Vinyl sales are going gangbusters at the moment, but a survey’s been run in the UK and has found some rather interesting statistics. The survey, run by British firm ICM, has found that 48% of vinyl records purchased are never actually played, with 7% of those surveyed not actually owning a turntable.
The findings, as reported by the BBC, also seem to suggest that streaming is boosting sales of vinyl. Not only did many purchase vinyl records after hearing the music online, but many also unsurprisingly bought the format for the old-school factor.
“It’s so easy to listen to music now on YouTube or Spotify, I think we’re yearning for the times of our parents where you had to go out of your way to buy a song,” student Duncan Willis told researchers, who probably also wonders daily why everyone finds him insufferable.
“I have vinyls in my room but it’s more for decor. I don’t actually play them,” said Jordan Katende, a student in Manchester. “It gives me the old-school vibe. That’s what vinyl’s all about.”
Other conclusions the research has found is that 25-34 year olds are the biggest market for vinyl, with that age bracket making up about a third of all vinyl purchases, with, of the five age-brackets surveyed, the 55-64 year olds, who actually grew up the things, buying only 10% of the vinyls sold.
Vinyl’s new found popularity has been a boon to the music industry, who can focus on what they did best rather than adapt to the already-foregone digital revolution. In the UK, between 2009 and 2014, vinyl sales have increased five-fold.
Plus, this week it was revealed that revenue in Australian music has risen for the first time in three years, largely thanks to a widespread uptake of music streaming, all while vinyl sales enjoyed a sturdy 38 per cent sales boon in 2015.
The news comes on the eve of Record Store Day 2016, when a heap of local record stores will be lining their shelves with special edition releases as well as making a day out of it with live performances and other cool one-offs.
Watch: High Fidelity Saturday at the Record Store
