RIAA: Half-Year 2023 Music Hits Record Revenue, Driven by Streaming Services and Physical: Retail sales of recorded music continue to benefit from streaming and legacy packaged media. New data from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) reports the industry hit new revenue milestones in the first six months of the year after a decade of evolving consumer access to recorded content. …Streaming remains the dominant form of music consumption in the U.S., responsible for 84% of total recorded music revenue and growing 10.3% to $7 billion. Paid subscriptions grew even faster, topping 11% growth over the first half of this year. Over the past five years, the number of people paying for music subscriptions has more than doubled. At the same time, old-school physical reached their highest revenue level since the first half of 2013 with total sales up 5% over 2022 at $882 million. Vinyl maintains its popularity, reaching $632 million for the first half of 2023 and accounting for 72% of all physical music sales.
Oxford, OH | The land might be inhospitable, but Black Plastic isn’t: Nearly 20 Miami University students gathered Uptown on Sept. 13 at Black Plastic Records with one common goal: to hear Mitski. Black Plastic, which opened its Oxford location last fall, hosted an advance listening event for Mitski’s newest album, “The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We.” Attendees were given free name-tags, wristbands and posters from Mitski’s record label, Dead Oceans. Plenty of attendees shopped for records and other items before the event started. Black Plastic is home to countless vinyl records spanning over every imaginable genre. The store also sells posters, jewelry, pins, shirts and other miscellaneous items. Once the album began, attendees sat on the floor along rows of records to listen. Aside from the smooth sounds of Mitski’s vocals, the store was completely silent. Fans absorbed the music, gazing at the floor or stealing glances at their friends.
Redlands, CA | Overland brings vinyl listening bar to historic site: The Overland is equal parts bar, restaurant and listening lounge, according to owner Bryan Bruce. Spend an evening here and feel the music from all genres on vinyl and played through top-notch audio equipment. Opened in April in the historic Santa Fe Depot built in 1912, The Overland was a dream seven years in the making. It took a lot of work to get the place opened, said Bruce about the conditions of adhering to the state historic preservation office. This included maintaining the historic integrity of the structure throughout the renovation process. The end result is a space that will surprise guests upon entering. The exterior retains its Romanesque pillars in classical revival architecture but inside, three experiences await guests of The Overland. “We wanted to create a space that allowed people to have conversation and really enjoy the environment as well as the company that they have,” said Bruce.
Chicago, IL | Tower Records pop-up honors iconic brand: Remember flipping through those iconic yellow dividers? Music fans in the 80s and 90s remember going to record stores and flipping through the vinyl records or compact discs shopping for their favorite artist’s last albums. For many, that experience happend at Tower Records, which started in 1960 in California and spread to over 200 stores across 15 countries at its peak. MeTV had a chance to visit a Tower Records pop-up store in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park, where the iconic brand partnered with The Smashing Pumpkins for a nostalgic music experience. The iconic yellow sign with red letters stood outside the pop-up. Before walking in, the signage included a red neon light Tower Records logo above the door.
ZA | Classic vinyl records still hold the hearts of many: According to Bret Dugmore, who is the owner and founder of Mr Vinyl, a large online retailer of vinyl records in South Africa, the love for vinyl is still strong. Recorded music has evolved over the past decades from huge vinyl records to the digitisation of music to various streaming platforms. Digital streaming services and downloads offer the convenience of easy access and the ability to take your music on the go wherever you are but vinyl records offer people the chance to own a tangible piece of music and offer a sense of ownership. According to Bret Dugmore, who is the owner and founder of Mr Vinyl, a large online retailer of vinyl records in South Africa, the love for vinyl is still strong. “There has been a huge surge in popularity and it’s interesting to see that it is often easier to find an album on vinyl, as opposed to finding it on CD nowadays. South Africa’s interest in the vinyl resurgence started to kick off around 2012 and it has grown steadily.”
Nashville, TN | Nashville: The city where DJ’ing is part of mayoral politics: Former Mayor Megan Barry and Mayor-elect Freddie O’Connell put their records on. In Music City, it turns out DJ’ing is part of mayoral politics. On his way to victory in the mayor’s race, O’Connell stopped by Grimey’s record store this summer for a DJ set. He followed in the footsteps of former Mayor Megan Barry, who DJ’d at Grimey’s in 2016. Future mayoral hopefuls, take note: “All the coolest mayors DJ at Grimey’s,” store co-owner Doyle Davis tells Axios.
10 masterpieces that failed to break the US top 100 album chart: John Lennon failed his A-level exams, and his first year at art school saw him scrape a D grade. Stephen King’s debut novel, Carrie, was rejected 30 times before he managed to find a publisher. David Bowie failed on his way to success. And Francis Ford Coppola had to prove his worth behind the camera by directing what were essentially soft-core porn movies before anyone would give his films a shot. So, not every masterful icon arises out of nowhere. And the fellows above didn’t even have racism or misogyny to contend with. Alas, the cream always rises to the top if it has been put forth with integrity. In 2003, Bowie reflected on this very notion and opined: “However arrogant and ambitious I think we were in my generation, I think the idea was that if you do something really good, you’ll become famous. The emphasis on fame itself is something new.”
Neil Young celebrating 50th anniversary of ‘Time Fades Away’ with new vinyl reissue: Neil Young is reissuing the live album Time Fades Away in celebration of its upcoming 50th anniversary. Time Fades Away 50 will be released November 3 on limited edition clear vinyl. It will feature not only the original nine songs on the album but a bonus track, “The Last Trip To Tulsa,” which Young previously included on his Archives Vol. 2 box set. Released October 1973, Time Fades Away came out after Young’s successful Harvest album and featured previously unreleased songs. It was recorded during the Harvest tour, with backing band Stray Gators, and also featured David Crosby and Graham Nash on harmony vocals and acoustic guitar. Time Fades Away was previously reissued in 2014 as part of Young’s Record Store Day Official Release Series Discs 5-8 Vinyl Box Set. It wasn’t released on CD until 2017. Time Fades Away 50 is available for preorder now at the Greedy Hand Store at Neil Young Archives. All purchases come with a high-res download of the album.
Unlocking the Vinyl Experience: A Comprehensive Guide to Elevating Your Record Listening Journey: Understanding the Importance of a Preamp in Sound Quality. The journey to an enhanced vinyl listening experience begins with understanding the role of a preamplifier, commonly known as a phono preamp. This crucial device amplifies the sound signals emitted from the turntable. Certain turntables come with an inbuilt preamplifier, but using a separate model can often offer superior sound quality. A phono preamp becomes especially vital if your current amplifier lacks a dedicated PHONO input. For the discerning audiophile, high-end models offer additional options for fine-tuning the amplification based on the cartridge used in the turntable. This allows for customization according to individual sound preferences.
