US | US recorded music industry revenues hit $17.1 billion in 2023: The US recorded music industry generated $17.1 billion in 2023. That’s according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), which published its 2023 Year End report today (March 26). The RIAA report shows that on a retail basis, recorded music revenues in the US (money spent on streaming subscriptions, as well as physical and digital music), grew 8% YoY, marking the eighth consecutive year of growth for the world’s largest recorded music market. …Elsewhere in the market, revenues from physical music formats reached $1.9 billion in 2023, up 11% versus the prior year (2022). Revenues from vinyl records grew 10% to $1.4 billion, marking the 17th consecutive year of growth for the vinyl format in the US. Vinyl accounted for 71% of physical format revenues in the US last year, according to the RIAA. Additionally, RIAA points out that for the second time since 1987, vinyl albums outsold CDs in units (43 million vs 37 million) in the US last year, even as revenues from CDs also showed growth, up 11% YoY to $537 million in 2023.
US | A Coast-to-Coast Guide To The Best Record Stores In The US: Digging through vinyl bins to add something unique to your collection is an adventure. It’s all about nostalgia, excitement, and the thrill of the hunt. Finding a rare album isn’t just about expanding your collection; it often becomes a moment worth sharing on Instagram. Examples of two prized albums many collectors are hunting for include the Beatles’ “White Album,” for its highly-coveted low serial numbers (we’re talking first editions), and Elvis’ “My Happiness.” There is just one acetate disc of the king’s first recording known to exist. If you are willing to travel across the country for certain highly sought-after vinyl records, you definitely want to take a look at our list of the best record stores in the US.
Geelong, AU | Record store strikes a chord with music lovers: Josh Wray wants to make exploring new music and buying records as accessible as possible. Over the Labour Day long weekend, the 26-year-old opened J Wray Records, a vinyl lovers haven, in Torquay. Housed in a repurposed shipping container in Baines Crescent, the shop offers music enthusiasts an intimate browsing experience, where they can discuss their interests with each other. Visitors can also enjoy Wray’s rotating soundtrack of tunes, which span a variety of artists and genres, along with some rare gems from his personal collection. “People just love the inclusiveness of it all,” he said. “They come in and they don’t feel too overwhelmed. They know that there’s everything here in front of them. “It’s almost impossible to [ignore each other] when you’re in a space like this, so when other people come in, they’re really friendly, and chat with each other and talk about music while they’re here, which is cool.”
Jackson, TN | Jackson record store sells vinyl records to the young and old in West Tennessee: Connection Advocate, Andrea Kirk said, “Yes, vinyl is like a whole different ballgame. I don’t think I’ve come in and out of this door, not inspired.” Music is the heartbeat of Tennessee. According to the state, music is a $5.8 billion business supporting 61,000 jobs. Third Eye Curiosities is Connection City’s center for a blast to the past and future featuring music on vinyl. Third Eye Curiosities, Owner Hunter Cross said, “Before Third Eye Curiosities was a business. My good buddy Denver had a bookstore called Oz Books in this space.” Mr. Cross started selling albums at Oz and outsold the books. With his grandfather’s help, he took over the store. Mr. Cross said, “It wasn’t just solely records. It was kind of like a novelty shop. Curiosity shop. But the records are what people came back for.” A musician himself, his love of music pushes his passion for the store.
San Luis Obispo, CA | Change of ownership and new vinyl vibe transform Jan’s Place in SLO: It’s all about sips and sounds at Jan’s Place, which celebrated its grand reopening in January. A popular neighborhood hangout in San Luis Obispo’s historic Railroad District since launching in 2021, Jan’s has amicably passed hands from founder Jan Horn to newcomers Jeff and Lisa Root. “I love what Jeff has done to the space,” said Horn, who is now happily retired. “He has a completely different vibe. … I’m trying to go in once a week, on a nonbusy night, to be able to talk to my friends and wish him well.” Slow nights, however, are few and far between—the reimagined Jan’s is gathering steam as a vinyl-focused hot spot. Order local wine, brew, cider, or nonalcoholic beverages as well as a variety of novel snacks, or bring in food from nearby restaurants including My Thai Restaurant, Del Monte Café, and Café Roma. Then sit back and enjoy the intimate space, which has been extensively retrofitted to balance acoustics.
Floyd, VA | County Sales, a music store that became a Floyd institution, will close after almost 60 years: The store, which specializes in bluegrass and old-time vinyl albums and CDs, will remain open through April. County Sales, the Floyd-based record store that specializes in bluegrass and old-time vinyl albums and CDs, is closing after almost 60 years. The store and mail-order business, which moved to Floyd in 1973, had in recent years been under a nonprofit umbrella. It will close after April 30, according to a news release. The board of directors at Handmade Music School, which has been operating the business since 2021, voted to focus resources on its core mission—teaching old-time, bluegrass, and other traditional music and dance, said Dylan Locke, the school’s executive director. Locke, who with his partner, Heather Krantz, owns the Floyd Country Store, bought County Sales in 2018 from Dave Freeman, who had closed it shortly before. Freeman, who brought the business to Floyd from New York, was elderly and could no longer manage it.
Kelowna, BC | Vinyl record lovers descend on Kelowna: Annual collectors show takes place Sunday, April 7, at Ukrainian Catholic Church. John Gowland’s love affair with vinyl records began when he was a teenager. And, it continues today as the 73-year-old Kelowna resident boasts a collection of more than 9,000 albums in his home. “I still have some, maybe 200 or 300, that I bought when I was a teenager but over the years I’ve continued to add to my collection,” Gowland said. While record albums have been supplemented over the decades by CDs and then online downloading, vinyl has not totally disappeared from the music scene, as many musicians have indicated it is their preferred format for having their music played. But building up a record collection these days is a challenge, one Gowland admits means having to keep abreast of yard sales, thrift stores or anywhere else records might still be found. His love of records led Gowland to help organize the annual Kelowna Music Collectors Show with his partner and event co-founder Rob Scafe.
Seattle, WA | Dropping the Needle: Shaping culture by manipulating the Billboard charts: The Billboard charts are broken, they’ve been hijacked by a media conglomerate. The Billboard charts are broken. They’ve been hijacked. The Top 200 is no longer viable. The Nielsen Soundscan rating and tracking system was adopted in 1991. It was the most accurate system the record industry had ever used. So how did the charts get dirty again? In the last couple years, a NASCAR fortune-fueled entity called The Penske Media Group has purchased Soundscan and has since rebranded it under the name Luminate. They also purchased legendary chart-publishing company Billboard. So, Penske now owns the data supplier while also owning the publication that distributes the data, effectively owning the music charts. The more reliable the data is, the better it is for the music industry, especially the artists, right? Well, if you can control the data…and you own the charts well then in a way you are owning the trends. You can shape the culture as you wish. The fix is in. Who needs payola when you can control the very measures of success that define the industry.
London, UK | Students embrace nostalgia through vinyl records: Jack Henry Richman (’24) owns a variety of vinyl records, a quarter of his collection being new ones. Yet, most of his records come from his father’s collection of older artists. Jack Henry Richman (’24) said Generation Z has a big interest in any vintage items, gaining a sense of nostalgia for “stuff they’ve never even experienced.” For Visual Arts Teacher Erik Niemi, the sentimental feeling of record players and vinyl transport him back to his childhood. Between the ages of five and 13, his home was filled with all kinds of records, spanning from local folk and indigenous tunes to contemporary songs. “I was really interested in it [records],” Niemi said. “I always felt like the sound was different and it felt warmer and more connected in some way.”
