Does the music biz now see a good reason to promote vinyl?

I won't rehash the steeply declining digital album sales that are occurring each quarter. But for the first time I am seeing music biz execs admitting (Billboard) that streaming is going to eat their digital album sales. I understand that the labels have been issuing more vinyl as an adjunct to their digital sales. However they have regarded it as a fringe side of their marketing efforts.

The question is: are the execs now going to try to make vinyl a more integral and important part of their strategy to stem the decline in album sales?

Note: PLEASE no comments on whether digital is better than vinyl or vice versa. My intent is clear that the discussion be centered on the music biz strategy with vinyl sales.

 

I don't see how lp sales are ever going to grow to the size necessary to carry the water for record labels if digital sales go in the tank. Paradigm shift approaching. . .

 

I agree with curbach -- vinyl sales may continue to grow, but I don't think it will become a mainstream market strategy because you're really only targeting a small portion of the potential buying audience. Or, put another way, how much more can you grow that vinyl buying audience?

Overall, I think there are too many barriers. Cost is a big factor, mainstream audience is fine with a low-cost, or "free", digital version vs. $20-30 per LP. Equipment is also expensive, especially if you are buying vinyl because of a perceived "superior listening experience." Buy a few records but play them on a crap system, you're likely not buying many more.

The bigger issue, I think the industry shoots itself in the foot many times with vinyl sales. Crappy quality, though in my few years of returning to purchasing vinyl I only have 2 defective purchases. Reading the forums makes me think I'm either lucky or less picky. More of an issue, I'm about 50/50 for trouble with download codes. Either they don't work, or there's something wrong with the files (I've had missing, wrong names, or low bit rate). I see vinyl as a "premium purchase" so the labels have to make sure it's a seamless process for the buyer, or I won't shell out that $20-30 bucks.

 

Thanks for the replies. I guess my thought wasn't that vinyl was going to replace digital album sales on a 1 for 1 or even 5 to 1 basis, but be used to market the idea of an album or physical product as being cool and desirable. If they don't do something their product will literally evaporate. Not completely I agree but they will be a very diminished industry the way things are going if they don't do something.

It is true that there are certain costs that would have to be incurred in this approach. Vinyl production capacity would definitely need to triple or quadruple. The labels would also have to exercise more control of the QC I agree. But really those are not major impediments for the big companies.

 

They're going to do anything that they can to make a buck, but I agree that their going to have to confront the streaming issue head on. Vinyl sales aren't going to do it.

 

Vinyl is a niche product and will always be a niche product going forward. They might promote it on occasion as a prestige thing, but it's not going to change anyone's overall marketing focus.

 

^ this

Obviously they are not gonna be mainstream again although the music industry and a bunch of people wish that in their deepest wet dreams....

 

I think the labels will do whatever will make a profit, but the chokepoint is the number of record presses. As far as I am aware - and I admit I may be wrong - they don't manufacture record presses any longer. So, even if the labels wanted to significantly increase production of LPs, they wouldn't be able to, unless they find many more old, retired presses in a wharehouse somewhere. QRP and other labels have used retired and refitted presses to increase their output or to begin production.

 

New vinyl is too expensive and high maintenance for it to ever really take off in the mainstream imo. I have seen a push toward selling CDs with t-shirts and posters in the package (especially at best buy) which I find interesting. I do think these sort of "package deals" will become increasingly more common, including packages with vinyl.

 

You missed my point entirely. I was not talking about them replacing digital albums but as part of an integral marketing approach to selling the album in a variety of formats.

 

This would be a nuisance as I noted above but this is not advanced or major manufacturing. If the big labels thought they had a 20 year window to sell more records they could figure out how to bring more presses into production.

 

Then should i unlike your post ? ok then....

Found this chart, theres no winner here, although some people want to believe the contrary. Of course steraming is not included.

 

You can't grow backwards. Vinyl is a fad that will undoubtedly fall by the wayside and once again we'll have boxes of unused, scratched records crowding the flea markets. Will we bring back the transistor radio, the 25" Zenith, whitewalls, pomade and Crisco?

 

While vinyl will never sell in large enough quantities to really help the market, it can be used as a tool to draw attention. The large artwork will display well in stores if nothing else. Many of today's youth (from my perspective) don't want the hassle and/or inconvenience of physical media of any type. Heck, most only listen to selected tracks anyway. With downloads the industry is still making money(?). Now with streaming....not sure how that works for the recording companies and artists, but I'm sure it's not good. The whole industry is gonna' change dramatically, of that I feel certain. Probably not for the best I fear.

 

The music biz knows it's just old folks & trendies that like vinyl & it's worth their while pressing up an old classic to obtain again rather than some new artist that no one cares about. BTW I am very pleased they are pressing up old classics again.

 

Bingo!

 

I was concerned that your previous post reflected a format war kind of view disclaimed in the OP. If I misinterpreted I apologize. (And I didn't start the thread for Likes but for people's thoughts on the disappearance of albums.) I guess what you are saying is "Abandon hope all ye who enter here?"

 

You are overlooking the fact that vinyl sales are steadily increasing even if from a small base as well as the perception among its users that it is a worthy alternative to digital formats. I know of no renaissance in the products you mention. Also to the point, vinyl is resistant to the main problem for album sales i.e. streaming. Again I am not saying that vinyl can replace digital albums on a parity basis.

 

Hey np.

Abandon hope? I don't think this is about hope, vinyl as a format has made an important come back already nobody can't deny that but it is limited to a certain niche. Beatles mono boxset (LPs) is an important prove of this but definitely his comeback will never be massive again that would be like other user said growing backwards and that simply can't be.

 

Clearly the LP presents a larger canvas for artwork and inclusion of various inserts in the cover. However if that is all that is happening, it begs the question of why not just create a display poster to promote albums (digital or otherwise) for stores. That was often done back in the day anyway. I guess you are another vote for "Abandon all hope..."

 

and your hope is about what? about that old format being massive and the main format again?

 

It is Not about vinyl, but the ALBUM. The natural trend line you posted is a music biz that sells some download singles along with mostly free (bundled) streaming. It may well end up there. I am just looking for people's thoughts on what would help to keep albums from becoming fringe. I am getting the feeling that people don't see Any approach to stabilize the situation. Fair enough.

 

if i were pointing to an album's sales to prove the lure of vinyl, i'd point to the recent jack white album. over 60,000 copies to date. let's see the mono box do that.

 

seems to me just about every new album these days is available on vinyl. which is great. if you want the old classics there are tons of used copies out there.

 

Oh the album, yes im gonna miss that i grew up with album. But so far we still have it in a certain way i mean next Pink Floyd, U2 releases gonna be albums still.