Vinyl Record Sales Booming
Vinyl records made a huge comeback with sales reaching $6 million in 2013 after being at less than half a million a decade earlier, and the trend keeps growing. Despite the rise of everything digital, there's something uniquely enjoyable about getting back to simpler and more tangible media formats like books and records. In particular, vinyl records made a huge comeback with sales reaching $6 million in 2013 after being at less than half a million a decade earlier, and the trend keeps growing. Specifically during the most rapid growth from 2007 to 2013, sales increased six times over from about $1 million. In 2013 alone, total album sales decreased 8 percent and CD sales decreased 14 percent, but record sales shot up 32 percent. Many speculate why more people seem to be returning to or sticking with records as a preferred music format. Some say music played through records sounds best. As Music Millennium's Terry Currier put it, records provide "the purest form of sound on any format of recorded music that has been introduced to music fans." However, a 2004 study indicated that many people don't notice most sound quality variations. Others say records offer the best music experience. Digital formats are easily available by voice command or button, but records require more attention and physical involvement. Plus, record albums' large artwork and liner notes are much more engaging and artistic than CDs and hardly exist in digital forms. What do you think?
