutGroove]

I normally do 50-60 shows a year, not this year because of the plague. In 2019 I did notice a lot more vinyls on the merch tables than in the past. Still mostly CD’s and even a few cassettes

50 shows a year is a lot. I'm an amateur musician (I play the drums) who's been at if for years (playing in mostly arty original rock bands and some jazz standards type jams) and I've certainly never played that much. What kind of music do you do, I wonder? Do you sell LPs and or CDs at gigs?

 

[GChief]

50 shows a year is a lot. I'm an amateur musician (I play the drums) who's been at if for years (playing in mostly arty original rock bands and some jazz standards type jams) and I've certainly never played that much. What kind of music do you do, I wonder? Do you sell LPs and or CDs at gigs?

That’s a going somewhere almost every weekend sometimes a couple a week. We have 6 great venues here along with many bars/clubs. Rarely is there not a merch table set up, even in the smallest bars. That number may be more like 40-50, I did pull it out of my butt but live music is what we do Even traveling for work I do a show every weekend. Mostly Metal, Rock, Jam band kind of stuff. But it’s really whoever is playing.

And while I don’t “sell” stuff at gigs I do have friends that are (where Covid) active making a living musicians and studio owner/operators. I have worked the table and tinker in the studios to help out.

Edit: a buddy puts on a lot of shows at the local Metal Club. I am there a lot. Even for lunch when working at one of the shipyards
Hell, places we go out and eat dinner at have live music almost every night pre-Covid. I live in a beach/resort area.

Edit: forgot we are doing dinner with my daughter here tomorrow. Lots-o-shows are easy here

 

[the skipper]

You hit on another reason CD sales are hurting, more and more cars don't have CD players. I think something like 40-50% of new cars don't have one!

'
My 2017 Hyundai Sonata has a CD player but my wife's 2018 Hyundai Sonata doesn't. Both factory units. FYI, my 2017 has SirusXM but my wife's does not. Both do have Apple car play, though.

 

[GChief]

'
My 2017 Hyundai Sonata has a CD player but my wife's 2018 Hyundai Sonata doesn't. Both factory units. FYI, my 2017 has SirusXM but my wife's does not. Both do have Apple car play, though.

I rent cars about 100ish days a year, usually 5-10 days at a time. Sitting here thinking about it, it has been a few years since I remember seeing one with a CD player.

 

[the skipper]

50 shows a year is a lot. I'm an amateur musician (I play the drums) who's been at if for years (playing in mostly arty original rock bands and some jazz standards type jams) and I've certainly never played that much. What kind of music do you do, I wonder? Do you sell LPs and or CDs at gigs?

Didja hear about the drummer whose wife gave birth to two twin girls? He named them Anna 1 and Anna 2

OK. I'll leave quietly...

 

[reddodge053]

There will be a huge return of cd's once eveyone figures out the investment value,also that theres much music available on cd that is'nt on Vinyl Records! Invest in Cd's now!!!

 

[GChief]

There will be a huge return of cd's once eveyone figures out the investment value,also that theres much music available on cd that is'nt on Vinyl Records! Invest in Cd's now!!!

I would imagine when they become “nostalgic“ to the younger crowd like vinyls, prices will probably go up. Guess we shall see .

I have been pretty luckily with finding re-issues on vinyls. It is probably genre dependent. Most of the new bands I find via streaming or live typically have vinyl available on their websites or merch tables.

 

[reddodge053]

Aint nothing like a cd hanging from rear view mirror going down the road,before that it was fuzzy dice!!!

 

[RossW]

The price delta for vinyl is just too much for me; I'm not paying 3x for something that takes up more space and requires cleaning / special handling. I totally get that the ritual of it is part of the appeal, it's just not for me.
I think streaming / download will kill CDs eventually. The beauty of digital is that the information is perfectly decoupled from the media; a 1 is a 1 and a 0 is a 0 and it doesn't matter whether it's on a CD, on a memory chip, or streaming from the internet. The CD had its time in the spotlight because it was cheap, durable, and (at the time) high capacity. Now "the cloud" beats it handily by all those metrics.
Hmm, and now I've almost talked myself into going streaming

 

[GChief]

Hmm, and now I've almost talked myself into going streaming

Now that I have my streaming sounding really great in the main system I find myself listening this way more often. Is what it is and probably the best bet for me anyway living in 398sqft.