Posted on 04/25/2023 10:53:17 AM PDT by Red Badger
Okay, this is kinda crazy. I remember back in the '90s when Compact Discs pushed vinyl records to near extinction. But now, look at this:
Infographic: Vinyl Sales Surpass CDs for the First Time Since 1987 This chart shows CD and vinyl album sales in the United States since 1985. WWW.STATISTA.COM
https://www.statista.com/chart/29781/cd-and-vinyl-album-sales-in-the-united-states/
The vinyl record has officially made its comeback!
I swear almost every music junkie I know has a record player now.
It's crazy.
The sound is beautiful, I'll give it that.
And the setup is pretty classy, too, sure.
Plus, contrary to the modern big-hit single downloads, you actually have to listen to the whole album all the way through; so you'd better be listening to something quality.
That's not to say that you don't get some of these benefits in a CD, but let's be honest: There's nothing really cool about a CD. It just goes inside the machine and the machine plays it back, nothing spectacular.
Now, CDs have officially been surpassed by vinyl records in overall sales.
In fact, vinyl album sales in the United States surpassed CD sales for the first time since 1987 last year...
According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), 41 million vinyl records were sold in the U.S. last year, up from just 1.3 million in 2007, the year that Record Store Day was conceived. In the meantime, CD album sales plummeted from 500 million units in 2007 to just 33.4 million last year, marking the first time in 35 years that vinyl had the upper hand against its digital descendant.
THIRTY-FIVE YEARS!!!
That's outrageous!!!
Here's a handy chart for ya:
It's so strange to see such an obsolete piece of technology make a comeback like this. Yet, here we are.
And gramps, it's not just your old used records from the attic making their way to the platter. It seems like every cool indie band I know is selling their albums on vinyl these days.
People are obviously buying them up like hot cakes and I don't see the trend stopping anytime soon.
Music junkies are a rare breed, and when they like something, it's kinda hard to get them away from it.
Still not gettin’ it 🤔
More accurate title, “Nobody is buying albums or CD’s anymore”.
It’s not that vinyl sales have spiked, it’s just that CD sales have continued to crater while vinyl stays pretty stable. There is always a market for vinyl, between the audio enthusiasts, collectors, and the punk rockers and indie artists who like vinyl because it allows them to “DIY” put their albums out without major label backing.
Might as well. Nearly every “remastered” music CD in the past two decades has compressed the dynamic range out of the music, even for a lot of music (rock) that didn’t much a lot of dynamic range to begin with. There have been exceptions, but they are either rare or expensive (MFSL, Audio Fidelity, SACD, etc.).
Audiophile purists claim that the vinyl analog records sound better than the digital recreations..................
So, downloaded/streamed digital music from Apple, Amazon, Spotify, YouTube etc. means that no one but the most confirmed luddite *needs* to own physical media to listen to their favorite tunes. Thus, the physical media has become a luxury collectible for the hardcore fan. It’s less about listening to the disc than owning the album artwork. And a big Vinyl LP is a nicer collectible than a 5-in CD.
Bringing back the super cool album covers!!!...and the two-platter albums...and the poster inserts!!!
“because it allows them to “DIY” put their albums out without major label backing.”
Cutting CDs is easier and cheaper than putting out records..
Along with the fidelity seen with CDs they're also great because tracks can easily be converted into MP3s for your cell phone and car.
And you can play them over...and over...and over...and over,which is what I do over the years (decades,actually).
Yup. I cam to post my experience.
I haven’t bought a record, tape CD, or DVD in years.
Everything I listed to or watch is either streamed or I download and keep in my extensive library (which is backed up).
Yeah I get that part.
A neighbor spent big bucks on a turn table recently.
He said digital has holes in the sound that analog fills.
He also said most of the new vinyl is copied from digital so unless you verify it’s on fact analog you didn’t do anything but buy a vinyl copy of a digital recording.
MP3 basically sucks. Hi res audio
https://electronics.sony.com/best-music-download-sites-hi-res-audio
They’re far from great but they are really good when loaded onto your cell phone or onto your car’s hard drive (which I’ve done).
Burned CDRs maybe.
Typical music streaming services like Apple Music or Spotify allow you to stream high-quality MP3s, which have a bit rate of 320kb (kilobytes). Music files on CDs have a bit-rate of 1,411 kbps (this is a limitation of the CD format). High-resolution music can have a bit rate of up to 9,216kbps. That’s a substantial difference, and if the music is mastered well, and you use nice equipment, you’ll notice a difference
Source: https://www.rollingstone.com/product-recommendations/electronics/hi-res-music-stream-online-982727/
The only problem I’ve had lately is being an old man.
My hearing isn’t what it once was.
I used to be a serious audiophile, and I still have my original Bose 901 speakers, Technics turntable, Harmon-Kardon amplifier and tuner, even an old reel-to-reel TEAC 3440...
But I just don’t listen like I used to. Tunes from my computer speakers (I got a Logitec 7-1 setup on it) sound just as good and I can play them from my digital stash.
I can’t tell the real highs and lows anymore. It sucks being an old fart!
I can take a stop further with my restored 1947 Roc O La juke box that plays 78’s of which I have 200.
” obsolete piece of technology”
Only a dumb and ignorant kid would say such a thing.
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