‘50% of vinyl buyers in the US don’t own a record player, data shows’

barnstorm · April 2023

I know some people buy records ‘just to have them’, but this is so silly (albeit good for artists).

Image: https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/files/2023/04/Screenshot-2023-04-25-at-20.01.02-648x364.jpg

Not the biggest sample size, I should note, but amusing even if it’s half that number!

Article is here if you’re interested: https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/50-of-vinyl-buyers-dont-own-a-record-player-data-shows/

Philly_Q · April 2023

I must admit I have approximately 1,000 albums on vinyl but I don't have a working record player. I did have one when I bought them though. Well, most of them.

lustycourtier · April 2023

I’ve loads of vinyl but nothing to play them on. I’d say that figure is higher than 50%

barnstorm · April 2023

But are you guys still buying records with no means of playing them? Old collections is a different thing; these sales seem to be to people who enjoy records as (expensive) merch only.

darthed1981 · April 2023

I buy vinyl and own a record player and quite often listen to vinyl as well.

The vinyl as expensive merch idea is great for bands though.

hollywoodrox · April 2023

I buy vinyl still & own a player & a tape player . I bought a 12” video CD (like a laser disc ) today but don’t have a player also have reel to reel tapes & 8 track carts although I did have an 8 track & mini disc I don’t at the moment . If it’s by a band I dig I’ll buy anything rare ,still have collectible VHS of stones ,Aerosmith & G n R but no vcr at present although I have always had them for years

Philly_Q · April 2023

barnstorm said:

But are you guys still buying records with no means of playing them? Old collections is a different thing; these sales seem to be to people who enjoy records as (expensive) merch only.

I've bought maybe 10 vinyl records in the last 30 years - a few things which weren't available on CD but I wanted them for collection purposes, a few picture discs. And one accidental purchase where I'd meant to order the CD!

There seems to be a thing for releasing albums on different coloured vinyl, I guess there must be people who collect all of those, but I haven't got into it.

roberty · April 2023

Records are nice objects and people want them

axisus · April 2023

I have 2000 or so albums, all from the old days. I have had no room to set up a record player for over 2 decades, although I 'think' I still have one somewhere.

I keep seeing new vinyl albums that I would love to buy, but I resist as there's no point, plus they are bloody expensive.

stickyfiddle · April 2023

Given how these sorts of surveys are usually written it probably also covers people who have bought vinyl as a gift, which will be a big chunk of the vinyl-buying public

TheMarlin · April 2023

I have three very decent record players.

I listen to vinyl a lot.

If any of you lot who don’t have record players want to sell your collections, I’m buying!

Rocker · April 2023

Buying albums, vinyl or CD, and not having any way of listening to them is akin to buying a guitar without any strings fitted.

fretmeister · April 2023

There’s plenty of people on here who have loads of guitars who never seem to play them.

Philly_Q · April 2023

fretmeister said:

There’s plenty of people on here who have loads of guitars who never seem to play them.

Guilty as charged!

roberty · April 2023

stickyfiddle said:

Given how these sorts of surveys are usually written it probably also covers people who have bought vinyl as a gift, which will be a big chunk of the vinyl-buying public

That's a good point. Records are an easy gift

Philly_Q · April 2023

Rocker said:

Buying albums, vinyl or CD, and not having any way of listening to them is akin to buying a guitar without any strings fitted.

Yeah, but strings are easy to fit. At a time that suits.

I've got a growing collection of films on 4K Ultra HD, but I haven't got a 4K TV or disc player. However, I will need to buy a new TV at some point, and it will be 4K. Unless we're up to 8K by then, which will complicate things...

scrumhalf · April 2023

Vinyl, schminyl.

They are records, albums or LPs, and I play them on a turntable.

Litterick · May 2023

If you buy the LP, you also have access to the content online, and you have an album cover you can enjoy while you listen.

Kilgore · May 2023

Wax cylinders for me. I've got no time for this new fangled 'vinyl'.

barnstorm · May 2023

Litterick said:

If you buy the LP, you also have access to the content online, and you have an album cover you can enjoy while you listen.

I would say this is true if you buy the much cheaper CD, too, but I wonder how many people have a CD player these days!

Rocker · May 2023

@Philly_Q my point is that without strings, a guitar cannot be played. TV technology is developing and evolving, so you are wise to hold back until a standard becomes the norm, but LPs have been available for a long number of years and players for them are plentiful and easily obtained.

Philly_Q · May 2023

barnstorm said:

Litterick said:

If you buy the LP, you also have access to the content online, and you have an album cover you can enjoy while you listen.

I would say this is true if you buy the much cheaper CD, too, but I wonder how many people have a CD player these days!

Much as I don't have a working turntable, I don't have a working CD player either - actually I do, sort of, I have my old Pioneer DVD player which has been repurposed as a CD player.

When I retire - and after I've made some steps towards sorting out my hoarding problem - I may well re-commission or replace my hi-fi system, although in typical fashion I won't get rid of anything if it still works, no matter how old it is. @Rocker I might get a new turntable as well.

earwighoney · May 2023

Philly_Q said:

When I retire - and after I've made some steps towards sorting out my hoarding problem - I may well re-commission or replace my hi-fi system, although in typical fashion I won't get rid of anything if it still works, no matter how old it is.

Now and again I read one of your posts, and think to myself we have a few similarities...

I really need to get rid of some of my guitar boxes, but I'm still keeping them just in case I sell a guitar...

Philly_Q · May 2023

earwighoney said:

Philly_Q said:

When I retire - and after I've made some steps towards sorting out my hoarding problem - I may well re-commission or replace my hi-fi system, although in typical fashion I won't get rid of anything if it still works, no matter how old it is.

Now and again I read one of your posts, and think to myself we have a few similarities...

I really need to get rid of some of my guitar boxes, but I'm still keeping them just in case I sell a guitar...

Get rid of yours, and you can have a couple of mine if you ever sell some guitars. No point in both of us being Mr Trebus.

ICBM · May 2023

Litterick said:

If you buy the LP, you also have access to the content online, and you have an album cover you can enjoy while you listen.

That's true, but if you buy the CD you very often get *more* artwork and information in the booklet than you do on a record cover - the usual argument is backwards, in fact - albeit on a smaller scale (only a real problem if you're very short-sighted, I would have thought), and you can self-rip the files at any quality you want and play them on your own devices.

Philly_Q · May 2023

ICBM said:

Litterick said:

If you buy the LP, you also have access to the content online, and you have an album cover you can enjoy while you listen.

That's true, but if you buy the CD you very often get *more* artwork and information in the booklet than you do on a record cover - the usual argument is backwards, in fact - albeit on a smaller scale (only a real problem if you're very short-sighted, I would have thought), and you can self-rip the files at any quality you want and play them on your own devices.

I think, though, that the CD age led to, broadly speaking, different types of cover artwork. Those old Yes and Kansas album covers don't look as good scaled down to less than a quarter of their original size.

darthed1981 · May 2023

Philly_Q said:

Rocker said:

Buying albums, vinyl or CD, and not having any way of listening to them is akin to buying a guitar without any strings fitted.

Yeah, but strings are easy to fit. At a time that suits.

I've got a growing collection of films on 4K Ultra HD, but I haven't got a 4K TV or disc player. However, I will need to buy a new TV at some point, and it will be 4K. Unless we're up to 8K by then, which will complicate things...

4k is double what we used to get in cinemas with 2k digital projection, so 8k is simply more pixels on a TV, done for the exact same reason they picked up 4k so quick , you just cut a piece of glass twice as big.

Plus although there are new tweaks to HDR, they are tweaks.

In a nutshell, you will have a lovely time watching all those 4k blus when you get your new TV and player, and need not worry about 8k.

My favourite 4k transfer to date is Dunkirk, I loved the film and the 4k really brings across how beautifully Chris Nolan wields an Imax camera.

darthed1981 · May 2023

barnstorm said:

Litterick said:

If you buy the LP, you also have access to the content online, and you have an album cover you can enjoy while you listen.

I would say this is true if you buy the much cheaper CD, too, but I wonder how many people have a CD player these days!

I ironically bought one of those Denon mini systems from the thread the other day, built in CD, bluetooth for the Spotify and an analog input for my vinyl.

Unlike my old musical fidelity amp it replaced, it has a remote.

I love it. I love vinyl for my rock but I love CD for classical.

thing · May 2023

axisus said:

I have 2000 or so albums, all from the old days. I have had no room to set up a record player for over 2 decades, although I 'think' I still have one somewhere.

I keep seeing new vinyl albums that I would love to buy, but I resist as there's no point, plus they are bloody expensive.

Could this possibly be because you have 2000 or so albums?

Litterick · May 2023

Philly_Q said:

ICBM said:

Litterick said:

If you buy the LP, you also have access to the content online, and you have an album cover you can enjoy while you listen.

That's true, but if you buy the CD you very often get *more* artwork and information in the booklet than you do on a record cover - the usual argument is backwards, in fact - albeit on a smaller scale (only a real problem if you're very short-sighted, I would have thought), and you can self-rip the files at any quality you want and play them on your own devices.

I think, though, that the CD age led to, broadly speaking, different types of cover artwork. Those old Yes and Kansas album covers don't look as good scaled down to less than a quarter of their original size.

A twelve-inch square is a good space for artwork, and there is more on the back and possibly a gatefold. A CD is small.

Besides, people spend much of their lives with digital things that do not exist in the physical world, so they like to have a long-playing record in their hands.

thecolourbox · May 2023

It's not that weird to buy records without a record player, in my opinion. I buy stuff I like while it's still available, because by the time I can justify a good record player, it might not be made any more.

I lived in a very small house until recently, so once I've sorted out my music space in my new house I might well have room for one. If i get one at Christmas, I've got about 20 albums and singles ready to play on it, which seems like good forward planning to me?

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‘50% of vinyl buyers in the US don’t own a record player, data shows’

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