When Audiophiliac wrote “LP sales surpass CDs!”, it was intended to be shocking, but definitely not truthful. Posted on April 1st, the story was the author’s attempt to put a little spin on some wishful thinking that vinyl had finally become the undisputed medium of recording artists and music lovers alike. Everyone knew that vinyl was still the purist’s refuge and not the media of the masses. Seen as old technology that was easily damaged and not very portable, the Long Play or “LP” vinyl format was just dying a very slow death.
So when a Fred Meyer employee mistakenly ordered the LP version of R.E.M.’s “Accelerate” album, instead of CDs, you’d think that the stores that put the vinyl out on the shelves would see them collect dust. Instead, one store sold 20 copies in a day. Truthful? Yes. Shocking? Definitely.
Recent industry reports show that vinyl is, indeed, making a comeback. As CNN reported, “According to the Recording Industry Association of America, manufacturers’ shipments of LPs jumped more than 36 percent from 2006 to 2007 to more than 1.3 million. Shipments of CDs dropped more than 17 percent during the same period to 511 million, as they lost some ground to digital formats.” When the contest was between CDs and vinyl, CDs reigned supreme. CDs offered decent sound quality with more portability, (at least until that nasty lawsuit got filed and all those free music sharing sites got shut down). With the advent of iTunes and other downloadable MP3 warehouses, the choice is no longer strictly between CDs and vinyl. Customers looking to make a physical purchase for cover art, liner notes, and a better audio experience are skipping over CDs and buying records.
Perhaps some of the biggest drivers of this trend are the recording artists. If there is anyone who cares for the music more than audiophile, it is the artist himself. Musical talents like Elvis Costello, the Raconteurs, and others are choosing to offer their new works via digital download or LP only, skipping the CD format entirely. Lead singer and guitarist Joshua Babcock of The Society of Rockets shared with Wired, “The way the vinyl is so much better and warmer and more interesting to listen to is a wonder.” Audio qualities aside, artists also see a way to cut costs by making the most of money spent on production and distribution methods. That may mean significantly reducing the amount of money put into producing CDs.
There will always be disputes over CD versus vinyl. A one paragraph announcement about the resurgence in vinyl sales on slashdot generated over 450 posts, some going into such technical detail as to make your head spin faster than a 45. But what cannot be argued are the numbers backing up record sales and the amount of business record press companies are receiving lately. Vinyl will never reclaim its crown as music media queen, but it seems to have found a way to turn the tables on CDs. While we think of technology as maintaining a constant forward march, the recent success of vinyl proves that sometimes an old classic can still compete.