Vinyl's still hanging on!

[squids]

Yay! Jes caught this on bloggingstocks:"Vinyl records making a surprise returnPosted Jun 9th 2008 6:24PM by Richard DriverFiled under: Products and services, Consumer experience, Amazon.com (AMZN), Marketing and advertising, Best Buy (BBY)The Associated Press reported Monday that vinyl records have made a surprising return in some markets in the last year. A story about an employee at the Fred Meyer retail chain mistakenly ordering the vinyl edition of an album instead of the special edition CD with a DVD illustrates the impressive jump LP sales made between 2006 and 2007, rising more than 36% while CD sales dropped 17% due to increased digital downloads (CD sales remain hundreds of millions of copies higher though). The article also indicates that regional and specialized chains are not the only outlets selling LPs successfully, with both Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) and Best Buy Co, Inc. (NYSE: BBY) creating sections and testing sales.The resurgence in LP sales has also stoked the raging debate about differences between analog and digital formats. Melinda Merrill, a spokeswoman for Fred Meyer told the AP "It's not just a nostalgia thing, the response from customers has just been that they like it, they feel like it has a better sound." The AP also reports that sound is not a central factor in increasing sales. The experience of listening to an LP, much more involved than a CD or a digital file, is drawing new listeners and keeping old ones. This tendency has lent itself to more sales of players, and the pressing business has been renewed.In the end, increased LP sales make it clear that consumers care about more than the music that is produced. Jay Millar, a director of marketing at United Record Pressing indicates that he feels vinyl is "for the die-hard music consumer," or the consumer that isn't looking for the most convenient method of acquiring an album and its music. Unfortunately, the mainstream music industry and its consumers will continue the push away from LPs and CDs, but if regional or independent retailers can keep the limited pressings intact via strong and surprising sales, then the history of the music industry and the "original" format that is as close to live music as you can get will continue to live."

[aimusic]

And don't forget how they make excellent frisbees....

[53mph]

I've always loved vinyl. There is something sexy about the black vinyl slipping on and off your turn table. I remember as a kid buying Eps on etched vinyl, coloured vinyl, limited edition (but for real, not like with CDs), with gatefolds etc.. it was a joy and I felt the object was special. Along came CDs and CD rippers and the sense of a valuable product dissappeared. CD's are things that you leave lying around in your car getting scratched.When I released my first single in London 10 years ago it was on vinyl only; it sold out, so there was a market back then for sure. I recently bought myself a copy and framed it on my wall, J. R. Hartley style.

[squids]

That's a great story. I wish I'd cut both my albums on vinyl, just to hear them that way and also to save a copy for myself with the cover, for wall art. Great idea, 53!And yeah, aim (sorry, I'm so tired I could drop right now!), if I bought an album and it turned out to be a dud, we'd use 'em as frisbees. LOL

[aimusic]

Errr Squids.... I don't see Paul anywhere....

[devin]

Wait a minute Brad...I've never seen you and Paul in the same place at the same time....perhaps...YOU ARE ONE IN THE SAME PERSON?OK, just kidding. Paul knows where his children (and grandchildren) are. You and I, however, may have some explaining to do.53mph is right. I still have my albums...love them....in a cherished spot. I also have 300+ CDs, in bankers boxes under my weights (I think)...I lost them after ripping them to mp3.I don't have the guts to play the vinyl anymore though. I was big into metal, so all those Iron Maiden covers were nice and large for the artwork...unless it was King Crimson, and you just needed one color.

[ibanez468]

Haaa! That's the Halifax workin' B! You are now...Feaker!!! Now your complete name is: B Feaker! I-468BTW, love my vinyl! Matter of fact, just inherited some more. Some really old jazz albums (my dad's) and some classic r&b albums (my mom's). Wonder if they're worth any money? Whatcha' think?

[aimusic]

OH MY GOD HALIFAX did call me up to sell me pension plans?!?!?! WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!?!?! ....Yeah I am secretly Paul - This picture is just photoshopped.... B Feaker - hahahaha that sounds funny (as the brits would say - DAT SOUNDS FUNNAY)!!I love Vinyls.... that's why I love listening to a Glen Miller cd I got coz you can still here the scratches of the vinyl - ya know the whole vinyl converted to cd thang... NICE!!!!!

[jchitty]

Wow, thanks for posting this, Squiddy. I'd read where collecting vintage vinyl was a hot hobbie now, but I didn't know people were ordering new ones. I agree about the 'experience of vinyl. Some of the magic was lost when CD's were the newest technology. First off, we didn't get a fold out cover with all the lyrics written on it, and a lot of those covers had the most amazing artwork. (just no one say anything about using the cover to separate your seeds and stems, hehe) There was something about the smell of the vinyl too.....it was sort of a stimulus to listening to music....you knew you were about to play something you loved. I always envied people who had Pioneer turntables too....I had a crappy 'ole used one, but I did okay with it. I wonder if turntables will make a comeback now....guess they'll have to if the trend continues.Some of the listening pleasure of music has truly been lost. When I was younger, music was a much bigger part of entertainment than it is now. As a kid, I'd sit in my room for hours, playing the whole album....music spoke to me....I knew every word to a song, and if the lyrics were vague, I'd spend time pondering what they meant. We live in a such a fast past time now. People don't seem to listen to music that much unless they want it on as background sound or something. The internet and cable tv compete with music now too.I'd love to see a resurgence of vinyl....as someone who loves to write lyrics myself, it would mean we'd be able to SEE the lyrics again. When the lyrics were taken out of the CD equation, they somehow lost importance. Many people don't even know words to songs anymore.....they remember the hook and the chorus, and that's about it.

[ibanez468]

Jun 10, 2008, 3:54am, aimusic wrote:I love Vinyls.... that's why I love listening to a Glen Miller cd I got coz you can still here the scratches of the vinyl - ya know the whole vinyl converted to cd thang... NICE!!!!!That's a project that I have yet to start (converting albums to CDs). I know it'll take months to complete.