The rise and ruse of vinyl
The tables are turning, as LP records continue to rise in popularity among Kiwi music lovers.
For decades they have languished on their owners’ shelves, gathering dust in their grooves: vinyl copies of Michael Jackson’s Bad and the Beatles’ Abbey Road tucked away as first CDs, then online streaming seemed to have rendered them obsolete.
But now the tables are turning. The CD is still the most popular physical music format worldwide, and streaming continues to rise, but vinyl records are in the midst of a resurgence, with sales increasing and old collections getting a new lease of life.
Vinyl sales in Britain hit a 25-year high in 2016, with sales increasing 53 per cent on the year before, according to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). That translated to 3.2 million records being sold, a high that came after nine years of growth in what is still a niche market.
At the same time, sales of CDs declined 11 per cent, while digital streaming continued steaming ahead, increasing 68 per cent, the BPI’s report said.
New Zealand has followed suit – in 2015, vinyl sales continued to have ‘‘some resurgence’’, contributing 9 per cent, or $2.8 million, to the total figure of $31.8m for physical sales, according to a PwC report published in October.
Thirty years since the end was predicted for record players and vinyl discs, what’s behind this increase in popularity?
In a recent study by Auckland University researchers, vinyl buffs were asked what it was that kept them buying records in the digital age. The academics found those who collected records loved not just the sound, but the whole process of buying and listening to vinyl, as well as the social element that went with it.
Many interviewed said the physicality of vinyl made it feel more substantial than digital music, said Karen Fernandez, associate professor of marketing at the University of Auckland Business School.
‘‘People talked about not just the vinyl itself – the warm human tone, the crackle, the touch of the needle – but that the whole process of acquiring and using the vinyl seems to involve other people.’’
ARTISTIC MERIT
New Zealand DJ Danny Lemon agreed with the study’s finding, saying vinyl was more reliable than CDs in every way, and emotively much more rewarding. ‘‘You need to make sure they don’t get scratched but they’re pretty much there for life.’’
The vinyl aficionado lost 8500 records in an arson attack on a self-storage depot in the capital’s Kilbirnie suburb in 2014, but that hasn’t dimmed his enthusiasm.
Records were artefacts, and people were starting to cotton on to that, he said. ‘‘[They] are recognising the vinyl product has artistic merit . . . and appreciate it more and more, the cover art, the sleeve notes. You don’t get that with downloads.’’
He recalled hearing in the mid to late-1990s from major record labels that vinyl was on its way out, but said DJs and underground collectors kept it going, despite record stores closing.
‘‘I can almost remember saying ‘f... that, we’ll keep vinyl alive’. It was never dead for people like myself and my friends all over the world. We continued to collect it.’’
RECORD SALES UP
In Christchurch, Penny Lane store manager Garry Knight said the rise of vinyl was ‘‘not a fallacy’’. Where records once accounted for 5 to 10 per cent of the shop’s sales, the ratio was now closer to 20 or 30 per cent.
Older listeners yearned for the nostalgia and tactile experience of owning their music, but there was a noticeable uptake among younger customers, he said.
‘‘Vinyl is bigger,’’ Knight explained.
‘‘It has always had your liner notes or whatever, but it’s the physical size of the format. It’s an artwork and it’s got a retro feel to it that’s popular again now.’’
But while teenagers often wanted to decorate their bedrooms with record sleeves, second-hand turntables were selling ‘‘faster than we can get them in’’.
Knight believed the resurgence of vinyl was not just a fad but evidence of music lovers coming back into the fold – a trend retailers happily encouraged.
‘‘It’s almost cyclical. People are coming in every week or couple of weeks trawling through the bins to see what’s new, and they’re buying too, they’re not just looking.
‘‘It’s bringing people back into music stores that the music stores had lost.’’
The increased interest began a few years ago with sales of vinyl records more than doubling from 2013 to 2014 to top $1m a year, likely to be the first time since their 1980s’ peak.
Galaxy Records owner David Imlay has previously explained to
The Press that record companies were releasing more vinyl to boost sales.
‘‘They can’t sell CDs to young people because they will download it. They have decided to release things on vinyl as a collectable artefact for people to have.
‘‘There is definitely more young people buying vinyl now.’’
At Rough Peel Music on Cuba St, Wellington, owner Paul Huggins said he was ‘‘without a doubt’’ selling more vinyl than CDs.
It was responsible for about 80 per cent of sales, up from 30 to 40 per cent six years ago.
Huggins wasn’t entirely sure what was leading the rise in vinyl’s popularity, having collected records himself since he was a 7-year-old.
‘‘I think it’s a format thing, that artwork’s great, it’s the feel of it. There’s something about putting a record on.’’
SUPERIOR SOUND
Vinyl was a more collectible format that lasted, and had a superior sound, he said. ‘‘It is now a pan-generational thing, parents go record shopping with kids, and also record shops used to be a bit ‘dude bro’, just full of guys. I think that trend is changing.’’
There were a lot of things to indicate vinyl was on the rise, and would continue to be popular.
Naturally, turntable sales were also going up. William Woodhall, of The Listening Post in Wellington, said it was students, people in their 60s, and anyone in between coming in and asking for them. ‘‘We sell more record players than anything else.’’
HOW TO GET SPINNING
Turntables can bought for as cheaply as about $150, but audiophiles may spend thousands for the perfect sound.
Trade Me also has a range of record players for sale. When looking to buy secondhand, it’s important to make sure the turntable’s belt and motor is in good condition, Woodhall says. It’s also good to check it can work with more than one type of cartridge for the stylus, or needle, so you can upgrade if you need to.
Depending on what equipment you’ve already got, you may also need to get a phono pre-amp to run the sound through, or an amp with phono built in.
At Noel Leeming, you can pick up a record player from between $250 and $900. For something higher-end, visit The Listening Post in Willis St where record players start at about $600, and go into the thousands.
‘‘It was never dead for people like myself and my friends all over the world. We continued to collect it.’’ Wellington DJ Danny Lemon