Record of the Year: The Unlikely Resurgence of Vinyl

As I discussed in a previous post, the distribution of music over the Internet has forced record companies and retailers alike to re-evaluate their business model and invest more in digital distribution as an appeal to a new generation of creative, computer-savvy consumers. An intriguing, oft-overlooked detail regarding this shift in strategy is that the process of buying music has almost completely transformed from a physical experience to an ephemeral one. The typical consumer can, theoretically, acquire music in a vacuum of extrasensory stimulation: just point, click, and wait for a file to download, with no need to talk to a store clerk and no distraction from the sights and sounds of other music for sale. However, despite the digital format's convenience and efficiency, the emergence of a fervent cult around the unexpected revival of the vinyl long-player (LP) epitomizes a small if determined revolt against the tyranny of modern technology and the reclamation of popular music's tactile personality.

While increased vinyl sales, suddenly materializing after nearly two decades of dormancy, have not revolutionized the business of selling music, the return of the record is highly unusual amidst an environment of slowly eroding "physical sales." Recent articles in the Deseret News of Salt Lake City and the Chicago Tribune discuss the mathematics of this trend, noting that while compact disc (CD) sales suffer double-digit percentage drops, vinyl has claimed and built upon its small foothold in the world of music retail. Record suppliers and manufacturers have noticed an increased demand for vinyl--6 million units 2008, according to the Tribune, a twofold jump from the previous year. Yet these numbers should not be misconstrued. As the aforementioned article from the Deseret News notes, vinyl only accounts for a small fraction of music sales (roughly one percent of all units sold, physical or digital), and CDs still boast a huge market share (almost eighty percent).

Nonetheless, many factors contribute to the resurgence of vinyl while the CD format slowly withers on the music industry vine. The compact disc admittedly has its supporters--particularly those that came of age during the format's 1990s heyday--but the vinyl contingent advances a wide variety of reasons for the format's continued appeal. Adherents often cite a richer sound quality derived from a process free from complicated digital conversion. As explained by Wired magazine, the digital compression process emphasizes the loudness of sound at the expense of its texture while "records generally offer a more nuanced sound." In essence, digital technology imposes artificial limitations on the capacity of the human ear to detect subtle gradations while barraging it with pure volume. This is exhibited to humorous effect on the NewmRadio blog, which compares the digital mastering of Metallica's new Death Magnetic album to the analog mastering on an LP of the band's 1988 release ...And Justice For All. The blog author's technical plea for more vinyl releases actually boils down to an aesthetic concern: "Vinyl demands nuance."

And in keeping with such artistic considerations, the embrace of vinyl by several generations of audiophiles amounts to an expression of individual personality. For some, it is the pure material pleasure of record-buying that is lost in the digital transaction. The uniqueness of LP packaging attracts many buyers, as the size of a vinyl disc allows the consumer to appreciate bigger and bolder cover art, not to mention more legible liner notes. Furthermore, vinyl encourages active listening; it demands maintenance, such as flipping the record once a side has finished playing and, for audio obsessives, listening for skips and needle drops that signal a disc in need of cleaning. This rejection of passivity often carries over to the process of acquiring LPs. For record enthusiasts, it is important to patronize and support the type of independent record store that still carries a large selection of vinyl, especially as these stores continue to go out of business.

Ultimately, the true miracle of vinyl's resurrection is that the demands of the LP market niche are by no means incompatible with the financial goals of the music industry or the desires of the mainstream consumer. The alternative newsweekly Nashville Scene reports that vinyl releases of new albums--especially those on independent labels--now often come packaged with a special coupon for a free digital download of the music on the record, a concession to modern consumers who appreciate both the concrete materiality of LPs and the portability of MP3s. Also, large retailers such as Best Buy are devoting more retail space to turntables and new pressings of both recent and older albums on LP. The design of today's mass market record players, which consciously mimic old radio cabinets, and the conspicuous marketing of canonical classic rock albums utilize the powerful feeling of nostalgia evoked by vinyl to broaden the format's modern appeal beyond the hip, pop culture-obsessed iPod generation. Young or old, classic or avant-garde, the vinyl LP is slowly regaining its cultural cachet after years of consumer indifference. Surely, vinyl has taken its time rediscovering its inherent appeal but, like an old favorite spun for hundredth time, it has finally come full circle.