Major labels are jumping on the D2F fan bandwagon with initiatives that include their own budget streaming service and efforts to sell direct to fans including a new vinyl e-commerce site from UMG.
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After a stint at Maker Studios, Jason Sptiz has joined Universal Music Group as Sr Director, Strategic Partnerships to launch “The Sound Of Vinyl,” an all vinyl ecommerce site. The sales site, which is already in beta, will also offer personalized vinyl recommendations and curated picks from tastemakers.
“Vinyl is having a major resurgence; sales of LPs have increased 30% since 2015, and are at their highest level since 1989,,” Spitz wrote in an email last week. “Vinyl has become a status symbol, a work of art, and a badge of super-fandom. As a listening experience, it is uniquely different than digital or streaming. Its appeal extends to music fans across diverse genres, age groups, and demographics.”
“In a world where music has disappeared into an invisible, intangible cloud, vinyl reminds us that music is REAL, he continued, “We can touch it, see it, watch it spin, feel its weight. For music fans, there is nothing like the look, the feel, and the sound of vinyl.”
The full site is expected to launch next month.
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