By Mayra Tahir
In this technological era of iTunes, Spotify, and Pandora, it came as a surprise when musicians started releasing new music on LP Vinyl records. It also came as a bigger surprise when vinyl started appearing on store shelves and on Instagram posts. Compared to digital music, vinyl records are nowhere as practical. They definitely don’t fit in your pocket or play at a touch of a button. You can’t download it, or listen to it through your earphones. So what’s with the sudden prominence?
According to Adam Winkel, a college freshman, vinyl actually sounds better than digital music because of its authenticity and its crackling sound. He also said that the physical form of vinyl records is attractive in its own way.
“I mean, look at them,” he said. “They are completely gorgeous in its own form and absolutely aesthetically pleasing and beautiful.” A newbie in the vinyl craze, Winkel enjoys the feeling of nostalgia when listening to his records. “Whenever I listen to them, it feels like I’m back in time.”
For Rodolfo Estrada, he enjoys the album sleeves and the act of digging through records. Estrada said that looking through music allows him to discover new music and experiment with different genres.
According to Billboard, digital sales and CD sales have decreased by a fair amount. Overall album sales decreased 8.4% in 2013 while digital tracks decreased by 5.7%. On the other hand, vinyl records strengthened its revival with a 32% increase in sales last year with Arctic Monkeys’ “AM” and Daft Punk’s “Random Access Memories” topping the charts.
“It is definitely super popular to buy them now,” said an Urban Outfitters employee. She said that she notices more and more younger people digging through the records and purchasing them.
Along with an increase in sales, the vinyl revival is evident in the annual celebration of Record Store Day. Founded in 2007, it is celebrated on the third Saturday of April every year. It is a day where people who make up the culture of independent record stores such as musicians, fans, and staff come together and celebrate their culture. Celebrations include gathering to their local independent record stores to have performances, spinning records, and meet and greet with artists. Special Record Store Day releases of vinyl are also sold, with this year’s releases including Tame Impala, Flaming Lips, and Childish Gambino. This year has been the most successful Record Store Day so far, with a 54% increase in vinyl sales from last year.
“Vinyl is fun,” said Estrada. “It’s a unique format that everybody can enjoy. It’s the future of music!”
So forget about the iPod. Record players are back.
According to Adam Winkel, a college freshman, vinyl actually sounds better than digital music because of its authenticity and its crackling sound. He also said that the physical form of vinyl records is attractive in its own way.
“I mean, look at them,” he said. “They are completely gorgeous in its own form and absolutely aesthetically pleasing and beautiful.” A newbie in the vinyl craze, Winkel enjoys the feeling of nostalgia when listening to his records. “Whenever I listen to them, it feels like I’m back in time.”
For Rodolfo Estrada, he enjoys the album sleeves and the act of digging through records. Estrada said that looking through music allows him to discover new music and experiment with different genres.
According to Billboard, digital sales and CD sales have decreased by a fair amount. Overall album sales decreased 8.4% in 2013 while digital tracks decreased by 5.7%. On the other hand, vinyl records strengthened its revival with a 32% increase in sales last year with Arctic Monkeys’ “AM” and Daft Punk’s “Random Access Memories” topping the charts.
“It is definitely super popular to buy them now,” said an Urban Outfitters employee. She said that she notices more and more younger people digging through the records and purchasing them.
Along with an increase in sales, the vinyl revival is evident in the annual celebration of Record Store Day. Founded in 2007, it is celebrated on the third Saturday of April every year. It is a day where people who make up the culture of independent record stores such as musicians, fans, and staff come together and celebrate their culture. Celebrations include gathering to their local independent record stores to have performances, spinning records, and meet and greet with artists. Special Record Store Day releases of vinyl are also sold, with this year’s releases including Tame Impala, Flaming Lips, and Childish Gambino. This year has been the most successful Record Store Day so far, with a 54% increase in vinyl sales from last year.
“Vinyl is fun,” said Estrada. “It’s a unique format that everybody can enjoy. It’s the future of music!”
So forget about the iPod. Record players are back.