I've read a number of reports that sales of vinyl LPs and turntables are way up. Retailers speculate the obvious: Vinyl turns music into a tangible work of art, allowing a deeper connection between listener and artist. And many vinyl LPs now come with a code to download a free MP3 version of the album, giving listeners both the convenience of digital audio and the beauty of art you can hold in your hand.
Vinyl could save not only music as high art, but also the music industry itself. Labels and music retailers, reeling from years of plummeting sales, have been trying to lure buyers into purchasing physical CDs instead of downloads. Some have included videos or bonus tracks with the discs. But vinyl is a perfect excuse for returning to an actual, physical record store, where you can lay down some money and walk out with something real. I'd love to see local record stores come back.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Should I buy a turntable?
Vinyl, industry savior? (All Songs Considered)
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1 comment:
I bought myself a turntable as a birthday present a couple of years ago and I love it. I spin records pretty much every day.
And if you're a thrift-store rat like me, you can dig up tons of great stuff for pocket change. Taking a chance on a ten-cent record as opposed to a sixteen-dollar CD is a much better alternative; you can satisfy a desire for new music discoveries and not go broke in the process.
I don't think vinyl will save the music industry, though. It's more of a niche/cult thing, and its cool factor will nosedive the second the music industry tries to make more money off it.
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