Vinyl records outsell CDs for the second consecutive year

[midian182]

What just happened? With cinemas showing Dune and, soon, Beetlejuice, and the world in a tense standoff with Russia, it sometimes feels like we're back in the 1980s. Another phenomenon reminiscent of the decade – at least the early- to mid-parts – is vinyl being more popular than CDs. The big black records outsold the smaller, shinier discs in 2023 for the second year in a row, with sales reaching 43 million.

Those vinyl sales mean the format outsold CDs by 6 million units, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. The more expensive vinyl also made a lot more money than CDs: $1.4 billion compared to $537 million. And while CD revenue was up 11.3% YoY, the 37 million units shipped represent a decline of 600,000 compared to the previous year.

This marks only the second time since 1987 that vinyl has outsold CDs – the same thing happened last year. 2023 also marked the 17th consecutive year of vinyl growth and a 10% YoY revenue increase.

Records accounted for 71% of all physical-format revenue last year; there were also around 500,000 cassettes sold, surprisingly. Overall, physical music revenue hit $1.91 billion in 2023, up 11% compared to 2022.

Digital is, of course, still king, representing 89% of total shipments last year. Paid subscriptions, ad-supported services, digital and customized radio, social media platforms, apps and others grew 8% to a record high $14.4 billion in revenue. These services made up 84% of all sales as paid subscriptions to on-demand services such as Spotify and Apple Music reached an all-time high of 96.8 million. Revenue from these subs increased to $11.2 billion in 2023, accounting for 78% of all streaming revenue and nearly two-thirds of total revenue.

One digital area that continued to decline last year was revenue from downloaded music, falling 12% to $434 million. Downloads accounted for just 3% of U.S. recorded music revenue in 2023, down from a peak of 43% of revenue in 2012, highlighting how most people prefer to stream their music these days.

The recorded music industry as a whole saw revenue grow 8% in 2023 to reach an all-time high of $17.1 billion. While it was the eighth consecutive year of growth, there are fears that the streaming boom is leveling off. Like so many industries, the music world is dealing with mass layoffs and the threat of generative AI taking jobs. There's also the concern that the technology could stifle artists.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/102407-vinyl-records-outsell-cds-second-consecutive-year.html

 

[SirDigby]

I still buy CDs, its a happy medium for audio quality, cost, and actually supporting the artist.

Yes vinyl hypothetically has better audio quality but it takes up more space (as do record players), and you need expensive audio equipment to actually hear the difference.

 

[Uncle Al]

I'll put my money into vinyl every time ... the sound quality says it all. Sadly, you would think after all this time CD's would have figured out a way to maintain the sound quality ....

 

[NicktheWVAHick]

If they could just figure out a way to put the “pops” & “clicks” in a CD I’d buy more of them.

 

[mailpup]

If they could just figure out a way to put the “pops” & “clicks” in a CD I’d buy more of them.

Don't forget the wow and flutter. Wouldn't want to leave that out of the experience.

 

[m4a4]

I still don't understand how people have convinced themselves that vinyl sounds better than a high quality digital recording (especially when a lot of people don't have the audio setup to differentiate). Or any physical media.

If you told me it was nostalgia, I'd get it. But don't try to convince me that the the sound quality is objectively better than the format that they use to print them...

 

[Squid Surprise]

The flaw here is dividing music sales into “digital” and “physical”…

CDs are DIGITAL as well… and the vast majority of people who want their music digitally naturally prefer it streamed/downloaded ( most PCs don’t even have optical drives any more).

Vinyl is analog - and the only major way to get your analog music is via vinyl.

Naturally they are going to outsell CDs - I don’t see this trend changing any time soon. However, I suspect that, over time, BOTH will decrease to marginal levels as digital music has basically already matched analog in quality (it takes a very expensive system and above average ears to tell the difference) and the convenience of digital is simply not comparable to vinyl.

 

[MakeMSGreatAgain]

I like vinyl records for the physical aspect of it... collecting, handling, having the large album artworks, and just the experience of being involved. For me, it makes me appreciate the music more than if I just play it from a file on my computer.

As for quality being better, I don't buy that for a second - at least not with anything recorded after the late 80's once recording studios switched to digital recording. I will say you're lucky if the quality is equal to or near equal to the digital copy. I have several Nine Inch Nails and A Perfect Circle albums on both vinyl and CD, and downloaded FLAC files... and the artists and studios did a good job putting the digitally recorded audio on vinyl that it sounds almost the same, but I can still tell the CD sounds just a microbit better in some areas. You have to remember vinyl is not true stereo audio, it is cheating. In a very clever way mind you, but it is still cheating.

Now older music, originally recorded in analog and put on analog... if you happen to have a like new or relatively undamaged record then I can argue there are certain qualities there that sound better than the modern digital remastered / converted recording we have now. Though some will argue this point. If anything it is like that first love, in that the original even if technically not as good just sounds better to you because it is the original. The digital remasters change things a bit, to in theory make it sound better, but it isn't the same as what you remember and therefore doesn't sound as good.

Part of this buying physical media too though is I think people are seeing the writing on the wall with the industry wanting to CONTROL everything and have you subscribe to everything. We don't want that and people are pushing back. And once we buy a CD or vinyl record they no longer have control, and we prefer it that way. Plus when the decide you can't have access to that music anymore they can take it away, on streaming services that is... but not from physical media you have.

There are advantages and disadvantages to both. I use both. For convenience of course streaming or stored mp3/flac copies is the way to go. For just sitting down and dedicating time to listening to an artist you really like, vinyl or CD is the way to go.

 

[Theinsanegamer]

I'll put my money into vinyl every time ... the sound quality says it all. Sadly, you would think after all this time CD's would have figured out a way to maintain the sound quality ....

Vinyl does not de facto have better audio quality. It depends on the mastering of the audio itself beforehand. A bad master will sound like trash no matter the format, and mastering for CD is different then mastering for, say, FLAC or vinyl.

I still buy CDs, its a happy medium for audio quality, cost, and actually supporting the artist.

Yes vinyl hypothetically has better audio quality but it takes up more space (as do record players), and you need expensive audio equipment to actually hear the difference.

I usually buy direct from artist, in FLAC if possible, or a combo pack if offered so I have a physical backup. I still have Blu Ray equipped PCs, but I rip it all to play on my phone and car.

 

[SirDigby]

Vinyl does not de facto have better audio quality. It depends on the mastering of the audio itself beforehand. A bad master will sound like trash no matter the format, and mastering for CD is different then mastering for, say, FLAC or vinyl.
I usually buy direct from artist, in FLAC if possible, or a combo pack if offered so I have a physical backup. I still have Blu Ray equipped PCs, but I rip it all to play on my phone and car.

Yeah I tend to buy from Bandcamp/ artists shop, Bandcamp gives FLAC with physical purchase so that's great. I also have a blu-ray drive in my PC and rip in FLAC and 320kbps MP3 (for max compatibility) and put on my phone, even though I usually stream Spotify so they get an extra £0.004p per song

 

[lnorthe]

I still buy CDs, its a happy medium for audio quality, cost, and actually supporting the artist.

Yes vinyl hypothetically has better audio quality but it takes up more space (as do record players), and you need expensive audio equipment to actually hear the difference.

Not to mention, I can easily play a CD in my office, car, bedroom. Otherwise, I would need a turntable.

 

[lnorthe]

Don't forget the wow and flutter. Wouldn't want to leave that out of the experience.

My CDs sound as good as the day I bought them over 30 years ago. Can't say the same about my vinyl. Plus I have nice digital backups of all my CDs in case they are ever a lost or stolen.

 

[OortCloud]

Just shows what a unpleasant place to live the world is becoming that we all are drawn back to things from better times before Tim, Jeff, Donald, Mark, Xi, Sundar, Vladimir and Elon and turned our world to sh1t.

I vote we put them all on an Island and televise a last-man-standing deathmatch.