Why Are Vinyls Gaining
Popularity Again?
A beautiful musical product that started in 1930 slowly turned into memorabilia, but with technological advancement in the industry, it started to seep into oblivion. Swift downloads, multiple streaming platforms, music videos, and shuffling playlists became the norm. In this myriad layers of musical progress, vinyl is making a resurgence, which can be seen as a paradox. Still, upon delving deep into its viability, the answer becomes clear- nostalgia and an oldworld charm have a big allure.
1. A Soft Sound Quality Many music lovers believe that the sound quality of vinyl is much superior as it includes a warm and glowing quality, which is hard to replicate in the digitally remastered uber-high-quality tracks available today. The main criteria for music from yesteryears was to be released on vinyl, and it was made for that only since no other form of music storage was available. So, the songs from that era are especially well-suited for vinyl listening.
2. Tangible Artwork Our source of viewing album art has become this thumbnail-size canvas that appears on every song. The reduced size hinders the creativity of the artists and the audience’ s enjoyment of the thematic value and understanding of the album. At the same time, vinyls offer a much larger canvas, often 12x12, where the finer details can be much appreciated, which actually makes the audience connect with the album further. For older generations, vinyl covers have a sense of nostalgia for their favourite albums that are still forged in their minds.
3. Collectibility Its resurgence can be noted for a multitude of reasons, including collectibility, where many people have
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26 highonscore. com found it a passion to collect old and new vinyl records. Today, new records often come in colourful designs and even distinct shapes. Getting handson vintage records is also a matter of pride, like the iconic covers of Pink Floyd, Beatles and Nirvana, for example. Even collecting the Sgt. Due to its rarity, Pepper’ s Lonely Hearts Club by Beatles has become a source of prestige. And, of course, who wouldn’ t want to collect records for their high resale value too?
4. Bring Music Lovers Together Since the revitalization of vinyl, record stores catering to the same have also sprung up, which has become a common space for sharing the passion for music with many people. Sharing music physically becomes a symbol of passion. Now, bars and cafes are hosting‘ Vinyl nights’ where music lovers bring their records and share them with the community, leading to music discovery. With the digital era leading to seclusion, vinyl exchanges and face-to-face interactions become a haven for human connections.
5. Discovery Very often, in online streaming platforms, the option of shuffle works with an algorithm of playing songs most listened to and liked by the listener. This hinders the chance for the music lover to find new artists or songs not in their playlist. However, vinyl records give a better chance for the listener to discover new songs by the artist as they usually listen to all the numbers of the vinyl record. Record stores have a section of‘ New Releases’ or‘ Rarities’ in their list, making discovering music even more discerning.
6. Supporting Artists Vinyl records, once collected, become a source of revenue for new artists as well, who get almost 10 % to 15 % of the revenue of each vinyl sold. However, the majority of streaming companies pay the artist just $ 0.003 and $ 0.005 per stream, which means a new artist would need a lot of streams before making some actual money and a source of income. It was also noted that in countries like the USA, artists earned more from vinyl records than streaming platforms.
7. Nostalgia and Memory Music and notes are perhaps the biggest source for invoking nostalgia. Music can be attached to a specific memory or feeling, and hearing that music, especially in a tangible format, becomes a part of memorabilia of lost feelings. The younger generation is also embracing the era of vinyl and simpler times, from vintage fashion to film cameras; it’ s literally becoming an era of nostalgia.