A recent 2023 report from Luminate Data finds that 50% of the 3,900 respondents who bought vinyl records in the past 12 months do not own a turntable. The numbers may sound incredible, but note that this survey sample is less than 4000. Nevertheless, many media sites pick up this report and make news, because it actually makes a valid representation about the trend in vinyl collection.
It is true that many people are buying vinyl records even though they do not own a turntable. In my months of trading vinyl, I have come across a handful of buyers who do not own a turntable. Without any empirical data, I would like to deduce the following reasons why people collect vinyl without owning a turntable.
Turntables are bulky
Unlike cassette tape players or CD players, record players are at least 12 by 12 inches, which is the size of a record. For young collectors, they may not have the desk space to sit a turntable.
Good news: Audio-Technica Sound Burger AT-SB727 is available from 6 June 2023, with colours in white, black and yellow. Last year they sold the 60th anniversary AT-SB2022 in limited quantities of 7000 units and was a complete sell-out within weeks. They are the smallest turntable with the best audio quality available and at an affordable price. They are battery operated and supports Bluetooth output to your speaker or headphones.
Records are attractive to collect
Vinyl records are perfect for music lovers and music fans because the size is great for display in many ways – hang like a wall art, on table as a picture frame. The vinyl can also be pressed in various colours and even in full-colour picture format while the records remain playable. Given the large size, it is convenient to include printed inserts or booklets which further increases the desirability to own. Even if you don’t spin the records, they look like visual art work.
Honestly, if CDs also come in 12-inch packaging, I’m sure people will also buy them. Actually, album labels have been packaging CDs in various shapes and forms, but sadly they are not uniform in design, resulting in a mess when it comes to storing or shelving them. Perhaps album labels could make 12-inch sleeves with a 12-inch mount to clip the CD in the centre.
“Waiting For The Right Time”
Perhaps the collectors are not ready to invest in their time to go through the rituals to listen to their records. Besides, they can also listen to the same tracks on their streaming apps, so they collect the vinyl now and wait until a right time to enjoy them. This behaviour is not uncommon in other hobby collection, like LEGO, or model building, where people buy them and keep them in original packaging. The good thing is that vinyl medium is not going away. It has endured over 100 years and is unlikely to be discarded, because there are billions of vinyl records worldwide.
A different audio medium from digital
CDs are basically a different storage medium containing identical content as digital streaming. In fact, it is the lowest quality lossless digital format in this century at just 16-bit 44.1KHz. There are high-res digital recordings up to 24-bit 192KHz, as well as DSD files, but these recordings require very expensive equipment to play them in a disc format, so many people buy these high-res digital copies and played on DAP. So when it comes to commercial digital format, CDs are the “worst quality”.
It is different with vinyl, there is nothing like vinyl, except in vinyl. The mastering is supposed to be done differently (though most of the modern records use the same master) and the analog chain of audio reproduction delivers a different sound altogether, a result of a pure mechanical activity and electrical amplification. The way you listen to them is also different, and though it may seem a hassle, many agree that this ritual makes you appreciate the music even more.
Extending My “Phantom Of The Opera” Vinyl Collection
Phantom Of The Opera has ended its 35-year record run on Broadway on 16 April 2023, but the musical is still being staged by other productions around the world. My daughter also started listening to the musical on Spotify where there are numerous stage productions and movie recordings to choose from. After my last article on Phantom Of The Opera vinyl collection in Jan 2022, I added a few more POTA records to my collection. I know it would be a matter of time that I bought the full 2LP album, I even foretold my inevitable purchase in my article on why vinyl collection is rewarding. After all, this is the most iconic musical that Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote, and definitely the most valued among his works. I was also pleased to find a few 12-inch singles of POTA.
What I treasure about these 12-inch singles is that the records contain different versions from the London Cast recording, so they are not duplicates to the original cast album which made the records worth collecting. Hence, one big benefit about record collection is that it made me explore more recordings that I would otherwise not have checked out.
Since I already have the full album, should I still keep the “Highlights”? My answer is “yes”, because unlike CDs or digital files, I cannot skip tracks on vinyl, so I will still spin the “Highlights” record as it contains all the definitive songs from “Phantom”.
Conclusion: Music Industry Needs Vinyl
People are buying vinyl even when they do not own a turntable. This goes to show how desirable this physical format is. Thanks to superstar artists like Taylor Swift, Adele, Lana Del Rey who press their albums in vinyl and in numerous variants, it has certainly brought huge awareness to the medium in general. Through this, we hope people can extend their interest to collecting older records and discover music that are not on streaming platforms.
Digital or vinyl? It’s not always about which format sounds better. There is also no need to choose one medium over the other. You can continue to stream music on your smartphone or buy high-res files, but during times of personal indulgence, nothing can replicate the magic of listening to analogue vinyl records spinning on a turntable that can take many forms and designs to fit your home deco.