FEATURE:
Bringing Down the Needle
PHOTO CREDIT: Wellington Cunha/Pexels
Is There a Way to Make Vnyl More Affordable?
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I think that vinyl has always been…
PHOTO CREDIT: Miguel Á. Padriñán/Pexels
and will always the best physical format to enjoy music on. You get a richness and listening experience that is unparalleled. I wrote a feature recently that asked whether we might get another physical format for the modern age. When you think about it and the demand for physical music, it seems wrong that there are so few options. With people buying fewer C.D.s and cassettes not exactly built to last and imbued with limitations, that is a lot of weight on the shoulders of vinyl. You would think, that by 2023, someone would have discovered a new physical format that could be easily played, is affordable, and would offer a nice alternative to vinyl. As it is, vinyl is the most-demanded and bought physical format. Sales continue to rise. That is encouraging to see, because I feel people want to own something that will last and they can hold. There is something almost art-like buying vinyl, as it quite a size! The sleeve has this striking and large cover image, and you can explore the liner notes. It is a feast for the senses and, in many ways, it is a smart investment. I can also appreciate how vinyl allows people to stop and listen to an album through. There is no easy skipping. You really do need to give it your full attention. It is not only classic albums that are seeing big sales and popularity.
PHOTO CREDIT: freepik
So many new artists are putting their albums out in various formats. Whilst they offer cassettes and compact discs, it is the vinyl copies that tend to fare best. It comes back to the fact people own record players and it seems easier to play vinyl. Not many people have C.D. players or any way of playing cassettes! Given the demand and continued reliance on vinyl, one would think there would be more plants and manufacturers that could produce them more cheaply than they are now. There is environmental issues when it comes to shipping vinyl and a lot of the facilities used to manufacture them. This might be an issue that could be avoided if more money was provided by the government to ensure that plants could be built around the U.K./U.S. It is a joy to see vinyl albums on display. I was in an HMV recently and boygenius’ the record was alongside Ellie Goulding’s Higher Than Heaven. Taylor Swift’s Midnights (various editions of it), was also there, and the temptation to buy them all is strong! I think so many people either wait for an album to come down in price or buy the one. As much as we would like to splurge and buy all the albums we want, the reality is that prices are still pretty high. Even in independent shops, they can be pretty steep. I was looking to buy the record and Billie Marten’s Drop Cherries. Both were retailing for around £27. It is a little more at Rough Trade. You get various options regarding colour. You can get clear vinyl and ones with a couple of extra tracks on but, whilst those options are great, it is still quite hefty. Even if you are keeping that album for years to come, finding that money in the first place is quite hard.
I know there is a lot involved with producing an album to vinyl. It is a big product to start with, then you have manufacturing and shipping. I know it is never possible to make them and then sell them on at around £15 or so. Sometimes the same album on C.D. can cost a third less than on vinyl. It is a discrepancy that is hard to reconcile. One might say that, logically, as a vinyl is much larger than a compact disc, the fact you get that much more material means that you should be paying for it. I am not arguing that you get a lot for your money. Many people want to invest in vinyl as much as possible and, when you have such terrific music coming out and so many vinyl options (colour etc.), it is difficult to ration and choose! Regardless of the cost, vinyl sales continue to rocket. This article from earlier in the year reported great news regarding record vinyl sales in the U.K. over 2022:
“2022 saw the largest volume of vinyl sales since 1990 with 5.5 million units sold in the UK. Rivaling the year that Phil Collins released the chart-topping ‘…But Seriously’.
The albums chart was dominated by Taylor Swift‘s latest album ‘Midnights’ but UK artists such as Harry Styles, Wet Leg, The 1975, Arctic Monkeys, and Liam Gallagher all taking top 10 positions.
The retrospective format to listen to music on is still clearly growing and showing little signs of slowing down. Although, the album charts only give us an insight into more mainstream artists, it is easy to argue that the format is dominating in the underground scene, where plenty if not most artists are releasing their music on wax.
Official Top 40 best-selling vinyl albums of 2022
1. Taylor Swift – Midnights
2. Harry Styles – Harry’s House
3. Arctic Monkeys – The Care
4. Liam Gallagher – C’mon You Know
5. Fleetwood Mac – Rumours
6. Wet Leg – Wet Leg
7. The 1975 – Being Funny In A Foreign Language
8. Arctic Monkeys – AM
9. Fontaines DC – Skinty Fia
10. Muse – Will Of The People
11. Pink Floyd – The Dark Side Of The Moon
12. Amy Winehouse – Back To Black
13. Nirvana – Nevermind
14. David Bowie – The Rise & Fall Of Ziggy Stardust
15. George Michael – Older
16. Paolo Nutini – Last Night In The Bittersweet
17. Yard Act – The Overload
18. The Beatles – Revolver
19. Sam Fender – Seventeen Going Under
20. Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am That’s What I’m Not
21. Queen – Greatest Hits
22. Foals – Life Is Yours
23. Louis Tomlinson
24. George Ezra – Gold Rush Kid
25. Harry Styles – Fine Line
26. The Smile – A Light For Attracting Attention
27. Bob Marley & The Wailers – Legend
28. Oasis – What’s The Story Morning Glory
29. Lana Del Rey – Born To Die
30. Taylor Swift – Folklore
31. Black Country New Road – Ants From Up There
32. Red Hot Chili Peppers – Unlimited Love
33. Fleetwood Mac – Greteast Hits
34. Radiohead – OK Computer
35. Florence & The Machine – Dance Fever
36. Tears For Fears – The Tipping Point
37. Olivia Rodrigo – Sour
38. Bruce Springsteen – Only The Strong
39. Arctic Monkeys – Favourite Worst Nightmare
40. Guardians Of The Galaxy – Awesome Mix 1: Original Soundtrack”.
I suspect that there might be a slight decline this year. People have less disposable income in general with bills rising and the economy not being in great shape. I am often in the position where I want to buy two new albums on vinyl but can only get the one, or I might wait a few months so the price goes down. It is quite a big slice of your weekly expenditure. Many would argue it is worth it but, if there was a way of making it less expensive so that, say, an album that normally retails at £27 could even be cut to £20, that would be a significant difference. I feel for the artists who rely on that revenue. It is an ethical quandary for sure! With other physical formats declining and this being a form of income that they need, of course retailing vinyl for less will impact them – and it is especially severe for newer artists. There is a notable lack of major pressing plants. Perhaps the only major one in the U.K. is The Vinyl Factory. With the only options being to important, that does create environmental damage and means albums are more expensive. America seems to be in a better position when it comes to availability of major plants - but even there prices are pretty high. A format that should flourish for decades to come, there is nothing like shopping for vinyl and being surrounded by like-minded people.
PHOTO CREDIT: ALTEREDSNAPS/Pexels
You get the experience of browsing the racks/shelves and taking time to see what takes your fancy. You get the album you went in for, but you may also discover a classic or another new album that takes your fancy. I am worried that there are many who might not be able to afford an album on vinyl, or they are missing out on a great new release because they cannot budget for it. Whether it is more manufacturing plants or another method, I am not too sure. There are high costs involved making vinyl, but I think that many more younger listeners would buy more vinyl if there was a way of making it less expensive. As I said, a new album costing £27-£30 is quite a lot; the price decrease would not need to be that much. We all want to ensure that this wonderful and huge popular format is enjoyed by all. Whilst you can buy a few new albums on C.D. and it would be anywhere from £33-£39 on average, that is only slightly more than one album on vinyl. I will get boygenius’ the record on vinyl soon, but I have it on C.D. now and I am already setting some money aside to buy Billie Marten’s Drop Cherries on vinyl – though it may take a little while longer. I think all vinyl lovers would buy even more if the price came down just a little. It would make things that much more satisfying…
WHEN we put the needle down.