Yes, interesting article… he is wrong… completely. While, there is likely to be a continuing “nostalgia” market for vinyl, the renaissance for vinyl was because the CD / digital was not even close to competing in sound quality of vinyl since it’s introduction.
That advantage is largely gone… or at least is going away. In the $100 - $200K system arena equal digital and analog sound quality are roughly equivalent in cost. Above or below that analog has a cost advantage for equivalent sound quality… but that is going away. And, if you simply put all your money into digital instead of both then digital will win.
Once the cost advantage is gone, the it becomes all about nostalgia. The numbers will slowly shift. The cost advantage to acquiring music is soooo advantageous to the streaming side it is a no brainer.
The nitwit that wrote that lacks perspective, maturity and wisdom.
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I have been investigating the resurgence in Hard Media for a quire a while now and have formed a view that is founded on info like the stuff seen in the Link, bit also by listening to those who work as a support to the music industry through supplying its sales material.
Firstly if one wants to legally own Recorded Music that is offered through mainstream marketing channels, my understanding is that the only real option on the table is to purchase Hard Media. Any other mainstream methods of supply is to Hire/Rent recorded music only.
Mega Stars from the music Industry are always quoted as having huge Hard Media Sales. This is a inevitability if one digs deeper to learn why?
Streaming remuneration is totally loaded in the favour of the Record Company and Streaming Service, this is the Business Model Full Stop. Remuneration to performers for their work via the Streaming Model is very very poor.
In general the Band/Group as a whole will need the remuneration of approx' 3000 Stream revenues to receive the same remuneration as a sale of 1 x CD or 1 x Vinyl LP sale.
Performers, Bands, Groups, are totally switched on to the remuneration value of supplying Hard Media, for many it is their own Merchandise sold at Live Performances and via their Web Site.
Mega Stars have a slightly different approach to Hard Media, it is nit uncommon for these individuals to have a 'clause' in place. The 'clause' being that none of their work will be offered via a streaming platform until a minimum quantity of Hard Media - CD or Vinyl Sales have been realised.
In general a Record Company is very keen to get the marketing onto the Streaming Platform, as a result of contractual obligations with the stream service. A Heavy promotion will be in place to realise the minimum sale.
When the minimum sale is achieved the Maga Star will have received in remuneration X amount of $000000's or similar in other currencies, as per their contracts that are in place for Hard Media sales percentage of entitlement.
Hard Media percentage of entitlement is much much more than the typical 3% - 6% of entitlement made as a remuneration of streamed media.
It is a pure need to express survivalism in the market for some who supply Hard Media, it is the only way along with Live Performances that may enable them to be able to create a ling term career as a musician.
For another select bunch, the type that go on World Tours as non-domiciles using select periods of time in any one Country as a means to avoid Tax. For these Types the remuneration from Hard Media Sales is very very nice, sought of owning a Bahamas Island Nice.
With the above views formed, I intentionally buy throughout the year a selection Hard Media purchases, made available from New Performers trying to get established. I am no stranger now to Crowd Funding Purchases or Purchases direct from a Web Site, of either Vinyl or CD.
My latest purchase arrived a few days ago, it will be debuted today at a social get together with Tube Rolling as the main activity on a Audio Note CD2.
I hope the attendees enjoy their first musical encounter with the all girl Group 'boygenius' as much as I did.
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New albums prices have now increased to an average of $30 and quite frankly it's becoming ridiculous. I will also be looking into upgrading my digital end as the streaming sound quality/content is getting better and buying less vinyl in 2024.
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It appears that only half of the people who buy records actually own a turntable.
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@rdk777
$6 in 1976 = $32.08 in 2023.
I don’t know how old you are but I remember paying $6.00 for an album and thinking it was a good deal. If you look at the conversion $6.00 back in the day to the equivalent value now - $30.00 (believe or not) it’s about the same. Look at the price of housing and or the price of cars you’ll see the same thing. Now if you’re mainly enjoying streaming, the price of vinyl won’t necessarily change that.
Just my 2 cents or 10 cents in today’s Value 😉
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$30 in 2023 is about $11.00 in 1990 per
I'm not sure vinyl is too expensive.
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Why pay for music when you can legally steal it?
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An LP cost £2.50 full price when I first bought them. I remember thinking it was the same as a bottle of whisky (which I was not old enough to buy then).
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used vinyl prices have no bottom. They have become so cheap lately, with lots sold in so many places that $10 seems wild now. Maybe it will change, I am not sure what the life of a vinyl is, but it seems that there are too many copies out there and found and offered for sale to support e.g., $30/Pet Sounds
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Buying Recorded Music is a luxury, there is no limitation on how a individual treats themselves to something they class as special to them.
Buying Hard Media to Stash Away or Play, Buying used or new Hard Media, or buying virtual Media, each option is for the individual to decide.
It is not really a winnable situation, when those who own music as a result of a purchase and those who use music recordings as a result of a hire agreement are suggesting their methods are the better one. Better for the individual not better for all.
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grislybutter, Apparently you shop at Goodwill and yard sales. Prices on coveted work by first rank artists on original labels are pretty stable if not rising, based on my recent 3 days spent at the Capitol Audio Fest here in DC. I am referring of course to "pre-owned" LPs. Prices on new re-issues are also not falling. Yes, junk is cheap; it always was. In fact, my experience made me take a second look at the value of my LP collection; I could not or would not afford to buy it back if I did not already own it.
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@lewm
I have no doubt we have different standards :) and I sure can appreciate your taste, collection and budget.
Yes, I shop at goodwill, shopgoodwill.com, ebay, discogs, used record stores in very ethnic neighborhoods with thick metal bars on the windows. Yes, it can be/will be junk. But my 10 best sounding records were ALL under $10. And I have a pile of records I thought I could sell for 15-30-50 bucks, based on "market value" - not a single offer
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You got me all wrong. I’m no LP snob. I just don’t buy records in less than mint physical condition. That means no LPs from Goodwill or yard sales have ever qualified. At CAF I bought a dozen used LPs from a trusted vendor at $10 each, all mint. And he marked them down to $5 each. But while there, I saw, for example, that complete Mosaic sets, of which I have 9 or 10 accumulated over 30 years or so, were on sale from the same vendor, for $500 each.
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Buying vinyl is way over my budget...
I dont listen to 500 albums merely ...
I like to explore...
Some albums i listened 1000 times, ( how is a vinyl state after few hundred listenings ? ) some others i like to listen to them few times...
But i like to own them , and i cannot afford a 20,000 bucks system with 10,000 albums... I must choose ... I had chosen a 1000 buks system speakers+headphones, TOP one for his price ...And i am happy and it is not a stopgap...
Now how do you keep 10,000 cd or vinyls ?
Answer : a room for them , it takes one wall of a small thirteen feet room for 2,500 cd or vinyl on each walls ...
Now i like books ...And i had more all my life than cds ...
Another room ....or two....
Where did i put my system ? In a dedicated acoustic room with no books nor my 10,000 albums for sure ...
Three rooms and i had no room here for my 2 children yet ...
I prefer lossless files...
My children are gone but even with a smaller house, i do not have anymore my past dedicated room ...
I ggo down to 500 paper books ... But all my cd were transfered on files all along the last 20 years...
Happily ...
Because i dont have the space now in a small house for two ...
And now imagine the cost of a competite vinyl system ?
In low cost system digital beat easily vinyl...
In high end if i listen mike lavigne and i listen to him because i trust him , vinyl is better ...
i will stay with a low cost completely satisfying system ...😁😊 With no frustration because trust me it sound minimally very satisfying ...
But there is no truth here, we have all our needs ...
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@lewm I didn't think or mean you are a snob. (More like: I am a slob)
You just have different (higher) standards. I am sure that over time, I will too be pickier about what I put on my turntable, e.g. if I have a better cartridge. I am experimenting a lot, buying rare records. sometimes buying a lot of 10 at goodwill and find out they are all junk, sometimes buying 3 and they are all awesome.
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Why do audiophiles sometimes, not all the time, like take the fun out of just listening to music? Not only do I remember the fun of just simple crate digging, I still do. I’ve gotten some really nice gems at Goodwill type stores at a buck a piece, and the internet with discogs, and other independent sellers I've gotten some great tunes also.
One thing about vinyl and independent record stores in and around where you and I live, it’s the used records that keep them open, not the new uber expensive remakes. And when your older it’s nice to walk in a record store and see a bunch of crates with that particular unmistakable smell of time, with like minded people of all ages. In fact I dare say it’s the kids that has kept vinyl alive. Even the young kids have told me they like the sound of vinyl better than cd’s.
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A Vinyl LP I purchased in my mid' teens' and have kept until this day, has had a early period of its life, being taken to parties and has been exposed to very unhealthy substances either air born or spillage.
Later in the LP's life it had undergone a few cleaning methods, using solutions produced to purposely clean Vinyl LP's.
This Album was kept for sentimental reasons, as it was a concern when being replayed, the sonic produced was uncomfortable and the Styli was seemingly in a worse case interface. The Album was not played for more than a decade.
Neil Antin's PAVCR become available to myself, using the info in this instructional, and a few other methods seen in use around the methods in the instructional. I set about carrying out using the Manual Cleaning Method, using a Solution that was a mixture of substances suggested available in the UK.
The Album above having undergone one clean only, has become totally usable.
I have described the cleanliness of the Album as being purified, I had a new experience where I perceived the cleanliness as a addition to the sonic produced.
There are methods available for Vinyl care, that are not too expensive to put in place, that will produce the cleanest Vinyl LP, either as a used or new LP. Setting aside the tools to clean and any methods adopted for LP drying, the solution produced using the guidance in the Instructional if fully utilised, will be approx' $00.05 per LP cleaned.
As far as I understand, this cost of .05c for a solution to clean a single LP, that when applied as per the Instructional, will produce a LP that can have a minimal contaminant residual left, especially a contaminant residual that does not get amplified in the RIAA and become a sonic at the Speaker end.
Can a Vinyl LP user buying both new or used LP's want any more available to them as a cleaning method (purification process) ?
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I have in the past, with no restrictions to the work area, managed in 1 hour to have 10 x Vinyl LP's cleaned using the PAVCR Manual Method.
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I buy LP's because I like the sound of well-mastered, well-pressed ones, but even more important to me is the 12x12 physical size of the object; some people DO care about things like being able to see the artwork and be able to read lyrics and credits without needing a magnifying glass.
Nothing to do with 'nostalgia' for me - I'm 72 and went without playing any vinyl for over 25 years - all about the sound and the 12x12 artwork. I also buy a lot of box sets, both vinyl and CD; there is some great packaging both ways....
But 'back for good'? I don't think such a concept exists; there's a lot of future left, I hope.
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@pindac
I can clean and dry 20 records in an hour, have a record that is immune to static and is quieter than when new. I can also make dinner at the same time. I suspect my solution is a bit more expensive than yours, maybe 25 cents per cleaned record. What does this have to do with vinyl being, "back for good"? In spite of the best intension vinyl is not likely to survive in the long run. Us old guys that grew up with records and now have money and room for them will perish leaving a bunch of streaming monkeys who are more than likely too lazy to brush their teeth never mind clean a record. For serious music lovers digital sources and mastering have improved dramatically, are noise and hassle free and can be easily purchased online. Some venues are still subject to the loudness wars, but I think that will change.
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There is no assurance that if you buy a new physical copy of music that the artist will get any of the money unless you buy it directly from the artist on a website or at a show. The record companies have the royalties scam down pat too. If you buy used the artist gets nothing.
I don’t feel that there’s anything I can do about this situation. In my view, it’s up to the artists to band together, especially the superstars, and demand fairer treatment as far as payment goes for all recorded music. I am prepared to pay more for streaming if that happens, probably a LOT more. I’d like to see that happen but don’t expect it anytime soon. The system is working just fine for artists like Taylor or The Stones and you can never have too much money, just ask Bono or Roger Waters.
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I have no need to feel guilty; I would guess that 95% of the musicians represented on my ~3000 LPs are deceased, some long ago. The few that remain active are themselves dropping like flies and largely earn income from concerts, not from their old LPs. In principle, I agree with Mijostyn. The vinyl renaissance will wane as we who support it shuffle off this mortal coil. But I don’t think it will go away completely, because there is a certain mystique about vinyl and its album covers that still appeals even to the young.
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Markets are created within Markets.
Vinyl has had its day as the go to method to experience recorded music, but that said, it is still able to function as means to supply entertainment very satisfactorily.
Those who buy Vinyl for this purpose are in general Single Album Purchasers, as well as particular about recording quality, returns to Vendor are quit common.
Then there is the different approach, Vinyl LP's are known to appreciate in value.
Those with collections used solely to be replayed and with a usage history know this, they have raised an eyebrow on occasion when a value of a LP has become known. Take my original 'Pulse' Album as an example, still in its cellophane wrap.
Those with Vinyl collections, with no intention to be replayed, where the LP is still wrapped in cellophane and maybe even provenance such as a purchase receipt, are the backbone of the New Production markets. These types of buyer are happy to buy in multiples, they know the investments and the likelihood of appreciation, as well as knowing all about the appreciation that is already realised. It is these types of enthusiast that are the New Release Markets, Coal on the Fire, they are the Stokers.
Making Money is a stimulus, everybody wants a piece of the action. Getting in early is the buzz, the thrill of the chase. As long as this activity keeps making profit, when will the activity cease, if there is seemingly nothing speculative for the use of ones monies. There is not a secret anymore about appreciation, the stories are commonly heard, there is a growing trend, participants are increasing, it is better than some of the Trends and certainly nothing Ponzi.
A couple of years past during Covid, I met teen in the workplace and after having a talk about the strange world we were in, learnt that they collected/Invested In Trainer Shoes and Vinyl, with a combined collection in multi thousands of £'s. I used to get him to show a few other work friends Photo's of his display of Trainers that have never been worn outside of the home.
I know one case where a first edition Album pressed in 2017ish was out of Presses. I held of the purchase of the Album as a Xmas gift, with the intention of having it as Easter gift. When picking up with the idea at Easter the same £30 Album could only be found for close to £700. Very recently a second addition pressing has been marketed and things have normalised.
I think it is safe to say that a user of the Vinyl LP for entertainment through a replay, did not come up with the value of £700. For the purchaser such a price will have been very speculative.
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