News

The Vinyl Revival Is Confirmed By Facts

8:33 p.m. · November 17, 2009 · by Chris Bosman

With many independent labels releasing more and more of their albums on vinyl, and many new artists running limited pressings of singles and EPs on the classic medium, it seemed obvious that vinyl was on an upswing. Now, there are numbers to prove it.

According to Nielson SoundScan statistics, 1.4 million units of vinyl were moved last year, a number that is almost double the count of just under 800,000 that were sold in 2008. In wake of this type of information, major labels are once again producing new releases on the black discs. Jason Boyd, of EMI, told Variety magazine that the company has released approximately 50 new records on vinyl, and sold roughly 100,000 copies of those titles.

In a mildly karmic turn of events, a lot of the vinyl that was once created in-house by major labels now has to be contracted independently, as vinyl was phased out by the majors in the late '80s in favor of CDs. While the record companies still make money off of the purchase of their vinyl, it's comforting to know that it is not as much. So, sit down with your turntable and listen to the sound of marginally decreased profit. [Variety]