Interesting twitter thread here about the sustainability of the current vinyl market - long lead times to get stuff pressed, increasing costs to the labels which make runs either a massive financial risk or an unviable unit cost, shrinking margins for record shops, plus the costs to the environment.... not sure what the answer is, but there's definitely some stuff that needs to be chewed over here I think.
Vinyl Is Poised to Outsell CDs For the First Time Since 1986
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petee
no gods, no malarkey
following on killer b 's post above 
pitchfork.com
from the article though
Forgive the sound of a broken record: Vinyl’s comeback is still going strong. Streaming may be today’s dominant music format, but revenues from vinyl albums are on track to top a staggering $1 billion in 2021, up from $626 million last year. Even as vinyl sales scale new heights, though, the type of smaller labels and artists who once helped kickstart the comeback a decade ago are starting to bow out.
Why Are Independent Artists and Labels Turning Away From Vinyl?
Faced with interminable manufacturing delays, some of music’s DIY players are giving up on the beloved format.
from the article though
Forgive the sound of a broken record: Vinyl’s comeback is still going strong. Streaming may be today’s dominant music format, but revenues from vinyl albums are on track to top a staggering $1 billion in 2021, up from $626 million last year. Even as vinyl sales scale new heights, though, the type of smaller labels and artists who once helped kickstart the comeback a decade ago are starting to bow out.
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editor
hiraethified
Every indie band I know still wants to release material on vinyl.following on killer b 's post above
Why Are Independent Artists and Labels Turning Away From Vinyl?
Faced with interminable manufacturing delays, some of music’s DIY players are giving up on the beloved format.
from the article though
Forgive the sound of a broken record: Vinyl’s comeback is still going strong. Streaming may be today’s dominant music format, but revenues from vinyl albums are on track to top a staggering $1 billion in 2021, up from $626 million last year. Even as vinyl sales scale new heights, though, the type of smaller labels and artists who once helped kickstart the comeback a decade ago are starting to bow out.
petee
no gods, no malarkey
this is true - they are also all faced with waiting 12 months to get any new material out in that case. if the current situation carries on like this - and short of a huge amount of capacity suddenly coming online, I can't see it changing - then I could easily see interest in vinyl dropping off among artists and them increasingly looking elsewhere for ways to release new music.
Just one recent vinyl delay story: I bought an album on pre-order from a friend's record label at the start of the year - the original release date (ie, when the pressing plant had promised the records would be ready) was March (this was already some months later than he'd originally hoped to release) - he's only just received the records this week, after another four months wait.
This kind of story is totally normal for small record labels at the moment. It makes any kind of sensible release schedule a total joke, and is causing significant cash-flow problems for some of them. Why you'd bother under these circumstances is beyond me.
This kind of story is totally normal for small record labels at the moment. It makes any kind of sensible release schedule a total joke, and is causing significant cash-flow problems for some of them. Why you'd bother under these circumstances is beyond me.
ruffneck23
front left
This, just been chatting to a mate who is still releasing stuff on vinyl, but he has heard there is at least a 9 month wait to get it pressed due to all the major labels ramping up their demands
Nanker Phelge
Leave the gun. Take the cannoli.
I spoke to a chap this week who is getting the funding to open his own record press, mainly cos he is releasing 7s regular and needs to keep them coming, getting to customers.
editor
hiraethified
I'd be amazed if new record plants don't open up to meet the demand.
There are pressing plants opening up, although I'm not sure whether anyone is actually making new machinery yet - one of the capacity problems was that the plants are all using ancient equipment which regularly breaks down - but even with that, with demand increasing 10% or so each year that's a lot of new plants needing to open up just to keep things going at the current unsustainable level.
skyscraper101
0891 50 50 50
And there you have it. Vinyl official more popular than CDs again.
https://www.npr.org/2023/03/10/1162568704/vinyl-outsells-cds-first-time-since-1987-records
https://www.npr.org/2023/03/10/1162568704/vinyl-outsells-cds-first-time-since-1987-records
skyscraper101
0891 50 50 50
Ironic really how during the 90s/00s while the general public largely ditched vinyl for CDs, it was basically DJs who kept what remained of the pressing plants alive, and now it’s the general public keeping them in business as DJs go digital.
ska invita
back on the other side
General public might be a bit strong tbf
skyscraper101
0891 50 50 50
Well, regular folk anyway. I’ve seen records for sale in Sainsburys for instance.
Actually I’d wager a lot of people are buying vinyl of albums they’ve already bought on CD. The total opposite of what lot of people were doing in the 80s.
ska invita
back on the other side
we're all regular folk on average
a lot of people are buying vinyl who dont even own a record player
the way i see it we're a highly confused bunch of currently co-existing generations who cant handle what the fuck is going on and our collective shopping habits prove it ... never mind vinyl, see the sale of SUVs at the very point in history where climate change becomes irreversible for details...we'll be buried in the new deserts with our Brothers In Arms Sainsburys represses
Spandex
A crazy bulbous punchbag of sound
Isn't talking about vinyl vs CD a very 90s conversation (or even 80s - cassettes were edging vinyl out when CDs launched as a format) while the real story is the collapse of any physical formats for listening to music.
This chart is for US sales revenue, but shows the trend well:
Streaming is king these days. Vinyl fetishism has seen it overtake CDs, but really buying music on any format has become a niche thing. I see cassette sales grew 28% last year, taking tapes to 0.44% of the market.
skyscraper101
0891 50 50 50
Isn't talking about vinyl vs CD a very 90s conversation (or even 80s - cassettes were edging vinyl out when CDs launched as a format) while the real story is the collapse of any physical formats for listening to music.
This chart is for US sales revenue, but shows the trend well:
Streaming is king these days. Vinyl fetishism has seen it overtake CDs, but really buying music on any format has become a niche thing. I see casette sales grew 28% last year, taking tapes to 0.44% of the market.
Without a doubt. As interesting as vinyl outselling CDs is, the levels at which they are selling will never be anywhere near their peak in the late 70s early 80s. This is way more about the decline of CD than anything else.
Streaming will I imagine be the format of choice for most people for a long long time (including me).
ska invita
back on the other side
excuse my OTT post upthread - blame Mr JD Wetherspoon 
Sasaferrato
Super Refuser!
we're all regular folk on average
a lot of people are buying vinyl who dont even own a record player
the way i see it we're a highly confused bunch of currently co-existing generations who cant handle what the fuck is going on and our collective shopping habits prove it ... never mind vinyl, see the sale of SUVs at the very point in history where climate change becomes irreversible for details...we'll be buried in the new deserts with our Brothers In Arms Sainsburys represses
I was listening to Brothers in Arms last night, and thinking that the lyrics to Money for Nothing need a bit of updating.
danski
"vibey"
Be careful asking that. Could start the bun fight of all bun fights.
Define "better"... For a start
Define "better"... For a start
I have no idea really. My thoughts are based purely on listening to classical music on vinyl from way back.
And comparing with streamed similar music.
It could well be to do with my laptop and / or speakers.
I'll leave it to the experts...
Hollis
bloody furious
Sounds like one for the audiophile thread!
Personally, my revelation of the last 6 months has been a decent pair of headphones! I stream Spotify off my mobile and some decent headphones make a massive difference. There's some premium quality streaming service - Tide.. dunno how much difference it makes..
beesonthewhatnow
going deaf for a living
That’s a simple question with a very long and complicated answer
danski
"vibey"
There’s a possibility you might be streaming at a lower bit rate. Maybe have a poke around in your settingsI have no idea really. My thoughts are based purely on listening to classical music on vinyl from way back.
And comparing with streamed similar music.
It could well be to do with my laptop and / or speakers.
I'll leave it to the experts...
That’s a simple question with a very long and complicated answer
Interesting.....
Monkeygrinder's Organ
Dodgy geezer swilling vapid lager
Depends how expensive your cables are.
Fozzie Bear
Well-Known Member
Here is a prettier take on the graph that Spandex posted a while back:
It certainly appears that vinyl vs CD is heading towards a two bald men arguing over a comb situation.
It certainly appears that vinyl vs CD is heading towards a two bald men arguing over a comb situation.
Fez909
toilet expert
They say "vinyl units" in the chart, but use $ as the metric. So is it revenue rather than items sold? If so, the eye watering price increases in vinyl recently have to be at least partly responsible for the widening purple band.
The new Theo Parrish album (admittedly 3 slabs of vinyl) is over £80
And 7" singles can be over £30
It's a joke, IMO.
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