Vinyl Is Poised to Outsell CDs For the First Time Since 1986

V8

Seems like we read this every year (pretty sure I posted a similar article last year sometime)...what I found rather odd was the reddit thread I got this article from had at least 1/3 the posters admitting they still bought &/or maintained CD collections.,.

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/vinyl-cds-revenue-growth-riaa-880959/

Despite vinyl’s growth, streaming still dominates the music industry — records accounted for just 4 percent of total revenues in the first half of 2019. In contrast, paid subscriptions to streaming services generated 62 percent of industry revenues.

“We welcome [the growth in vinyl],” Tom Corson, now the co-chairman and CEO of Warner Records, told Rolling Stone in 2015. “It’s a sexy, cool product. It represents an investment in music that’s an emotional one. [But] it is a small percentage of our business. It’s not going to make or break our year. We devote the right amount of resources to it, but it’s not something where we have a department for it.”

Still, the vinyl resurgence has been a boon for some artists, especially classic rock groups. The Beatles sold over 300,000 records in 2018, while Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, and Queen all sold over 100,000.

RodneyVikens

CD's to me are dead. Streaming and digital all the way. So if I had to buy a round shaped object again it will probably be vinyl. Just for the fun of it. But then I want a proper turntable with a tube ampifier and excellent speakers.

V8

1 vote for CD's...it wasn't me ?

Though, I got gifted a few CD's that I once owned (on tape) a very long time ago - fun to see if I could spin them all the way through without skipping tracks...

Nope, I couldn't...I have the attention span of a gnat.

Streaming for me - perhaps I'll get into the nostalgia of vinyl, but I am converted to the fidelity of digital - it's ever easier to find cheap yet decent playback devices.

My mate puts together 20Watt, R30 hifi amps (from what we can tell it's based on car audio tech) and they are pretty darn good - a bit bass heavy for guitar amps...great for bass and general music playback (Admittedly, I do like a lot of low end)

If I think about the music I regularly listen to, the majority of it isn't released on any physical format - so I have to stream it...

studmissile

V8 1 vote for CD's...it wasn't me

Guilty as charged. But I must confess its really from 2nd hand or charity shops. I've also collected a few vinyls in the same way and I can see the "cool sexy" part but to be honest I'm not that impressed by the audio quality. I still enjoy collecting music, but I am particular and I do, do it on a budget.

Last CD bought Blues Traveler Four at cash crusaders R10

V8

studmissile Guilty as charged. But I must confess its really from 2nd hand or charity shops

Wasn't pointing fingers...?, you join 30% of Reddit -since the 90's seems to re-awakening itself, could CD's become cool again?

I've still around 150 or so lurking in two rather phat CD folders - amongst them are all the classic Starwars OST's. quite a bit of 80's Metal, 90's angst grunge (Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins), 00's house and...of course my last bands album (printed 2017).

Last one I actually paid for?? Golly...I think it was a Gabriella Y Rodrigo CD about 5-6 years ago, from the local 2nd hand CD/Vinyl store. That was around R60...but came with a DvD performance. Which was great, because I don't have a cd or dvd player!

studmissile

I have no doubt, CDs will be become "cool again" in a resurgence of 90s nostalgia down the line.