Once considered extinct and the stuff only disc jockeys played on a regular basis, gramophone records are experiencing a resurgence in popularity. With record sales surpassing CD sales every year since 2020, buying music on vinyl is a new hobby – and one that even those in their under-thirties are excited about.
Just when we thought streaming was the future, it’s great to see these shiny PVC hoops come to life and take their rightful place in popular culture once again. But what is the reason behind their recent surge in popularity? Here are four reasons why.
Nostalgia
Nothing can replace the feeling of holding a vinyl record in your hand, running your finger over the ridge, and popping it into the record player for unparalleled musical quality. With the streaming giant making music its sole sensation, the act of holding vinyl has been missing from the customer experience for a while now.
There’s something about vinyl that builds a deeper connection between the listener and the music. Plus, it’s not always available to you making the experience even more special.
Improved availability
Once upon a time, finding vinyl took hours of browsing the shelves in a store. Now, mainstream stores and online retailers are making the act of buying vinyl records much easier and more convenient.
Plus, with more people starting to become aware of their screen time and internet consumption, vinyl brings you back to basics and offers no other distractions.
sound quality
For true music lovers, this is at the very top of the priority list. Modern digital audio is usually compressed into smaller files that can be streamed easily. This is because they need to use as little bandwidth as possible for files to load relatively quickly.
Vinyl, however, offers far superior sound quality as it is not in a digital format and enjoys maximum bandwidth for a much richer sound and a more immersive listening experience.
Valuable rituals
There’s something ritual about taking the vinyl out of the sleeve, putting it on the turntable and placing the needle just like that. This brings us back to basics, encouraging us to give our full attention to music and to fully appreciate it in its most beautiful form. For many people, vinyl represents getting away from the busy everyday life while for others, it may be reminiscent of other times in their lives. There’s no denying that vinyl has a special emotional power.
