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On Marketing:
Of course marketing is going to be part of the equation.
When a desire arises, markets arise and cater to the new market. Hence...you'll see marketing involved. Much of the stuff people buy on this forum have marketing involved. Doesn't entail everyone is some empty vessel steered by the marketing.
The question is...if you REALLY want to understand the motivations of vinyl enthusiasts, and the "vinyl comeback," you aren't going to do it by eschewing nuance. As in "It's All Marketing."
For instance, around here the Revel speaker brand is much lauded. If someone came on and said "I can explain why Revel is popular around here. It's all just marketing." Well, yeah, they market their speakers with reference to the research underpinning the designs. But does that mean "people here only buy them because of the marketing" or that "marketing CAUSES people here to BELIEVE the speakers sound good?"
Obviously that would be a facile, misleading take. The speakers actually do sound good - the fact they are marketing it doesn't mean that isn't a real reason people have for liking the speakers.
Similarly, IF you find some form of marketing for vinyl that takes off on the ideas of how satisfying it can be to interact physically with your music collection, that doesn't therefore mean that you explain everyone's satisfaction simply due to marketing. It may be the fact that, yes, many people really DO find this connection...and marketing is picking up on that. Not that people are simply manipulated and "that's that."
So there are ways of understanding the interplay of marketing (which, yes, certainly CAN aid in building certain impressions) that don't result in facile, misleading versions of "everyone is just being manipulated."
In my case, I had a turntable that I'd only occasionally set up for brief periods over the years to spin a few of my existing old records. I noticed on my own that I tended to get through entire albums when listening to a vinyl record vs when I was selecting from my digital music server.
When I bought some of my first newly released soundtracks on vinyl I found the whole experience very satisfying. Beautiful artwork, packaging, and pristine new vinyl sliding out from the sleeve made vinyl feel "new" again, rather than my crackly old records or those found in the local dusty old second hand record shop. I found myself very happy with the sound quality.. and all the reasons I gave for why I became more enthusiastic were honestly how I feel.
Now, I could think "Well, those are all valid reasons for me...but all those other people who've gotten in to vinyl...nah!...they have shallow, vanity-driven reasons allowing them to be just puppets of marketing."
But, frankly, I do not think I'm any "better" than them. If I have that kind of experience - why not believe the similar reports from others? I've interacted with so many vinyl enthusiasts, and watched/listened to so many talk of their new enthusiasm for vinyl, I find the themes that got me in to it repeated over and over in the accounts of others. When people give their reasons for spinning vinyl, I will take them at their word, rather than presume I'm the one who understands my reasons, but those others are lying, or preening, or duped, or self-deceived, or whatever.
Just as I will happily take the justifications any ASR member has given for why they happily choose digital music over vinyl. I will listen to you, rather than ascribe to you shallower motivations "You are just one of the ASR herd, that's all!"...or whatever. It's why I've always said to anyone here "I COMPLETELY understand why you wouldn't want to be in to vinyl, with all it's liabilities. Your choice to play only digital makes total sense given what digital offers and your tastes and goals." In fact, I have never proselytized FOR vinyl - that is suggest anyone else SHOULD get in to vinyl - but have only ever sought to explain and defend the reasons I and some others enjoy it, despite it's technical liabilities. This is because we get so many threads on the theme: "Why the heck are people still playing vinyl?"
But when it comes to vinyl, some people it seems can only ascribe disparaging, belittling "motivations" and even describe the reasons given as some sort of "ego-stroking." It's bizzarre, frankly.
Of course marketing is going to be part of the equation.
When a desire arises, markets arise and cater to the new market. Hence...you'll see marketing involved. Much of the stuff people buy on this forum have marketing involved. Doesn't entail everyone is some empty vessel steered by the marketing.
The question is...if you REALLY want to understand the motivations of vinyl enthusiasts, and the "vinyl comeback," you aren't going to do it by eschewing nuance. As in "It's All Marketing."
For instance, around here the Revel speaker brand is much lauded. If someone came on and said "I can explain why Revel is popular around here. It's all just marketing." Well, yeah, they market their speakers with reference to the research underpinning the designs. But does that mean "people here only buy them because of the marketing" or that "marketing CAUSES people here to BELIEVE the speakers sound good?"
Obviously that would be a facile, misleading take. The speakers actually do sound good - the fact they are marketing it doesn't mean that isn't a real reason people have for liking the speakers.
Similarly, IF you find some form of marketing for vinyl that takes off on the ideas of how satisfying it can be to interact physically with your music collection, that doesn't therefore mean that you explain everyone's satisfaction simply due to marketing. It may be the fact that, yes, many people really DO find this connection...and marketing is picking up on that. Not that people are simply manipulated and "that's that."
So there are ways of understanding the interplay of marketing (which, yes, certainly CAN aid in building certain impressions) that don't result in facile, misleading versions of "everyone is just being manipulated."
In my case, I had a turntable that I'd only occasionally set up for brief periods over the years to spin a few of my existing old records. I noticed on my own that I tended to get through entire albums when listening to a vinyl record vs when I was selecting from my digital music server.
When I bought some of my first newly released soundtracks on vinyl I found the whole experience very satisfying. Beautiful artwork, packaging, and pristine new vinyl sliding out from the sleeve made vinyl feel "new" again, rather than my crackly old records or those found in the local dusty old second hand record shop. I found myself very happy with the sound quality.. and all the reasons I gave for why I became more enthusiastic were honestly how I feel.
Now, I could think "Well, those are all valid reasons for me...but all those other people who've gotten in to vinyl...nah!...they have shallow, vanity-driven reasons allowing them to be just puppets of marketing."
But, frankly, I do not think I'm any "better" than them. If I have that kind of experience - why not believe the similar reports from others? I've interacted with so many vinyl enthusiasts, and watched/listened to so many talk of their new enthusiasm for vinyl, I find the themes that got me in to it repeated over and over in the accounts of others. When people give their reasons for spinning vinyl, I will take them at their word, rather than presume I'm the one who understands my reasons, but those others are lying, or preening, or duped, or self-deceived, or whatever.
Just as I will happily take the justifications any ASR member has given for why they happily choose digital music over vinyl. I will listen to you, rather than ascribe to you shallower motivations "You are just one of the ASR herd, that's all!"...or whatever. It's why I've always said to anyone here "I COMPLETELY understand why you wouldn't want to be in to vinyl, with all it's liabilities. Your choice to play only digital makes total sense given what digital offers and your tastes and goals." In fact, I have never proselytized FOR vinyl - that is suggest anyone else SHOULD get in to vinyl - but have only ever sought to explain and defend the reasons I and some others enjoy it, despite it's technical liabilities. This is because we get so many threads on the theme: "Why the heck are people still playing vinyl?"
But when it comes to vinyl, some people it seems can only ascribe disparaging, belittling "motivations" and even describe the reasons given as some sort of "ego-stroking." It's bizzarre, frankly.