Vinyl records outsell digital downloads for the first time

According to the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA), vinyl record sales out-performed digital downloads and streams in the United Kingdom. During the 48^th week of this year, it was reported that £2.4m of vinyl records were sold while only £2.1m for digital music.

Compared to November of 2015, digital records sold £3.2m more than vinyl, which shows a drastic change in terms of consumers’ choice of medium. One reason for this shift is possibly due to customers purchasing vinyl records for their families and friends as a gift during the holiday season.

In a statement from ERA chief Kim Bayley, she said:

“It’s not so long ago that the digital download was meant to be the future. Few would have predicted that an album format, first invented in 1948 and based on stamping a groove into a piece of plastic, would now be outselling it in 2016.”

Another factor to consider regarding this change would be the growing popularity of events such as Record Store Day (RSD), which has been annually celebrated around the world since 2007. RSD board member Adam Gillison stated:

“Ultimately, in this digital world our customers are continually looking for a tangible, physical way to celebrate their love for their favourite artists – something that digital services simply cannot offer. On top of this, over the last nine years the popularity of RSD has continued to soar across the UK, so it comes as no surprise that the vinyl market continues to surge in this way.”

Source: The Independent UK