Are Vinyl Record Sales Actually on the Decline?

So, when it comes to vinyl numbers, who should we believe?  The RIAA and Nielsen Music, or Best Buy? According to Nielsen Music, American consumers purchased 14.3 million vinyl albums last year.  Up 9.3% over 2016, vinyl sales have now experienced grow…

eBay, Tidal, Record Store Day Launch ‘Vinyl Obsession Week’

eBay’s ‘Vinyl Obsession Week’ officially debuted on Monday, September 17th, with a juicy niche in mind. Pooh-pooh vinyl records all you want: the format continues to grow, and the action is spreading online.  Record Store Day, which helped spark …

Exclusive: The Major Labels Are Announcing a New Vinyl Records Specification Next Month

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is planning a major upgrade to its longtime vinyl records specification. The RIAA, which represents major labels Warner Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, and Universal Music Group, is now planni…

How to Release a Vinyl Record: 7 Things I Wish I’d Known

Vinyl records are magical, but releasing vinyl introduces a lot of unexpected complexities.  Here are a few tips from someone who learned the hard way. Alandis Brassel is a music industry attorney and former audio engineer.  He also dedicates his energ…

Vinyl Records Are Still Enjoying Double-Digit Growth — Up 19.2% In 2018

Vinyl records aren’t so vintage anymore. In fact, figures from Nielsen Music indicate that sales of LPs are up 19.2% this year.  According to first-half, US-based stats shared with Digital Music News this morning, sales of LP albums landed at 7.6…

Amoeba Music Is Now Selling Weed

Amoeba Music’s flagship store in Berkeley just opened a weed-friendly pot shop to boost business. California has legalized weed, which means that lots of businesses are making the drug a little bit more accessible to the public.  But this ‘seed&#…

Record Store Day Smashes Its Own One-Day Record – Nearly 750,000 LPs Sold

Thanks to independent record stores, Record Store Day 2018 was a massive success. Nielsen Music has released its report on Record Store Day 2018.  Held on April 21st, the 11th annual edition yielded a whopping 733,000 vinyl albums sold for the week end…

High Definition ‘HD Vinyl’ Raises $4.8MM — First Pressings Arriving Next Year

High Definition ‘HD Vinyl’ now has $4.8 million in investor backing and a giant laser machine.  The first pressings are expected to hit stores by summer of 2019. A vastly-improved vinyl records technology is spinning towards reality.&#…

Sales of Cassette Tapes Have Quietly Grown 136.1% In the Past Year

Vinyl records aren’t the only media format on the rise. Over the past few years, the classic cassette tape has been growing in popularity.  Oh so quietly. The numbers aren’t huge, but they’re increasing.  According to media metrics fi…

The Vinyl Records ‘Fad’ Has Been Going Strong for 12 Straight Years

12 years ago, vinyl records were an afterthought.  Now, they’re a brand-new industry. Music industry moguls and audio experts alike never saw this coming.  But somewhere in the late 90s, audiophiles, die-hard music fans, and baby boomers felt lik…