Music industry revenues reach record heights in the US: According to a new report, revenues have reached record heights in the recorded music industry across the United States. RIAA’s latest mid-year report shows total revenues grew 9.3% during this period, reaching an all-time high of $8.4billion at estimated retail value. Meanwhile, at wholesale value, revenues reached $5.3billion following an 8.3% surge. …On the whole, streaming has continued to assert its dominance in the industry and now contributes 84% of revenue in the United States. While it’s the fourth year that streaming has made up a similar percentage of revenue, it has grown by 10.3% to $7billion. Last year, vinyl sales grew by 22% and although the medium hasn’t measured similar figures in the latest report, it has still increased by 1%. Physical formats are now at their highest level since 2013, contributing $882 million to the industry with vinyl making up for $632 million of this figure. Vinyl again outsold CDs by eight million units.
How the vinyl industry weathered pandemic disruptions to emerge stronger than ever: Industry experts weigh in on the challenges and opportunities of 21st-century vinyl production and why events like the Haarlem Vinyl Festival are key to the continuing relevance of records. COVID-19 hit the vinyl industry as a perfect storm. Making a recording, even at the best of times, demands an intricate and specialised production process. The pandemic introduced shortages of key materials and skyrocketing manufacturing costs that pushed lead times for new vinyl pressings to as long as 12 months. Stores shuttered. Global shipping delays kept existing stock off shelves. And, as the disruptions of 2020 stretched into 2022, stakeholders across the industry were left with the uneasy but not unfamiliar feeling that maybe the medium of vinyl truly might not recover this time. However, if there’s one thing we should have learned over the last few decades, it’s that vinyl doesn’t go down easy.
Oxford, MS | Sounds of Oxford: The End of All Music amplifies Oxford’s love of the arts: Above one of the Square’s most prominent and historic boutiques sits a record store that provides a whistle of audible art to the streets of Oxford. Founded in March 2012, The End of All Music has been equipping college students and Oxford residents with a vast collection of physical records, CDs, cassette tapes and more for over a decade. Now dubbed “the record guy” by customers of the long-standing record store and fellow Oxonians, The End of All Music founder David Swider has been a familiar face in Oxford for years. He left his hometown of Greenwood, Miss., in 2003 to attend the University of Mississippi and earned degrees in both journalism and English in 2008. During and after his collegiate endeavors, he worked at Square Books but wrapped up his time with them in 2011 to work toward opening The End of All Music.
Los Angeles, CA | Musician-Owned Onyx record press opens in LA: Onyx Record Press, a newly opened vinyl pressing located in Arcadia, Calif., has opened their doors with a focus on the independent musician. “We wanted to directly cater to the independent community of musicians and labels, giving them the means to manufacture vinyl,” explains co-owner, DJ/producer Moe Espinosa, who under the Drumcell moniker, is credited with reviving techno in Los Angeles and Vice dubbed “a hometown hero.” “It’s one of the best ways to connect listeners to music, because there’s nothing like a tangible physical record.” “As an independent artist and label owner, I’ve faced the problems that so many of my friends and colleagues have faced: how to get vinyl made when so many plants ask for high minimums, or the unrealistic wait times that were over a year while we waited for multi-platinum artists to finish their vinyl runs across dozens of plants,” adds Surachai Sutthisasanakul.
Jewel Announces 25th Anniversary Edition Of ‘Spirit.’ The reissue features 23 bonus tracks. Jewel is set to celebrate the 25th anniversary of her multi-platinum sophomore album, Spirit, with expanded and remastered reissues of the 1998 release, via Craft Recordings. Arriving November 17 on 2-CD and digital platforms, the deluxe album features the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter’s Top 10 US hit “Hands,” fan favorites “Down So Long,” and “Jupiter (Swallow the Moon),” plus 23 bonus tracks, including eight previously unreleased demos and outtakes, rare live performances from the era, alternate takes, remixes, and much more. Additionally, the original 13-track album will be reissued as a 2-LP set, marking Spirit’s first availability on vinyl since 1998. In addition to the black pressing, the 2-LP set will also be available on blue swirl vinyl exclusively via Jewel’s store.
Jackson Browne releasing remaster of self-titled debut: Jackson Browne is revisiting his debut album. A new version of the self-titled record will be released on CD and 180-gram vinyl on Friday, September 22, with both remastered from the original analog master tapes. The new release will be packaged to resemble the album’s original vinyl release, which was designed to look like a burlap water bag. The cover reads, “Saturate Before Use” on top of Browne’s name, which led many people to think that was the actual title of the record. Released January 1972, Jackson Browne featured two hits: “Doctor My Eyes,” which peaked at #8 on the Billboard Hot 100, and “Rock Me on the Water,” which peaked at #48.
All of Future’s Albums Will Be Released on Vinyl in Limited-Edition Drops: A collector’s set for the ultimate Pluto fan. Fans can celebrate the past decade of Future’s music with a limited-edition vinyl collection. Epic Records is releasing the Atlanta rapper’s nine studio albums and mixtapes all on vinyl. Each project comes with its own case replicating the album art. Some are available on vinyl for the first time ever, including Future’s 2012 debut studio LP, Pluto. Epic Records will be rolling out the vinyl records in three individual drops. The first is slated to take place on October 20 and consists of Pluto, DS2, and his collaborative LP with Young Thug, Super Slimey. A second drop will follow a week later and will unleash the hard-hitting bars of Monster, Beast Mode and 56 Nights. Another week after that, the third and final drop will mark the vinyl debut of Purple Reign, Future and Hndrxx.
Todd Rundgren’s Masterful Debut ‘Runt’ Gets Vinyl Reissue: Todd Rundgren’s solo debut album, Runt, released in 1970, remains an enduring testament to his boundless talent and the eclectic musical landscape of the era. This album is a kaleidoscope of sound, emotion, and innovation that defies easy categorization. From the moment the needle hits the vinyl, “Runt” embarks on a musical journey that takes listeners through a multitude of genres, moods, and lyrical landscapes. In celebration of Rhino Record’s 45th Anniversary, Rhino is reissuing classic titles from their catalog on “Rhino Red” vinyl. Each reissue includes a bonus 45” with two selections from the record and all titles were pressed at Third Man Records. The 45” for Runt contains “We Gotta Get You A Woman” b/w “Baby Let’s Swing/Last Thing You Said/Don’t Tie My Hands.” Rhino originally searched for a rumored 2nd pressing of Runt but couldn’t find the tapes however they did find an unissued early version so they have released a 3rd version with alternate mixes, edits and sequencing.
New Jerry Garcia vinyl series to launch in November: Jerry Garcia’s live performances will be part of a new vinyl series launching this November on Round Records. The archival series, Heads & Tails, will feature previously unheard Garcia performances that fit on one side of a record, something that isn’t always easy considering Garcia’s fondness for extended jams. The vinyl will also feature detailed album art. According to the press release, Heads & Tails is “built for those magical windows when record consciousness manifested for magical 18-to-22-minute stretches of well-caught tape.” The series will launch November 3 with a cloudy blue vinyl release and artwork by Madalyn Stefanak. It features a side-length performance of “Save Mother Earth” with Merl Saunders, recorded January 19, 1972, in San Anselmo, California. The other side features Jerry Garcia Band jams “Don’t Let Go” and “Think,” recorded February 5, 1988, in Santa Rosa, California.
