Vinyl Records Business Report 2024: Revival of Retro and Vintage Culture Propels Growth: The global market for Vinyl Records is estimated at US$1.5 Billion in 2023 and is projected to reach US$2.4 Billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 7.1% from 2023 to 2030. This comprehensive report provides an in-depth analysis of market trends, drivers, and forecasts, helping you make informed business decisions. The growth in the vinyl records market is driven by several factors. The increasing demand for physical media in a predominantly digital age reflects a broader trend towards nostalgia and the desire for authentic, tangible experiences. Vinyl’s resurgence is also fueled by the support of independent and mainstream artists who appreciate the format’s artistic and aesthetic value, often releasing special editions and exclusive content on vinyl.
Hudson Valley, NY | A guide to the best record stores in the Hudson Valley: Checking out record stores in Kingston a couple of weeks ago, “Ghost Town” by The Specials came on. I had to smile. It wasn’t so long ago the song could’ve been written about Kingston, but here it was a 93 degree Thursday and the town was humming. Another irony: wasn’t there a corresponding time when record stores and vinyl itself were presumed dead? Every record store I went into was packed. How did this happen? Kingston’s current record store renaissance has been in development for quite some time. John Blue has been selling vinyl (along with sharp hats) at Blue Byrd uptown since 1992. Not too long after that, Ed Butler began selling vinyl out of Wright Gallery on North Front Street (some may recall the yellow “We Buy Records” sign mirroring the “We Buy Guns” sign at Sam’s Swap Shop next door.) About that same time, indie music producer Doug Wygal was in Brooklyn dreaming about moving upstate and opening a record store. When the opportunity arose to buy Ed Butler’s shop, Wygal jumped at the chance.
Fort Lauderdale, FL | End of an Era: Radio-Active Records Announces Closure: Fort Lauderdale’s Radio-Active Records announced it will close its doors and transition to an online store. One of the longest-standing record stores in South Florida has decided to shut its doors. Fort Lauderdale’s Radio-Active Records, a mainstay of the region’s vinyl scene, announced on Sunday that it will close its doors and transition to an online store. According to a post on the shop’s Instagram page, owner Sean Kayes has decided to retire after nearly 30 years in business. “Sean and the staff at Radio-Active offer sincere thanks and much gratitude to the thousands of loyal customers who supported the shop through all its many phases and stages,” the post reads. “It has been an amazing 29-year trip. Again, we wish to offer thanks and gratitude to all who helped make Radio-Active one of the best record shops in South Florida. Your support has been amazing and is appreciated more than you might ever know.”
Evanston, IL | Eclectic new record shop to open next month: Owner Greg Allen hopes to make Animal Records a space ‘for all types of music listeners.’ A spunky new record shop is set to open in Evanston by late September. Animal Records will bring a variety of genres and artists and sport a unique “circus”-like theme. Located at 624 Grove St., the former location of the Music by Alex studio, the store will be selling records and even buying collections from customers, owner Greg Allen said. A longtime Evanston resident, Allen, 55, said he has been an avid record collector since he was around 13 years old. He bought his first record at 5, developing a fascination and love for them. Opening a record store has been his dream for more than 30 years. “Then I bought more records and then I just kept buying records,” Allen said. “I’ve got tens of thousands of records. I’m not even sure that we’re going to be able to fit them all in the store, but hopefully we can fit most of them.”
Huntsville, AL | What’s spinning?: Q&A with Black Rose Record Store owner Sean Hale: Almost everyone has some song, album or artist that they find themselves going back to, one that speaks to them and makes them reminisce or feel. Something they’ll always keep ‘spinning.’ Sean Hale is originally from the Sunshine State, but has made Alabama his sweet home in the “exciting summer of 2020” and has a new record store called Black Rose Record Store in Huntsville. The record store is located at 7914 Memorial Parkway SW Huntsville, AL 35802, and its open from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. every day. They buy, sell and trade records. Hale spoke to us about ‘What’s spinning?’ for him, and you can check out what he had to say about a certain record below.
Missoula, MT | Vinyl dreams come true: Robert Plant visits Missoula record store: What a way to celebrate National Vinyl Record Day. Missoula is a popular place for celebrities, but even so, it’s not too often that a rock legend like Robert Plant is in Missoula. He and Allison Krauss returned to Missoula for a performance at the KettleHouse Amphitheater last week after they had to cancel their appearance at the last minute last summer due to an illness in the band. But it looks like in addition to performing Plant squeezed in a quick visit to a local record store while he and Krauss were in town for their shows on the 8th and 9th. The owners of Slant Street Records posted photos to their Instagram account of Robert Plant in their store, along with singer/songwriter JD McPherson. In the post below you’ll see Plant with the Winter in the Blood soundtrack. According to the post Plant “blessed” the album which contains his cover of “Nothing Takes the Place of You.”
Orlando, FL | East West Records, an iconic Orlando vinyl shop, closing after more than 50 years: In 1971, when parts of Orange Avenue were still surrounded by orange groves, a young couple from Los Angeles relocated to Florida and decided to open a record store. Everyone seemed to think they were crazy, even the company representatives that sold them records. “They saw us going out in about six months,” Hanna Skrobko said. “Surprise, surprise.” More than five decades later, Skrobko is bidding farewell to the store she owned with her late husband, a place she said became a hot spot for fans of vinyl records and independent music. “We made it because we were too full of ourselves to understand that you really can’t do this,” she said. East West Records, which proclaims itself the oldest independent vinyl record store in Florida, will be closing at the end of the month.
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King Crimson announce 50th anniversary reissue of Red: King Crimson’s legendary 1974 album Red will be available on two CDs and two Blu-rays, as well as a double vinyl set. A new four-disc 50th anniversary edition of King Crimson’s classic 1974 album Red will be reissued through DGM and Panegyric Records on October 11. The double CD/Blu-ray edition of the reissue features completely new mixes of the album in Dolby Atmos, 5.1 DTS-HD MA, Surround and Hi-Res Stereo by Steven Wilson, new Elemental mixes in Hi-Res Stereo by David Singleton, a number of extra tracks drawn from the existing sessions reels mixed by David Singleton, all three mixes of the live album USA in Hi-Res Stereo, 5 audio restored bootleg concert recordings from the 1974 US tour making their debut on disc and the audio restored bootleg of the band’s final US show in Central Park NYC on July 1, 1974 as well a new stereo and instrumental mixes by Steven Wilson and new Elemental mixes and a sequence of studio recordings detailing the making of Starless mixed by David Singleton.
