The $1.2 Billion Vinyl Industry's Rise, Fall and Rebirth, Explained | WSJ

Vinyl record sales hit $1.2 billion in 2022, outselling CDs for the first time since 1987. In today’s digital music era, streaming apps like Spotify and Apple Music offer listeners hundreds of millions of songs instantly through their phones. So why does the demand for vinyl records continue to rise?
WSJ tracks the life, death and rebirth of vinyl with Linkin Park’s Mike Shinoda and industry experts.
0:00 Mike Shinoda’s love for vinyl
1:09 Vinyl’s early days and fall
2:39 Vinyl’s rebirth
4:57 Vinyl’s future
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#Vinyl #Music #WSJ

[@markgarcia8253]

Vinyls are timeless. Analog technology is primary technology. It’ll never be discontinued. It’s more personal. It requires your attention thus you listen to the music rather just hearing it in the background. It makes you appreciate the packaging and artwork.

[@VinylPro]

"TIMES" FOR SURE, BUT THE TIME IS LIMITED !!!!

[@michaelwoods9005]

"Vinyls"?

[@AuggieG]

I’m 27 (born in 1996). I started collecting records these last few years. It was fun putting a system together. And then hitting up local shops to buy albums I already love. I won’t stop this hobby anytime soon!

[@tomallen6073]

Never thought vinyl would out sell CD’s again. It’s the tangible aspect, the cover art is art!

[@rpishyao629]

I completely agree, the cover plays a very important role.

[@asdfhalolol]

What got me into it is i needed some nice wall decor for my new place. Wanted something that was representative of things I love, looked good, and was practical + would retain value. And vinyl naturally became that for me, there are some beautiful presses nowadays

[@emilspec1227]

Only in the US at this stage and only because most CD users switched over to streaming.

[@emilspec1227]

@@defcreator187 I did my research. This is from the British Phonographic Industry report for 2022 “There were 11.6 million CDs and 5.5 million vinyl LPs purchased across the year, as well as 195,000 cassettes and 3.7 million album downloads. Vinyl LPs represented 31.7% of all physical purchases as sales grew for a 15th consecutive year and reached their highest level in over 30 years (stretching back to 1990).”

[@dl1083]

*outsell

[@bradleydavis5926]

I’m a 23 year old vinyl enthusiast, I pour all of my extra income into the hobby. Getting a new record at a store or in the mail and playing it on my hifi system is the best feeling I know. It’s a more demanding and enjoyable listening experience, and watching the collection grow on my shelf is satisfying! Plus, I’ll be able to show my kids my favorite stuff with ease.

[@alkebulansan]

Bradley. Hello. Get yourself a good record player, amplifier and speakers. Up to a point the more you spend the bigger return you get on the quality of sound and 3d imaging. Have fun brother. If we don't get you in the wash, we'll get you in the spin dryer!

[@mikeyii]

@@32discodaveHell, I just call them (and anyone else buying music of any age) music fans. Simplifies things and removes any hint of derogatory inference. Nobody called me a hipster when I was in my teens and 20s buying music - just a fan.

[@bradleydavis5926]

@@mikeyii thanks Mikey. I’d call myself a music fan, not a hipster

[@bradleydavis5926]

@@alkebulansan I’m invested! Got a solid budget hifi system with a quality turntable, cartridge, phono preamp, avr, and klipsch floorstanding speakers and sub. I’m caught in the wash

[@alkebulansan]

@@bradleydavis5926 Wooo! Dude, Bradley! I'm so happy for you! Over the moon mate! Wonderful news. I'll pop over for a session at some point. May you have years of pleasurable listening and deep dives into the wonders and beauty of music. Put a glide in yo stride a dip in yo hip and get on the mutha ship! Keep it real brother.

[@plajason]

Great feature bringing Mike Shinoda on! Walking legend.

[@PJV1990]

I started buying Vinyl during the low point in 2006. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that they’d comeback to the extent they have. Though my big regret is that I didn’t buy more second hand records back in 2006/07. Prices back then for second hand records were rock bottom, even for sought after albums. You could buy what today are sought after records for £3/£4 because it was thought that vinyl was finished as a format. Gosh I really wish that I bought more records back then because second hand prices have skyrocketed due to the resurgence. A second hand record that cost me £3.59 in 2006 typically sells for between £20/£30 now.

[@gingernutpreacher]

I stopped buying vinyl in 2000 when a got my own house and didn't want to take up the space it was a DJ set up now my son have one I've my turntable's I lost my collection in 2008 when moved house I don't miss them but dang the Prodigy ones 45 rpm 12inch singles are worth something now . I knew vinyl wouldn't die but dany I could not imagine the come back it has had. May I ask what you buy on vinyl

[@DiCarpio-yk9pd]

Its like buying Tesla or Nvidia stocks Its always too late !

[@recordtime4923]

“You couldn’t listen to it on your way to work or while you were doing anything else”. That’s the key for me. Listening to music as a primary activity. People forgot how to do that.

[@helionar]

yep... modern times with everybody living fast and getting everything easy is also very easy to get bored fast. As you said, the key is to sit and appreciate good music, enjoy the lyrics, the instrumentals, focusing on it, not just doing it as "one more task of my day". I just bought my first vynil disc as i got the new Linkin Park's meteora 20 (i'm a 25y brazilian guy), and despite i could have heard some vynil in my childhood (like 15-20 years ago in my grandmother's house), this now is special because it feels like i can go back in time where music was made with love and for lovers, i can imagine how hard work bands like Linkin Park had put on their musics in the early 2000's and how especial was to get one of their albums at that time, so it became a very special experience for me to finally achieve one of their albums now (being a low class guy in brazil make it a difficult task, trust me)

[@LogicPhalanx]

THIS. So much this.

[@BookofProverbs]

Linkin Park was imperative in shaping my developing years haha, good stuff WSJ.

[@dopemusic6414]

Did you break the bad habit in the end?

[@BookofProverbs]

@@dopemusic6414 unfortunately I was pretty numb to the solutions. But I guess in the end it didn’t even matter…

[@sadboi7537]

Hybrid Theory is one of the greatest albums of all time, seriously.

[@dopemusic6414]

@@BookofProverbs 😂😂😂😂😂🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@masterkwiefe]

I could listen to Mike shinoda talk all day, always got time for that legend 👌 good move WSJ

[@RudieObias]

I'm an old man in his early 40s and there's just something about physical media like vinyl you just can't get with streaming. Yes, streaming is very convenient and cheaper, but there's something about holding a record, reading its liner notes, and feeling its grooves that makes you connect to it better than music on a smartphone or laptop. You're actually investing yourself into the music.

[@SGTCloudrunner]

For me it’s also the deliberate nature of music. As someone who lived through the transition from physical to digital in my formative years (I’m 29), I also witnessed a shift in both myself and those around me to listening to music as a passive experience more than an active one. Picking out and spinning up a vinyl takes more thought and commitment than putting on whatever Spotify cues up for you for background noise.

[@bradavon]

​​@@SGTCloudrunnerabsolutely. I think people who subscribe to High Resolution Audio streaming are also doing the same though too. All the music streamers now offer High Resolution music except for Spotify and KZbin. You put on a vinyl and play a high resolution album because you want to stop and listen.

[@trevordoolan5011]

You're not an old man when you are in your early 40's...! .

[@paulcarlsen4088]

Try 53 years old! JK😂 You are 💯 correct👍

[@desireegonzalez4960]

Jk

[@ridiculousred604]

I can’t believe you didn’t have his name in the video description I saw his face and clicked 😂

[@darshilshah2728]

The LP generation will never be matched, peak era for music.

[@HeavyEarly]

4:48 The ticks, pops, and constant crackling...that sound is one of the reasons most switched to cd. Clean your records and don't buy scratched ones if you can help it.

[@melprophet1936]

Yep! It makes me laugh when I hear people today somehow say something positive about the ticks, pops and crackles of vinyl. Stuff like "it adds to the experience" or "the flaws give vinyl character" or "I actually missed the pops and crackles when I stopped buying vinyl" etc, etc. I'm 58 years old. Worked at a record store all through high school and college. Bought tons of records. I can guarantee that no one back then ever said they liked the pops, ticks and crackles of vinyl. No one ever said that!! No one ever said "gee, I'm buying the new Van Halen album today, I hope it has lots of pops and crackles"! LOL

[@seanberrodin801]

@@melprophet1936 As a current buyer of vinyl I 100% agree. There's nothing worse than pulling a brand-new LP out of the shrink and being overpowered with a horrible noise floor and pops that immediately take me out of the album. The only thing worse than that is inner groove distortion, which makes me question my choice of hobby each time I hear it.

[@melprophet1936]

@@seanberrodin801 I agree Sean, it's very annoying. My own personal return to buying vinyl didn't last long, but in the 2 or so years in 2020/2021 I spent buying vinyl, I was disappointed to see the relatively poor quality control of vinyl. More defects straight out of the shrink than I can recall way back when. But at my age I wonder though if I'm remembering the past as better than it actually was, so the most I would say is it still happens more than it should.

[@seanberrodin801]

@@melprophet1936 I buy a lot of used promotional copies from the 80’s that are near mint and I find that their quality is far superior to that of most modern pressings. From the rounded edges to the lack of warps it’s just a better experience. Not sure if pressing plants just took better care with promotional copies but the difference is night and day between them ajd modern copies!

[@Rockstaralan]

@@melprophet1936 Exactly!

[@kurtburkhardt5862]

As a kid in the 70's, I bought albums and even 45 singles as that was the best sounding format. Eventually I got a quality Marantz cassette recorder and transferred my (and others) albums to cassettes. Not better quality but no skips and portable. Once CD's came out I rarely listened to vinyl. As a DJ and sound guy since high school CD's were so much better. Once digital MP3's and streaming came out I used them. I'm old, but new technology is almost always better and more convenient. I didn't even have a turntable for about 20 years...I did save my old vinyl and about 5 years ago I bought a Pioneer DJ table. It is cool to listen to some of my old obscure records and thankfully, I kept them in good condition. I still have about 200 albums and 1200 CD's. It is nice to kick back and listen to an album in its entirety the way the artist created it. I'm glad some people are buying vinyl again. I'm not a tweeker or someone who has $1000 speaker wire but keep in mind almost all current albums are recorded and mixed on digital equipment so the analog quality myth only applies to older pressings. Hopefully the artists will get more for their musical talent with vinyl and the industry doesn't just essentially steal their intelectual property like with streaming...Peace.

[@spkymessage7346]

The reason I still buy vinyls is because well Ice Cube said it best himself, “buy music, own music” as nice as digital music is, it’s a promise that might not be kept tomorrow, you buy the vinyl or CD, you own it, you support the artist better & no one can take it from you.

[@SO-ym3zs]

Physical sales are still dwarfed by streaming revenue in the US (about 8:1), but it's encouraging that listeners are starting to value a quality listening/collecting experience again. Nothing will beat listening to vinyl--or better, a CD--on a quality system.

[@HandyAndyTechTips]

It's always great to see a physical music format doing well. Having said that, CDs provide most of the benefits of vinyl - well, except for smaller album art - and none of the drawbacks. Oh, and they're also a fraction of the price. Watch out for the CD revival coming soon.

[@thepirategamerboy12]

@@whatnots Just put the CD back in the case immediately after playing it, not laying around on the table or whatever, and you won't have scratches...

[@HandyAndyTechTips]

@@thepirategamerboy12 And the problems with scratches are much worse with LPs, of course.

[@markvandenberg4606]

I’m back to buying CDs after a decade of streaming. They sound phenomenal, I can make an easy digital back-up, and they’re dirt cheap to boot.

[@HandyAndyTechTips]

@@markvandenberg4606 Great to hear. Streaming is useful, but it's great to actually own your favourite music.

[@RickPaquin]

The only way they will return is if they fire all of the audio engineers who reprocess the original music to make it sound better on CD. Marketing people today just don't get it. It's about having the original sound, even if you have scratches and pops along the way.

[@bazedjunkiii_tv]

and once again nobody lost a word about what kept vinyl and the vinyl manufacturing industry alive mostly throughout a period roughly from the late 80s way into the early 2000s... electronic dance music culture. if it hadn't been for the dj's playing vinyl and labels providing the tools for them many a manufacturer would've closed down forever. i still remember when i first launched my own label over here in germany back in 1999 and got the first batch of 300 copies pressed at GZCZ through a somehwat shady middle man which was a pretty unknown pressing plant in the czech republic back then but, now known as gz media, grew to be one of the biggest vinyl manufacturers in europe over the course of 25 years.

[@thewaxlab]

Vinyl is an experience I listen to on an old dj Technic 1200 turntable. It’s very tactile, and playing old records on a Saturday afternoon in the summer is a different kind of listening. Yet my AirPods and iPhone serve my “on the go” day to day use cases and are equally enjoyed. They don’t compete for my ear, but compliment each other.

[@bradleydavis5926]

Agree with this!

[@RickPaquin]

@@bradleydavis5926 I agree as well. There is a place for portable music, and I do listen to it, but NOTHING beats listening to vinyl on a high end turntable and audio system. Totally different experience.

[@SoCalFreelance]

If you stream all your music, what legacy are you going to pass down to your kids? The physical music collection you invest in says a lot about you. And music on streaming services comes and goes as deal making and breaking happens and rights owners change behind the scenes.

[@exiles_dot_tv]

I mean, it's not like I'm dipping into my parents' 8-track collection.

[@SoCalFreelance]

@@exiles_dot_tv How about their record collection....those rare Beatles or Led Zeppelin records they own?

[@bradavon]

Books probably. Basically the only physical format that never died.

[@bradavon]

​@@exiles_dot_tvI'm dipping into my parent's vinyl collection. I inherited it now they only use CDs and it's great. It's now my collection.

[@TinLeadHammer]

It is not your legacy unless you've composed it.

[@bradavon]

SACDs and Blu-ray Audio are what we should be buying but the record levels have always been poor since CD at marketing superior formats. The quality is vinyl without the fragility.

[@djserious9341]

It’s kind of sad SACDs and bluray audio never really caught on with most people. Vinyl is fun but it’s got a compressed sound, and it’s so darn fragile. Feels like people forgot most of the reasons people switched to CDs in the first place. I would also argue that though some CDs have poor sound, if they are mastered properly they can sound phenomenal! And they always sound better than steamed media.

[@rylanfernandes5295]

For me, part of the excitement with Vinyl is because you always strive for perfection from the mastering to the pressing to the playback, while digital is always perfect so there’s nothing to strive for and worry about (for my setup I have hires digital streaming directly to my receiver). Also, I inherited some 15-20 records from my dad when he died, and those few records connect me to his memory. They sound surprisingly good with my Fluance RT85 although those records were beat up and dirty in storage when I found them.

[@robertarce5377]

This is proof that despite music streaming and the rise of AI there’s nothing better than touching and owning a piece of art! Either it be music 🎼 or a painting etc. Nothing can beat that feeling!

[@SpyderTracks]

Each record is unique with the cover art, the material, is it embossed, textured? Then you get into incredibly thoughtful box sets like the Norah Jones CAWM anniversary, or the beastie boys or Beatles boxes, the stones Mono box, then you’ve got limited colourways, there’s just so much. From being purely digital previously and being quite bored, I’m now obsessed again

[@user-ve1gz3em1v]

I've been keeping the Linkin Park - Meteora cassette for 20 years. The lat time I listenned to it was around 15 ago. And now I finally got got a cassette deck. This is the most pleasant way to admire a favourite music. And I'm still waiting for my vinyl of the same record. I've spent so much time listening to digital music that I even lost a sense of art in it. because you can listen to what ever you want but don't value anything. Having a vinyl player restored my original way to admire music.

[@notgojo491]

its just so relatable that the fans kept it alive, because they want to connect. I never in my life had a vinyl, my father had houndreds and i never cared, and then i found Ghost and I knew this is what I want, this is how i will express my love to them. its a fantastic hobby and way to express passion and love

[@jamest.5001]

What I like about records/ vinyl, is if we blasted ourselves into living in caves, we can still hear the music without power, just put the record on, and spin it! It can still be heardi don't think that is possible with any other method,

[@ThatVinylChannel]

I have many, many obscure vinyl albums from the 1960's through the 1980's that were never officially released on CD, and would be difficult to find them in a streaming format if at all.

[@ronaldrebulanan7327]

I recently become a vinyl player & records enthusiast. I want to revive those time in the late 70's when I was kid I remembered our grandmother has 7" vinyl records & radiola vinyl player. Though the quality of vinyl sounds is far from superior CD, mp3, online streaming but It's fun to play vinyl records coz you do the effort to play, turn it back, to clean vinyl records & player stylus needle. I think vinyl records should also be flooded the records shop so that millennials new generation will experience the old school days of listening to records.

[@Azerrmon]

Now, if only United could actually integrate quality into their manufacturing regimen. Because I kid you not, records pressed at United, with very rare exception, are of horrendous quality. Scuffs, scratches, smudges, dust galore, warps… you name it, United is consistently guilty on all counts

[@dustinshaver3173]

💯

[@samuellancaster3789]

0

[@andybarrett6472]

Started buying records when I was 12 at the grocery store in 87. Tapes were more popular and I liked both but my tape player ate them. Records never really disappeared you just had to hunt harder to find vinyl albums at record stores through the 90s. My crates weigh a ton but no regrets. Plus now I have a physical history to dig in to everyday. My own personal record store.

[@pjacobsen1000]

I grew up with vinyl but I don't think I'm going back to it. However, the big drawback of streaming and other digital music is the lack of liner notes and artwork. Those two aspects are what I really prize about vinyl and CDs. I love (with jazz, mostly) to read about the recording session, the dates of the different takes, the producer, engineer, sometimes there are essays describing how the session went or what led up to the recording. You don't get that with modern formats, or even with modern music, at all.

[@emilspec1227]

All hi-rez digital downloads I have came with great booklets in PDF format you can read just like the real thing. It's not the same but it's somewhat better than none at all you get with streaming.

[@pjacobsen1000]

@@emilspec1227 Really? What service do you use?

[@philmole1209]

The real story is that while vinyl is outselling CDs, physical sales of all kinds are a fraction of what they were in the’90s. So basically, of the small fraction of people who buy physical media, a majority of that fraction buy vinyl.

[@bfodera]

Your overall point is correct, but it's not necessarily the case that a majority of physical-media buyers are buying records. The majority of physical-media revenue is from vinyl, but vinyl costs more. In some weeks, CDs sell more units than LPs. In other weeks, LPs sell more units than CDs.

[@JohnLee-db9zt]

Vinyl played on a good turn table and phono preamp sounds so much better than digital. That’s why I always get vinyl, if available, over any digital format.

[@neillumbard7419]

Back when Vinyl was huge (before CD's and streaming) it was a means to an end for many people: listening to music. CD's came along and clobbered vinyl sales because CDs are more convenient: easier to care for, easier to transport, smaller form factor, etc. Now that we are in a digital streaming era, most streaming services offer CD quality audio or higher - high-resolution audio options (even better than CD). Streaming music is easy and one can do so from their phone, car, etc. with the tap of a finger and with access to the majority of popular music artists. Yet vinyl's resurgence is obvious to understand - beautiful art-work (the sleeves themselves), the gorgeous records (especially the limited edition color variants), and the feeling of still owning something tangible. Supporting an artist. A rebellion against the streaming services, even if one streams as well. A bid for nostalgia to something simpler - a different era. A keepsake. These are the reasons vinyl has resurfaced and won't go anywhere. It also sounds - different - a key selling point, for some (it doesn't simply replicate the digital sound experience).

[@rachmanfachri]

I love when the camera pans to Congratulations at 0:26

[@deanruthlessrecords]

As a weird avid fan of vinyl records in the mid 1990’s to now, it was always difficult to find record companies who still pressed vinyl records. I mainly listened to and bought vinyl rap albums in the entire 90s and early 2000s… most record companies pressed promo 12” records and very limited copies of whole LPs. I’m so happy to see the resurgence in vinyl! I’m happy to see this new generation of kids buying albums on vinyl!

[@JWCustoms]

Google music is the reason I collect vinyl records now. I used their subscription for years and had amazing playlists and then one day I received a email saying they would no longer be in service. Losing all of your music like that made me skeptical of ever relying on digital media again.

[@ConcertBuddie]

It’s great United is bringing in new machines, but the QC in the plant is arguably the worst in the industry - unless you love warped, dusty new records with seam splits. Then, you are in luck! Do better, Mark! Especially at these growing prices 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@quikspecv4d]

Did I just see pressed record stacked in garbage cans? If so it’s no wonder we get warped records all the time. You would never see that at RTI or QRP.

[@bananagumboot87]

Agreed. Quality control is awful. It usually takes 2 or 3 purchases to get a flat record. Sometimes it's impossible ....

[@debrahelmlinger6256]

I never gave mine up, friends would say what are you going to do with those, do you even have a turntable. Yes, I do and I am going to continue to play them. It's all dropping the needle onto the album or 45, kept those too and hearing that crackle, instantly takes me back to another time

[@charlesf2804]

I heard about United Record Pressing only very recently. Fun to see it for real. I'm from Nashville, but never knew about it. The place is huge, as is the records store this is filmed in. I could get lost in there.

[@tylero8595]

No one saw it coming back. My exs dad was an audiophile. So he introduced me to high quality audio 30 years ago. He was for CDs. But he was always listening to vinyl. So we always had a record player. We always had vinyl. It was so cheap. Then, it wasnt. I think its amazing that vinyl is rising agin. But Im a little bitter. It never left for some of us. But you are all welcome to enjoy too.

[@ganjjabarsmedium2347]

It’s so cool to see the vinyl trend , starting back when I first started collecting vinyl in 2013 . Didn’t know at the time that I was a part of the vinyl resurgence 🤘

[@tastyduckling4646]

A puppet of the record labels I see

[@scpatl4now]

I used to be in the Club business in the late 80's early 90's and I have over 2000 12 inch vinyl records. That's every vinyl 12 inch dance record produced domestically from 87-93 and lots of imports that I bought myself. I also have a ton of dance 12-inch records that predate 87 with remix services like Disconet, Hot Tracks, and Ultramix. Some are pretty valuable pressings too. I have thought about selling them since I don't really listen to them anymore.

[@stella-vu8vh]

what noise rock do you have?

[@devvoncrowder5057]

Metearo was also a RSD exclusive, definitely bumped the numbers up cause of that

[@prowlermadmax2]

What we need is new Lathe cutting vinyl machines. The last lathe cutting machine was produced in 1987.

[@chrisjones7281]

In the 80's I used to love to get imports from Tower Records that you couldn't find someplace else. During that time you also had cassettes but those were for being on the go and Albums were for home and collecting. I still have some of those from the 80s though I dont collect them now. it a cool format, and it tangible. The thing I hated about digital was purely paying to listen to a song but with Albums and CD's you got something tangible to hold in your hand, artwork, CD lyrics, what ever was included. Then I could rip the recordings to my PC and take them with me on my MP3 capable devices. So its cool to see the resurgence of vinyl. Now days you can get record players that can convert to MP3 as well.

[@vinyljoe1940]

A quality pressed audiophile record sounds like you're in the room with the musicians.

[@emilspec1227]

A well mastered digital file sounds like you're in the room with the musicians too. Listen to "The Trinity Sessions" by Cowboy Junkies, which is a digital recording, and tell me you're not feeling it.

[@PolaBurrr]

there's a lot of music not available online for streaming also music that is available can disappear and does all the time so the only way to be 100% you have the music is physical media , also record companies and artist sometimes change the music that is online by re-recording it or changing it i other ways so the only way to be sure you have the original recording is psychical media.

[@MissBabalu102]

So nice to hear some thoughtfulness.. I adore analog, bespoke, hands on, real life. Digital has gone boring.

[@Evan-tj1te]

Well, we're getting a green vinyl version of Escape by Journey at some point. You can see them being pressed near the end of the video. Hopefully, that means they'll repress other Journey albums, too.

[@riffsandspliffs3546]

Vinyl never left the metal scene; it's crazy how none of these news outlets ever mention that. The esoteric formats NEVER left the metal scene.

[@eternalglow6483]

Yea and it never left the hip hop scene either. As a hip hop producer a huge part of what I do is crate digging for old samples from the 70’s and 80’s. I think what they are saying is Vinyl just died in the mainstream and for casual music listeners. The actual music fans have always kept vinyl a part of the culture

[@beavercontrol1743]

6:15 yo cage the elephant cameo

[@RobAndrews18]

I'm also interested in getting a player myself. The first record ill buy will be Adele's 21

[@TheI3lacky]

I might not have the best Vinylplayer or Soundsystem but i do like the collecting part. Some Special Editions and so on...

[@DesertBurst92]

The major labels need to open their own pressing plants. They are a huge cause of the long wait times.

[@Rockstaralan]

I've got two words to say about that: DREAM ON!!!! The majors will not now or EVER from this point consider reinvesting those vast profits from current LP sales into reopening their own plants, or any step of the existing vinyl manufacturing process for that matter. For in typically GREEDY corporate fashion, their only intent is to milk this cow dry until there's nothing left of it, even if it means hogging up all the existing plants to press a half-million copies of Adele's most recent album (among other things), letting quality control slide and jacking up retail prices of new/reissue LP's beyond the point of current inflation (which is already bad enough as it is) - which is EXACTLY what they're doing as we speak. In fact, one might recall that the majors shot themselves in the foot in the exact same way back in the late 90's - by hiking retail prices of new CD's through the roof (and even forcing artists to fill up 80 minutes of CD space whether they had enough good material or not). And that is precisely why illegal downloads via Napster and, eventually, iTunes came along to signal the beginning of the end for physical formats as a dominant listening medium. Sad to say, but history may be on track to repeat itself with the vinyl resurgence now slowly giving way to a CD revival. I mean, go figure: If someone as powerful and influential as Jack White can't get through to the Big Dogs by publicly appealing to them to re-start their own presses as a way of easing the vinyl manufacturing crisis, NOBODY can or will. The End. PS. I speak as a lifelong lover of vinyl who never gave it up in its darkest days, never subscribed to iTunes and STILL doesn't subscribe to streaming. :-)

[@DesertBurst92]

@@Rockstaralan get help

[@jussarino]

My bro used to make beats and he had the reason software and vinyls were his best way to pull samples and make sample for the beats. He had the record player with the USB connection and used to buy hella vinyls this was in 2011

[@atadeniz18]

I think of vinly vs digital music same as fast food vs an michelin star restaurant, it simply requires your attention to listen to it, you need to take care of them, brush them, keep them in mid temperatures so they wont get skewed.

[@Wickedblackjuggalo19]

Cool interesting to see but I don’t look at it as a versus type of thing with streaming like that as I collect both vinyl and cd’s for me I look at streaming/dsp’s as easy navigation say for if a person doesn’t have certain funds to buy music whether on cd or vinyl at the moment that’s what streaming does for me

[@XxXenosxX]

I need to get back into vinyl

[@soup3097]

It's back because its' a status symbol. Its "cool" and "in" to own retro things like vinyl

[@rodney9409]

They explained here that you can have the record physically in you hand, I was born in 1970 and grew up with the format, I bought the records with my pocket money. In 1991 I bought Michael Jackson's album Dangerous on vinyl and CD. You couldn't even read the lyrics and the booklet didn't fit properly in the CD case, and the artwork was useless. My first record I bought was in 1976 and I still have it, my siblings gave their records to me because I kept mine and my amplifier and turntable that I bought in 1990 and it still works. I live in South Africa and there are still a few people that own records from their childhood and online shops and record stores etc. I think the younger people are fascinated or don't grasp the concept on how the analogue groove with it's wiggles up and down and side to side can replicate the audio so precisely.

[@chocktalk]

I can understand for collecting it, but who is going to sit their and play it and what difference does it make from listening to streaming version

[@TheHSIHP]

I sit there and play records and have been since the mid 90's

[@67Pepper]

It's a hobby, like gaming, or golf. If you love music and want to hear it in all its glory, a good analogue pressing will take you there. If not, take up sewing.

[@trueaudiofiles8453]

It's too bad United Record Pressing presses some of the noisiest records of anyone out there. I hope now that they have more machines they can focus more on the quality of their pressings and not just the quantity.

[@skatetoexplorevideos2477]

I got some old The Doors and Pink Floyd vinyl records from the 70s. It's great sounding.

[@jrgenholteng1529]

I have gone back to cds. Metallica´s new cd outsold vinyl in the U.K. in the first week....

[@mshark2205]

The warmth of the vinyl sound is great, but can’t compete with the convenience and breadth of streaming.

[@paulcarlsen4088]

Try finding a film camera for dirt cheap from a thrift store. Not saying film will take over digital, but there are people that are really getting back into shooting film.

[@jmason61]

His quote "cost between 20 to 30 dollars per disc"....I remember before vinyl died people hated paying 14.99. If the companies stay greedy this little trend will die again....

[@1RungAtATime]

Taking inflation into account, records still cost about the same.

[@67Pepper]

@@1RungAtATime Exactly!

[@emilspec1227]

@@1RungAtATime but disposable income is not following the inflation which is the biggest problem here.

[@Staffo1972]

Here in Australia we have to pay between $40 standard too $115 from Deluxe Edition, AU Exclusive Red Vinyl, Colour Vinyl, double vinyl so it's not cheap i don't recall them that price back in the 80s and 90s so atm i rather stick to my Spotify and CDs and cassette tapes

[@k2raf]

It’d like grinding your coffee in the morning, smelling it, pushing the piston of the French press, or drinking instant one, you got your caffeine both ways, but one is a real experience.

[@shaider1982]

Cd's and dvd's still sells a lot in Japan.

[@taidee]

Vinyl did not outsell CDs last year, this is misleading, most people when they hear this, they think Vinyl records sold more copies than CDs. The reality is that Vinyl sales made more money than CDs sales, yes there is rising interest but also mainly because they are expensive, so one copy of Vinyl equals a few CD copies sold.

[@TroupeGoal]

Support the artist by either buying it online or the CD, which is objectively the best quality for most people.

[@hb7030]

Objectively? Not necessarily. CDs suffer from the loudness wars and often vinyls get AAA mastering that CDs do not. So, it depends.

[@TroupeGoal]

@@hb7030 Yep I'll give you that

[@drewlsy]

Here's the analogy, put it this way, do you want to be in a long distance virtual relationship with your lover or would you rather meet in-person and be in a physical relationship in real-life. Well, that's what streaming is to vinyl listening. "Even better than the real thing" - U2.

[@missbonekittyasylum3715]

Well said.

[@mrjamesmay3548]

I’ve not heard a vinyl since I was a kid in the 80’s and I’m not sure I understand the hype around it. Well I mean, I can appreciate it but I just don’t understand it because I would find it a inconvenience. Having said that I hope it keeps doing well. My preferred option is to buy a cd and rip it to my Music player so I can sync to my phone. Streaming music is great but there are too many gaps and albums with missing tracks

[@TheHSIHP]

Part of it is that people like to collect and like hunting down records.

[@TinLeadHammer]

@@TheHSIHP Hence CDs.

[@TheHSIHP]

@@TinLeadHammer it's more fun hunting down records 😄

[@johntate131]

Too many things are digital now and days. Ppl are longing for something they had in the past. Holding something physical in your hand give it its authenticity. I remember 10 years ago buying records and ppl talking about a resurgence back then. I use all forms. Vinyl is for home use and digital/cds for mobile use

[@jerry_rey]

CD generation here, I love that young people are finally getting the experience of having an actual album with art and pictures and that feeling of having something from your favorite artist in physical form 😎

[@MargeSchiltz]

Cartoomc

[@MargeSchiltz]

Micky mouse

[@ellisgarbutt1925]

whilst streaming is good I do stream there is sonething about viny the colourof the disc weather its black coloured marbled or even picture disc & like what was said in the video artist don't make much money when you stream I will keep buying vinyl

[@happyatheists9361]

mike my 1st favorite rapper and lyricist in the end still my favorite song,i'll mis c.b but ai can replace him❤

[@simob7862]

People just got sick of paying subscription fees for something that they don’t even own. The other is when you order something special like a limited edition colour vinyl with pictures and maybe materials from the artist it’s like a tangible thing and you feel like it’s worth something. If you take care of it last a lifetime

[@rpishyao629]

So is this an advertisement for a vinyl record player manufacturer?

[@davidfrischknecht8261]

I don't buy albums on vinyl because I have no way of playing them. I'd still have to buy the album either digitally or on CD and rip it since I do all my music listening on my PC.

[@NWJF]

I just don't get it. I can understand the nostalgia for someone who grew up with vinyl. However I'm in my mid 40s and cassettes were in full implementation by the early 80s. Im not trying to yuk anyone's yum but i kinda cringe when I hear 20 and 30 something's talk about vinyl in a "back in my day" tone.

[@TinLeadHammer]

I was so happy to have gotten away from clicks, pops, hiss, wow and flutter, it is hilarious seeing hipsters buying $40 vinyl albums.

[@NWJF]

@@TinLeadHammer I mean, don't get me wrong. I love supporting artists by buying their vinyl, generally limited edition or "fan boy" type releases. But I'm certainly not listening to them 😂

[@blueeyedtech1234]

Linkin Park is the greatest. So glad to see Mike here

[@MYEVILTWIIN]

I’ve never had a Spotify or iTunes account it’s always been vinyl for me

[@WS-gs6sf]

Producer: Why doesn't it sound like a record? Engineer: What are you talking about? Producer: You know the pops and crackles. Engineer: Um, records don't sound like that... Producer: Make it sound like a record or you're fired.

[@nicholasverando2150]

He looked like he almost had a heart attack when he said its a eleven million dollar project 😅😅

[@MonieMuse]

Now I want that Linkin Park vinyl 😎

[@derekschneider8922]

It was clothing buttons that was first used to make records as we know it. Stamped buttons into records.

[@mentalmadness2192]

is the narrator Tifa from the final fantasy VII remake games? britt baron?

[@knockshinnoch1950]

So much hype around vinyl and some nonsense that people spout about vinyl being better than CD. There are so many factors to consider. Here in the UK the stats for the first week sales of the current No1 album by Lewis Capaldi tell a story- Total sales wk1- 95,882 of which 79,147 were PHYSICAL sales. This breaks down as CD- 58,421, Vinyl 18,308, Cassettes 2,481. Downloads 4,834 and sales equivalent streams 11,901. Now that presents a different narrative...

[@manatee_flips6811]

It’s a shame how much it costs to print a record, keeps independent musicians out of the market. I always new vinyl would newer die, just never imagined having to pay $8-10 per unit.

[@peteanddrake4242]

Vinyl has been big for over a decade. BUT..."modern" vinyl is just digital files cut to a record. This means you are not hearing an analogue recording and thus getting the sonic benefits if listening to analog. You are just listening to a noisy digital recording. The only way to really get the benefit of listening to a record, it needs to be an analogue recording that is then cut to a record. I am sure people enjoy the nostalgia, but they are listening to worse sound than vintage records. There are some artists that do record analogue like Foo Fighters and Jack White...

[@tuckermiller]

Shout out to Congratulations @0:27

[@Tony-bf3tf]

I really hope vinyl takes over

[@pennystriker]

Music streaming is such a great value proposition for consumers (unlimited music listening & discovery for a fixed price everywhere) that music engagement will keep on driving phenomena like this. Bullish music industry.

[@FC-qb9wp]

So Taylor or other similar artist needs to have an album ready at least 6 months in advance to send it and pressed?

[@sneakysnitch7885]

i love vinyl records because they are ad free.

[@bilguana11]

Over 90% of new pressings aren't truly analogue as they have been processed in digital somewhere along the path to getting to the cutting lathe. Plus most of those who are new to vinyl buy cheap turntables with poor reproduction.