Between January 1st and July 1st of 2021, Vinyl sales grew by 108.2% according to MRC Data. MRC Data is a leading data and analytics company specializing in counting music sales data every week from all areas of the entertainment industry.
As digital streaming services rose to prominence over the past decade, physical album sales and even digital downloads (i.e. iTunes, etc.) fell considerably. Yet, vinyl sales have continually seen a steady increase. In fact, 2021’s half year report conducted by MRC Data shows that 2021 is the first year in the company’s 30 year history where vinyl outsold cds. While physical CD sales totaled $18.9 Million in the last 6 months, Vinyl sales reached $19.2 Million.
What makes vinyl so appealing? Is there really a sonic difference between listening to a digital file vs. a physical record? MusicTimes.com speculates that the answer could be as simple as consumers gravitating toward retro aesthetics or an appreciation for album artwork that can be displayed in the home. Limited edition vinyl with unique colors and designs could also be driving increased consumer demand for the retro format. Record Store Day was created to celebrate vinyl and the culture of independent record stores and has acted as a catalyst for artists and labels to invest in specialty vinyl production. It’s likely that consumers are buying the experience of vinyl rather than superior sound quality or convenience. The ritual of putting a record on and listening front to back is something you can do in Spotify, but it just doesn’t feel the same.
Analyzing CD sales from the last 6-months, the top two selling cd’s were Taylor Swift’s December 11, 2020 release ‘Evermore’ with over 374,000 copies sold, and Morgan Wallen’s January 8, 2021 release ‘Dangerous: The Double Album’ with 241,000 copies sold. Country music was the best selling genre with a combined 2.1 Million sales.
Finally, for vinyl sales, the top three selling LP’s were Taylor Swift’s ‘Evermore’ with 143,000 copies, Harry Styles’ 2019 release ‘Fine Line’ with 125,000 copies, and interestingly, Kendrick Lamar’s 2012 release ‘Good Kid M.A.A.D City’ totaling 99,000 copies.
