Can anyone explain the vinyl renaissance?

[Galliardist]

"You are right about purchased digital downloads. Mostly, the licences for those are non-transferrable. You can't sell them, you can't give them away in your will, you can't back them up"

Is that true?, because I bought 1 album a couple years ago from HDtracks that way, and i now have it on the Harddisk (I downloaded it onto) + it's on 2 back-up HD's and on my phone! and it plays without problems from all devices.

I was referring to legal rights and licensing. There's no DRM on most downloads these days. You can copy them anywhere you want.

However, if they are on the terms I read on their site, you've broken your licence agreement. If either HDTracks or the copyright holder finds out, you can be sued for damages and ordered to delete all copies of the file.

Shhhhh...

 

[Mean & Green]

I've owned LP copies of Fleetwood Mac's Rumours from the moment the album came out 'til I got rid of all my LPs. I always was struck by its many musical qualities, but there were a few passages I could never get my LP playback gear to properly reproduce - The Chain, Go Your Own Way and Gold Dust Woman. All three would have episodes of overload. Mind you, most of the time I was listening via Stax Earspeakers, which overexposes everything. Just now I listened to Apple Lossless rips of all three songs via Drop 6XX headphones. Did not hear those periods of distortion. As it turns out, The Chain is the first song on the second side of Rumours, so IGD obviously isn't the culprit. Go Your Own Way is the next to the last track on side one and Gold Dust Woman is the last track on side two. But I would say all three tracks are torture tests as regards tracking. As this is one of the all time bestsellers among LPs, my opinion hardly matters. But listening to everything via a pair of electrostatic panels right next to my ears might have made me more aware of the medium's flaws. Stax SR-Lambda Signature Earspeakers may be useful for pro audio work, but not so useful for relaxed listening.

I have two different pressings of Rumours. One an original pressing and one is the latest Amazon exclusive purple pressing.

The only issue I’ve had is with Go Your Own Way on my original pressing, which I put down to being second hand and someone in a past life may have worn that particular song out. My latest pressing has absolutely zero issues from start to finish.

I also own the CD, no issues there either.

 

[levimax]

I have two different pressings of Rumours. One an original pressing and one is the latest Amazon exclusive purple pressing.

The only issue I’ve had is with Go Your Own Way on my original pressing, which I put down to being second hand and someone in a past life may have worn that particular song out. My latest pressing has absolutely zero issues from start to finish.

I also own the CD, no issues there either.

Does the new LP have the fade up at the start of Gold Dust Woman? Many versions after the first 10,000,000 or so LP's start the song hot which ruins it for me.

 

[IPunchCholla]

https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/riaa1295/viz/U_S_RecordedMusicRevenuesbyFormat_0/RevenuesbyFormat

Inflation adjusted, revenues are about 18% up while population is up 65% (and there is one year, 1978, that is higher revenue than currently)? So people are spending much less on music overall? Any charts of revenue for artists by different format? Cause the big news behind that chart is it sucks to be a musician now more than any time since the 90s

 

[MattHooper]

The interest in technologically obsolete physical formats continues to grow. From the RIAA 2024 mid year report: “Vinyl grew 17% to $740 million….”

View attachment 389859

“It’s Just A Fad.”

One may again note the sales figures for music in all digital formats (esp. streaming) versus analog.



View attachment 389907

There's really no contest , and hasn't been since soon after consumer digital audio became a thing. No amount of vinylphile fluffing will make vinyl's numbers rise to digital's

Thank you for that bracing reminder.
We were in danger of thinking vinyl was going to overtake digital streaming anytime now!

 

[Robin L]

My earlier post just below yours shows the full chart including streaming. The second shows sales without streaming. You want to look at

Yeah, I realized that after a bit.

 

[deweydm]

“It’s Just A Fad.”

Not mad about it, but I thought it’d plateau at least by now as prices have increased. But unit shipments are up over 10% compared to the first half of 2023 too. Wild.

 

[levimax]

Not mad about it, but I thought it’d plateau at least by now as prices have increased. But unit shipments are up over 10% compared to the first half of 2023 too. Wild.

I have only purchased old original LP's for the last 10 years or so and it appears to me that the used record market is drying up and what is available is very expensive with even damaged copies of desirable titles as expensive as new LP's and good condition one's going for 2 or 3 times the price of a new LP. I wonder how much of the increased volume is from used LP buyers switching to new LP's.

 

[Robin L]

I have only purchased old original LP's for the last 10 years or so and it appears to me that the used record market is drying up and what is available is very expensive with even damaged copies of desirable titles as expensive as new LP's and good condition one's going for 2 or 3 times the price of a new LP. I wonder how much of the increased volume is from used LP buyers switching to new LP's.

I would suspect that the issue has more to do with the older discs simply wearing out. Back in the 1970s, it was easy finding used LPs in good condition. This held up all through the 90s. But by the time 2010 rolled around, it became harder to find used LPs in playable condition. Vinyl apologists will claim that LPs can last a long time, but that requires care and good practices among those playing those LPs. That usually doesn't pan out in real life, with records being pretty worn by the time they make it to the record shop. New LPs are bright, shiny objects. Older records are more like collectibles. Think of the market for older comic books. You might notice how many LPs find their way into glossy transparent protective sleeves, much like comic books. It's a similar mindset.

 

[Mean & Green]

Does the new LP have the fade up at the start of Gold Dust Woman? Many versions after the first 10,000,000 or so LP's start the song hot which ruins it for me.

Yes it does.

 

[deweydm]

I have only purchased old original LP's for the last 10 years or so and it appears to me that the used record market is drying up and what is available is very expensive with even damaged copies of desirable titles as expensive as new LP's and good condition one's going for 2 or 3 times the price of a new LP. I wonder how much of the increased volume is from used LP buyers switching to new LP's.

Me too. But if discogs or some retail association puts out any year over year analysis on the used market, I haven’t come across it.

 

[Count Dacula]

It's also a novelty item, as we said. Just because people own or "collect" vinyl LPs, it doesn't mean they actually listen to them.

"Music Sounds Better With You" Vinyl

12" black vinyl, sleeve printed on silver foil20th Anniversary edition (repress)Side A ‘Music Sounds Better With You’ Side B etched with roulette design ___Vinyl noir Maxi 45t, pochette imprimée sur une feuille d'argentEdition du 20ème anniversaire (repressage)Face A ‘Music Sounds Better With...

bigwax.io

Especially when the video is Sofa King good....

Recording Random Access Memories | Daft Punk

Daft Punk spent four years and over a million dollars on their quest to revisit the golden age of record production. Mick Guzauski and Peter Franco were with them all the way.

www.soundonsound.com

 

[EJ3]

I was referring to legal rights and licensing. There's no DRM on most downloads these days. You can copy them anywhere you want.

However, if they are on the terms I read on their site, you've broken your licence agreement. If either HDTracks or the copyright holder finds out, you can be sued for damages and ordered to delete all copies of the file.

Shhhhh...

Just because you CAN (or have ALREADY done something) does NOT mean that it is legal to DO so (or HAVE DONE so).
Part of the point of having so many laws is so that no matter how much of a "good" person you are, that, if, for some reason the government finds you undesirable, they CAN (& WILL) pin SOMETHING (no matter how small & insignificant) on you to put you away.

 

[antcollinet]

If either HDTracks or the copyright holder finds out, you can be sued for damages

I'd like to see them demonstrate damages resulting from a backup.

 

[antcollinet]

Vinyl apologists will claim that LPs can last a long time, but that requires care and good practices among those playing those LPs. That usually doesn't pan out in real life,

I've been amazed recently at the good condition of the LP's Ive picked up in charity shop bargain bins. Often (my estimate) 30 to 40 year old items. I suspect most of them have only been played a handful of times since new.

 

[Robin L]

I've been amazed recently at the good condition of the LP's Ive picked up in charity shop bargain bins. Often (my estimate) 30 to 40 year old items. I suspect most of them have only been played a handful of times since new.

What sort of titles?

 

[antcollinet]

What sort of titles?

Varied - most recent have been Roger Whittaker, Kylie M, and Jean-Michel Jarre.

 

[EJ3]

Varied - most recent have been Roger Whittaker, Kylie M, and Jean-Michel Jarre.

Don't forget that many recorded the LP to cassette & then rarely (if ever) used the LP.

 

[antcollinet]

Don't forget that many recorded the LP to cassette & then rarely (if ever) used the LP.

I'm sort of fascinated by some of these gathering dust on someone's shelf for 35+ years, as the world has gone on around them.

 

[MattHooper]

I'm sort of fascinated by some of these gathering dust on someone's shelf for 35+ years, as the world has gone on around them.

I like records, physically and aesthetically. But in terms of seeing them as interesting artifacts, I don’t normally view them that way.

With some exceptions. Among them: my fairly large collection of library/production music from the late 60s to the early 80s.
It was pre-recorded royalty, free music for use in movies, TVs, commercials, industrial films or whatever. A relatively few of these would be pressed - sometimes around 100 - to be available for production houses to listen to, spin the record to select which tracks they might use in their movie or commercial. They’d circle or checkmark the tracks they wanted to use on a list sent with the album, and then they would be sent a tape copy of those selections.

Given these were never released to the public, not meant to be heard by anyone but POST PRODUCTION staff and pressed in such low amounts, when I pick up and peruse one of these albums I have to admit it’s a really neat feeling. You have to wonder how this album survived since so few were pressed and most were meant to be simply discarded after use. And sometimes they still have the tracklist sheet inside, where the editors in the 70s have circled tracks and made notes as to which tracks they chose, which ended up in who knows which old movie, famous commercial or whatever. Not to mention lots of them had wickedly cool and crazy covers.

Most of the music had not been available digitally until quite recently. And still plenty of my library is not available digitally.