Vinyl outsells digital downloads

[PaulWarning]

I heard this morning that Vinyl out sold digital downloads this morning, in monetary terms anyway, not that surprising with vinyl costing £25 a pop (new Stones LP) and loads of streaming services it is a bit of a distorted statement, I imagine they'll be a few Dads getting it Blues and Lonesome on Christmas morning, can't say I'll be going back to vinyl at those prices, nostalgia comes at a price I'm not prepared to pay, but who'd have thought 20 years ago? I still enjoy getting an LP out and putting it on the turntable but at my age I would wouldn't I?

Edited December 7, 2016 by PaulWarning

[Cato]

In the last year I've noticed a lot more bands selling vinyl on their merch stands at gigs.

I think the demand is expanding beyond the old guy/nostalgia/audio snob market.

Edited December 7, 2016 by Cato

[spectoremg]

I heard the horse and cart's making a comeback too

[PaulWarning]

[quote name='Cato' timestamp='1481129363' post='3189915']
In the last year I've noticed a lot more bands selling vinyl on their merch stands at gigs.

I think the demand is expanding beyond the old guy/nostalgia/audio snob market.
[/quote]that's true, 10 years ago minor bands wouldn't have dreamed of releasing their stuff on vinyl

[skej21]

I'm not sure but maybe a lot of the popularity of this format is to do with how tactile it is? I know I'm a huge fan of being able to look at the inserts (see who played what, see photos taken during recording or the artwork someone has put their talent to in real detail) and have something physical to take home for my money. Being able to take music home without knowing what to expect and the anticipation that brings. Those things come with all music formats except digital downloads. They're too immediate and aloof for me.

Edited December 7, 2016 by skej21

[skidder652003]

I saw vinyl on sale in Sainsburys yesterday! - Sainsburys!

[taunton-hobbit]

We'll be back to Golden Guinea lps yet.....the price cutting is yet to start,
when it does there will be blood everywhere (as usual)

[Luulox]

Kate Bush is to blame apparently. Something about a live album.

[IainS]

A £25 album is a nice occasional treat but I'd rather spend a bit of time sifting through the boxes of vinyl in charity shops. It's mostly Barbara Streisand and similar awfulness but occasionally there are some absolute gems that aren't scratched to pieces. You never know what you're going to find and you'll rarely pay more than a couple of quid.
But I can see the appeal of digital downloads in that you can find and download almost any piece of music in seconds, which is really handy for learning new songs.

[Mykesbass]

[quote name='spectoremg' timestamp='1481133906' post='3189966']
I heard the horse and cart's making a comeback too
[/quote]
But cars are probably an improvement, can't say the same for streaming or downloads

[Count Bassy]

[quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1481145752' post='3190098']
But cars are probably an improvement, can't say the same for streaming or downloads
[/quote]
Digital in itself is an improvement, what recording engineers do with it re compression etc. is not.

[Cat Burrito]

Always preferred vinyl over any format. The changes can come and go but I do like records. Even if they crackle and jump and don't fit in the car stereo.

[ahpook]

I'd say it more demonstrates the wholesale shift to streaming music than downloading it.

[bazzbass]

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1481128522' post='3189908']
I imagine they'll be a few Dads getting it Blues and Lonesome on Christmas morning,
[/quote]

I had a brief listen, omg it is woeful. The Stones sound tired and bored, and Jagger sounds more like a whitey trying hard to sound black than ever before.

crud

they are a covers band now lol

Vinyl at $35 AU are they serious?

[Grangur]

£25 might seem a bit expensive now, but weren't vynal albums about £14-20 back in the 70's and 80s?

CDS were £14 when they first came out. It's only in recent times that prices dropped. It just seems expensive now as we've got used to low prices for recordings.

[visog]

I wouldn't get your hopes up guys - its vinyl and old (live instruments) coming back for their last gasp for going under finally.

The turntables will all be in the loft again by March

Edited December 8, 2016 by visog

[Pinball]

I hope that its a sign that people are looking for a different listening experience and actually listening to whole albums rather than individual tracks

[Grangur]

[quote name='visog' timestamp='1481181826' post='3190246']
I wouldn't get your hopes up guys - its vinyl and old (live instruments) coming back for their last gasp for going under finally.

The turntables will all be in the loft again by March
[/quote]
You are, of course, correct. The only question is"which March, 2017 or 2018?"

[lowdown]

[quote name='spectoremg' timestamp='1481133906' post='3189966']
I heard the horse and cart's making a comeback too
[/quote]

What about some Fanny by Gaslight?

[Bass Culture]

I don't think I'll ever stop buying vinyl and it's been nice to pick the occasional new band whilst they're inclined to release on that format - doesn't stop me buying CD's for bands I'm more tentative about though. Mind you, it's grinding my gears that the new (!) Ultrasound album in vinyl is still in the process of being pressed up and won't be sent out until two weeks after the download's available. What's that about?!

[leftybassman392]

[quote name='Pinball' timestamp='1481182211' post='3190247']
I hope that its a sign that people are looking for a different listening experience and actually listening to whole albums rather than individual tracks
[/quote]

Not so sure about that; I listened to a discussion about it last night and apparently a lot of people are buying vinyl just so they can boast to their friends that they have it on vinyl: it seems that many of the people buying vinyl don't actually own a record deck...

[url="http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b08509k3/newsnight-07122016"]http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b08509k3/newsnight-07122016[/url]

The item starts at 32:25.

Edited December 8, 2016 by leftybassman392

[Musicman20]

Vinyl has been making a comeback for YEARS. It will not slip back under the radar for a long time.

Reasons:

1. Collective appeal,
2. Supporting music and actually OWNING IT as well as getting the download code inside,
3. It does sound fantastic. A decent player/amp/speaker setup and you are away,
4. It makes you enjoy and listen to the whole thing,
5. Artwork/sleeve/different pressings,
6. Nostalgia.

Look at places like Piccadilly records...they are always busy.

I think it is a positive step. I like CDs, I like downloads, but I LOVE vinyl.

FYI - Most records fall well below £25 after a while. Most of The Smiths albums are £12.99 or less, HMV sales have classic reissues of The Clash for £9.99, etc....

I recently bought the expanded double heavyweight vinyl releases of some Faith No More albums....£16 ish free delivery...Amazon.

Amazon is a great place to keep an eye on prices.

[PaulWarning]

Vinyl is also synonymous with the golden age of rock and roll and pop, it's no coincidence that the vinyl top 10 is almost all old stuff, nostalgia is a powerful force look at the love for steam trains and WWII planes, it's not going anywhere
I agree with a few post on here, you're far more likely to listen to the whole album (well one side at least) on vinyl than CD, digital downloads have been a disaster for whole albums as a piece of work

[Marc S]

[quote name='skej21' timestamp='1481134468' post='3189974']
I'm not sure but maybe a lot of the popularity of this format is to do with how tactile it is? I know I'm a huge fan of being able to look at the inserts (see who played what, see photos taken during recording or the artwork someone has put their talent to in real detail) and have something physical to take home for my money. Being able to take music home without knowing what to expect and the anticipation that brings. Those things come with all music formats except digital downloads. They're too immediate and aloof for me.
[/quote]

Yes indeed. I always used to love flicking through vinyl at record shops and record fairs too. I have done the same thing with CD's of course - but it never quite feels the same, even when you find something you've been looking for, for some time.....

These days, I rarely play my vinyl. I really should, I know it. I've got some rare and collectible vinyl and I never play it. Yes, they're even selling vinyl in Sainsburys now I have also noticed mind you, that when you see vinyl players for sale, the pickup arms tend to be made of plastic, and they don't look that good. It's what I would've called a "groove grinder" back in my days of hi-fi snobbery! lol

So at £25 a pop, I'm not sure that many of todays' decks will do the vinyl justice, or ensure longevity of the vinyl

[martthebass]

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1481180706' post='3190238']
£25 might seem a bit expensive now, but weren't vynal albums about £14-20 back in the 70's and 80s?

CDS were £14 when they first came out. It's only in recent times that prices dropped. It just seems expensive now as we've got used to low prices for recordings.
[/quote]

Can't remember paying more than about £6 for a single album just before I moved over to CDs in the mid/late 80s. I still love Vinyl but after the daft prices of new and ebay I decided to buy a nice Naim CD player and pick up vintage CDs (i.e. 80s stuff) off the bay for about £2-5 a pop. My equally nice Rega deck gets used but that's on my 400+ plus collection of vinyl I bought in the 70s and 80s.