Vinyl data surge throughout pandemic, conserving gross sales spinning – KIRO 7 Information Seattle

PORTLAND, Maine – (AP) – Record sales soared during the pandemic as music lovers fattened up their collections and audio cassettes made a comeback as well, keeping the record store business going.

The easing of restrictions on indoor shopping and continued interest in records will give stores – and shoppers – something to cheer for on Saturday, the first of two Record Store Day dates. Although many stores were closed at the start of the pandemic, people at home were listening to records and boosting vinyl and curb sales of vinyl.

Will Emanuel, a University of Maine student stuck at home outside of Portland, bought around 50 to 55 albums during the pandemic. “I really itched to build a collection,” says Emanuel. “I fell down the rabbit hole and now it seems like I can’t escape.”

At 20, Emanuel is part of a new generation drawn to the warm sound, album art, and retro vibe of vinyl records, and teaming up with older Americans who grew up with the format to drive sales.

Record sales in 2020 jumped 29% to $ 626 million during the pandemic year, and exceeded CD sales, according to the Record Industry Association of America.

Of all things, audio cassettes are also attracting renewed interest thanks to the help of Hollywood and Netflix – although they are still a novelty in terms of total sales.

“Guardians of the Galaxy” contained a groovy mixtape with hits from the 1960s and 70s that topped the charts, while Netlfix’s “Stranger Things” contained a mixtape with The Clash and other artists from the 80s.

This rising interest in records and tapes bodes well for the annual celebration of Indie Music Shops, those local music centers where people can flip through albums, CDs and tapes and talk about music.

New releases, a hallmark of Record Store Day on June 12th and July 17th, include everything from Black Sabbath to The Blind Boys of Alabama and The Buzzcocks to The Notorious BIG

Many of these are one-time exclusives only available on Record Store Day, which makes them rare and collectable.

The story of the launch begins in Maine, where Chris Brown of Bull Moose Music introduced the idea in 2007 and Eric Levin of the Alliance of Independent Music Stores joined.

The first Record Store Day started a year later.

These days, retail is very different from the golden era when teenagers rushed to their local store to flick 45-rpm records.

Megastores like Virgin and Tower Records haven’t been around for a long time, but around 1,400 record stores are still in business, said Michael Kurtz, co-founder of Record Store Day. That’s more than about 1,000 stores when the deal hit rock bottom when people switched to digital music, he said.

Records and CDs together account for about $ 1.1 billion in annual sales, a far cry from the $ 10 billion spent on streaming services like Spotify, according to the RIAA.

Still, new record stores open.

In California, Michael Miller and a friend who has a collection of 5,000 to 6,000 albums each decided to open a store in Twentynine Palms, not far from Joshua Tree National Park, with a thriving art and music scene, during the February pandemic.

“My wife says you want to open a shop in the desert now? I say for sure, why not? “Said Müller. The sales exceeded expectations, he said.

Like many indie record stores, Miller’s White Label Vinyl provides a place where people can meet, talk about music, and try out the latest new and used records and other merch.

Some people buy new albums that cost more than $ 30 each. Others are more interested in classical records.

John Nyboer, a professional Los Angeles photographer, said he prefers to buy quirky tunes from vintage stores for his 2,000 record collection. Lately he’s been researching old records from Mexico and South America.

“It’s really fun to be exposed to music, to learn about history, to play amateur historians,” he said.

Back in Maine, Emanuel prefers the sound and experience of vinyl records over digital music. A listener can’t flip through the tracks on a record album, he said. Vinyl requires a listener to get used to.

“It helps to focus on the music itself,” he said. “You value a whole album instead of one or two songs.”

Chris P. Thompson, a composer and percussionist based in New York, said that was precisely why he decided to put his music on records.

“I wanted a format that encouraged the listener to invest time,” says Thompson, who produces electronic music. “The experience is more than just flicking through songs on your phone.”

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