Vinyl records still spinning

by Calum Slingerland | Mar 5, 2014

Convenience and portability reign supreme as top factors in how people listen to music, but one physical format is experiencing a rebirth amongst consumers. Vinyl records, previously seen as an antiquated format in the world of audio, are once again being played around the globe as a worthy alternative to digital listening.

In Britain, sales of vinyl records have reached their highest level for the first time in a decade. An October report published by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) said that almost 555,000 vinyl long-playing records (LPs) have been sold in 2013. Geoff Taylor, chief executive of BPI and the BRIT Awards, commented that sales numbers show the LP is “back in the groove.” With major labels issuing titles both old and new on vinyl records, a new demographic of listeners are being exposed to the medium.

“Whilst sales only account for a small percentage of the overall market, vinyl sales are growing fast as a new generation discovers the magic of 12 inch artwork, liner notes and the unique sound of analogue records, often accompanied by a download code for mp3s,” Taylor noted in the BPI report.

The report further explored consumer purchasing habits, finding that seven in 10 vinyl buyers purchase records at least once a month, while one in five make a purchase at least once a week. Pursuant to Taylor’s comments, the report also found that 3.7 percent of respondents bought records despite not even owning a turntable.

“We’re witnessing a renaissance for records,” Taylor continued in the report. “They’re no longer retromania and are becoming the format of choice for more and more music fans.”

Closer to home

As in Britain, a spike in vinyl record sales has occurred in Canada. Neilson SoundScan, which tracks music sales statistics in both the United States and Canada, reported that 130,000 records were sold in the country. That represents a 47 percent rise in sales over 2011.

Record buying culture in the nation’s capital is alive and well, in large part due the sizable number of independent retailers. One of the most recognized is Vertigo Records, located in the city’s downtown core. Having recently celebrated the store’s ten year anniversary, owner Darrin Tomlin says the shop prides itself on being a leader in supplying new music releases and reissues on vinyl. With regard to his clientele, Tomlin says it’s hard to attribute sales to one demographic.

“I’d say the average customer buying vinyl at our shop is male, twenty-something to thirty-something,” he outlined in an email. “It isn’t limited to that, though, as a lot of younger kids are beginning to show an interest in vinyl after discovering their parents’ collection, as well as baby boomers rediscovering their own collections,” he said.

John Thompson has been collecting and selling vinyl records for over thirty years. He owns and manages The Record Centre, a small record store in Ottawa’s Hintonburg neighborhood. The customers he serves at his store are of a similar audience to Tomlin’s.

“It really comes down to two groups of people,” he said. “First there are the older people like myself who never really abandoned the format. A lot of us bought CDs when digital came around, but we never got rid of our records. The other group of course is younger people, usually ages 16 to 25. A lot of them perhaps came to vinyl through a ‘cool’ factor or discovering old collections.”

He adds, “It doesn’t matter how they got there. Once they start listening, they’re hooked.”

But in an age where convenience is key, what draws the consumer to buy music on a format such as vinyl?

“Some people prefer the collectable aspect of a record, while other prefer the rich, warm sound,” said Tomlin. “There is also that feeling of having something tangible in your hands, to look at and play, that people gravitate to, as opposed to pushing some buttons on an iPod.”

‘To fully experience the music, I have to listen to it in its intended format.’ — rock fan Cameron Wheatley

“The ‘cool’ factor largely comes from the collectibility. Some feel a collection is a mark of a serious listener,” said Thompson. “It’s all about the thrill of the hunt, which is something that I’ve never give up. Some collectors are still out there looking for certain things to fill holes in their collections. We all enjoy the sound, the ritual of digging through bins at local stores, putting the records on the turntable, and reading the liner notes.”

The next generation

As is by now obvious, some of this surge is being fuelled by youth. People who grew up with CDs and iPods are now choosing vinyl — at least to supplement. The listening experience of a vinyl record is something that many favour over the sound of digital files.

“My grandma gave me her old record player and a few records for Christmas last year,” said Anjali Chander. The 21-year-old’s interest in the vintage aesthetic largely piqued her interest in collecting. “I love the sound quality, and there’s something about being able to enjoy a whole album so seamlessly,” she said.

“A lot of the music I listen to was originally released on vinyl,” said Cameron Wheatley in an email. The third-year business student listens largely to ’70s and ’80s rock music. “I felt that in order to fully experience the music, I had to listen to it in its intended format.”

Michael Szaulis, 24, has been collecting records since a young age, aspiring to match his father’s collection of over one thousand pieces. The Algonquin College student has so far collected about 500 records.

“I’ve always seen listening to records as an actual hobby in itself,” he said. “The artwork, the sound and the slight imperfections are traits that aren’t even comparable on any other medium.”

Vinyl’s future?

As technology continues to advance and new ways to enjoy music are engineered, many feel that vinyl will keep spinning.

“The future looks quite good for records,” said Tom Lee, owner of the newly opened Troubadour Books and Records in Ottawa’s Byward Market. “Many teenage kids are buying records. For some of them, it will likely turn into a lifelong hobby. Also, records age better than CDs or tapes. It isn’t uncommon to find records from the ’20s and ’30s that still sound great.”

Record experts note the interesting dynamic of industry versus popular demand, and the impact this has had on sales. Collectors are still searching for new additions to their collections, and artists old and new look to have their material pressed on the format.  “It’s very industry-driven now,” said Thompson. “The industry initially abandoned the format because they wanted to, and now labels are pressing it again because there is such a huge demand for it from bands and music fans alike.”

“There are always ebbs and flows in the market, but the important part is that records never left,” remarked Tomlin.

“They’ve always been here, and I don’t see them going the way of the CD.”

Home-page photo © Calum Slingerland.