Vinyl break records

The sales figures of the 90s are surpassed

The company BuzzAngle recently calculated in a report(PDF) that the sales of these discs increased by 20.1 percent in 2017. And they have been growing for many years. Although the truth is that precisely because of its nature as a physical product, and the peculiarities of sales systems, it is not entirely clear the number of units sold worldwide.

Keep in mind that many of these discs are sold at disco fairs and street markets. Also through well-known websites such as eBay. In addition, some discs are pressed by very small labels. All this makes sales difficult to quantify.

In any case we find surprising news; as the Independent newspaper as the Independent newspaper last year echoed last year echoed his at the time that the volume of business of the sale of vinyl records had reached a figure that was not seen since the 90s.

The reasons for how this situation has been reached are multiple and have much to do with the changes in consumption of those who love music. Obviously, there is a melancholic component in the purchase of these discs. Just know that one of the best selling titles on vinyl is still the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band of the Beatles. But melancholy alone does not explain the huge boom of vinyl.

LP records always had a great virtue: their huge covers allowed the container of music could be much more spectacular in terms of design. In fact, they came to perform, and perform, real prodigies in the creation of that class of records.

The rise of the vinyl record has a lot to do with the resistance to buying digital books and that we still prefer to read on paper. The container still has its importance, and it will surely be important for a long time. Also, do not underestimate the concentration of listening to a vinyl record versus listening to a song on Spotify on a phone, where at any time you can get the notification that we have received an email from work.

But there is something else: digital music implicitly keeps using a screen to control it, something that for some, oddly enough, is a problem. On the other hand, it is known that many vinyl records in any case allow you to download a digital copy of the disc if you want to listen to it on the street or in a car.

And finally there is the eternal debate about whether a vinyl record played with quality equipment can exceed the audio quality of other media. Actually, this debate is false, because it would be difficult to answer simply with a yes or a no.

It is similar to what happens when you compare analog and digital photography: it is true that digital cameras have achieved levels of definition that exceed the typical 35mm reel. But there are other aspects to consider: such as the reproduction of color, which for many is still more convincing in film than using a digital sensor.

Something similar happens with vinyl. In certain aspects its sound is better than that of a song played in a streaming service or on a CD. But do not forget that there are lots of variables that influence this: how the recording of the master has been done, the equipment with which you listen and also the quality of the recording on the vinyl or digital disc. Although this, as we say, is an endless debate.

On the other hand, although in principle streaming services seem much more profitable, if you pay an amount of about 10 euros per month, you have at your disposal a large number of songs, it is clear that at the time of unsubscribe from the platform We can listen to any of those songs again. And this, however obvious it may seem, is more important than we suspect to understand the rise of the discs that sound thanks to the touch with a needle.