As with most aspects of life, the internet has brought massive changes to the music industry. With the rise of streaming, other methods for listening to music have drastically diminished. But this trend isn’t true for all sources of music, as vinyl sales have actually seen a growth in sales.
They are most commonly purchased as a collector’s item, as a way for die-hard fans to show their love for an album. These days, it is more common for a vinyl record to be framed and displayed on a wall than it is for the record to be played on a record player.
While vinyl records are seeing a resurgence in sales, CDs have experienced the opposite as many retailers reduce their CD sales, and others have removed them from their stores completely. Meanwhile, vinyl sales are rising up to 24% this year, and it is expected that they will pass CD sales for the first time since 1986.
This news comes from the RIAA mid-year report, which gives an overview of the music industry. It is important to remember that both CDs and vinyl records are still a small percentage of music sales, each accounting for around 5% of total sales. Streaming, on the other hand, continues to grow with 61% of total sales. While many expect CD sales to continue to shrink, vinyl records seem to have a steady future as music enthusiasts remain loyal to them, even if they are purchased simply to display.
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