Music in the Digital Era; The Vinyl Frontier?

In an age dominated by digital streaming, the allure of vinyl records has sparked a remarkable resurgence in the 21st century, capturing the hearts (and wallets) of music lovers and audiophiles alike. Since the introduction of the compact disc (CD) in the 1980’s, vinyl record sales had been on a gradual but consistent decline, but a recent resurgence has seen fascinating commercial results for the medium. Once considered a relic of the past, vinyl records are now celebrated not just for their nostalgic charm but for their warm, authentic sound and the tactile experience they offer, bridging the gap between old and new in a rapidly evolving music industry.

Did you know vinyl record sales have increased year on year for a now 16th consecutive year as of 2024? And sales grew at their fastest rate this decade with 6.1 million units sold, a feat not matched since 1990.

President of the Vinyl Records Manufacturing Association, Dustin Blocker attributes the resurgence to the desire for higher quality music listening, and a cultural shift driven by the youth, among other things.

“Vinyl’s resurgence is more than a nostalgic trend; it’s a blend of art, technology and cultural significance, with younger generations driving growth and new innovations ensuring its place in the future of music” he said.

There are numerous contributing factors to this recent vinyl resurgence, noteworthy examples including an partiality to the ritualistic nature of vinyl records as put forth by Guo , who says the forced action of selecting a record, placing it on a turntable and hitting play has become attractive to the younger generations who have had a numbness and disorientation inflicted on them by the instantaneous nature of modern media technologies. Similarly, there is an attractive social and historical element to listening to vinyl records as argued by Poole  who comments on the tangible nature of vinyl records being attributed to owning a piece of history, like holding an artefact from a space and time of yesteryear. Who doesn’t want to experience that?!

I could go on but in summary, the vinyl resurgence is very real. It might last, it might not. But what is known, is that the driving forces around the resurgence are largely presenting from the youth. Maybe it’s a resistance against the digital age. Perhaps a slight rebellion against the monotony of streaming services dominating the industry. Whatever the reason/s, I’m a fan and unfortunately, my wallet will continue to feel the effects.