Music Keeps the Groove in the First Half of 2024: US recorded music revenues rose 4% to $8.7 billion in estimated retail value over the first half of 2024 and have grown for nine straight years, dating back to 2016. As digital streaming entered its third decade in the US, paid subscriptions remained music’s workhorse, delivering nearly two-thirds of total revenues and averaging 99 million plans over the first half of the year (and well more than 100 million individual users since household plans count as a single subscription in our data). At the same time, overall revenues continue to stand on a strong and wide foundation that music companies have worked for years to build. Vinyl records alone grew 17% this period and are currently on pace to again break the billion-dollar barrier by year’s end.
Philadelphia, PA | Vinyl revival: Chestnut Hill Audio keeps old-school sound alive. In an era of smartphones, Bill McKinley’s shop caters to audiophiles. Bill McKinley, the 72-year-old owner of Chestnut Hill Audio, doesn’t mind being told he is “old school.” Furthermore, he says, he’s not the only one. “Turntables have made a comeback and are now bigger than ever,” he told the Local. “Vinyl and records are making people listeners again.” McKinley’s been running the shop on Germantown Avenue between West Abington and Willow Grove Avenues since 2016 when he bought it from former owner John Adams, who started what was then called Community Audio by selling electronic equipment out of his house in Mt. Airy in 1982. …Most of his customers are local to the area, he said, and come in to update their system about every five years or so. All told, he said, he’s got about 2,000 names in his database, almost all within a nine-mile radius. And all of them are serious audiophiles, he said. His shop is not for dilettantes.
Edinburgh, UK | Spinning vinyl records is all the rage among men of a certain age: There are few things more dynamic than a Yorkshireman on a mission. Heads up – just temper your expectations with regard to the word ‘dynamic’. We are not talking US standards of enthusiasm here. Yorkshire goes for a more low-key approach. Had NASA’s first man on the moon been from Sheffield, I imagine he would have taken a good look around and then said “Call this a beach? Have you ever been to Scarborough?” He was alone and palely loitering at home while I did the Fringe, so he decided he’d like to sort out our old record player so he could spin his vinyl again. This is all the rage at the moment among men of a certain age. The old fashioned LP is back. Music trend influencers like Grant Stott actually play them on the BBC, when I know fine well he has access to modern technology in those studios. Markets and second hand shops are bung fu’ of men in polo shirts wandering around mooching through those boxes of albums.
The Cure to release two new songs on eco-vinyl: And Nothing Is Forever and I Can Never Say Goodbye will be available on 1 October, using the ‘most recyclable’ plastic available, part of a Naked Record Club project to benefit the EarthPercent charity. The Cure are set to release live recordings of two new, previously unreleased songs on an environmentally friendly vinyl edition. Featuring the songs And Nothing Is Forever and I Can Never Say Goodbye, The Cure – Novembre: Live in France 2022 will be released on eco-vinyl on 1 October, with all profits to benefit the climate charity EarthPercent, founded by Brian Eno. The release is part of the Naked Record Club, which sells limited-edition records made from sustainable vinyl that is estimated to use 80-90% less electricity than traditional steam vinyl pressing machines. Five thousand copies of the record will be released on 12in, with the first 100 signed by Cure frontman Robert Smith.
London, UK | Jack Daniel’s and Metropolis Studios link up for ‘Live To Vinyl’ experience: The collaboration offers 30 fans the chance to see Ezra Collective, Pale Waves, Maverick Sabre and Nova Twins record live at Metropolis on four separate nights and grab an exclusive vinyl pressing of each performance. Renowned recording space Metropolis Studios has teamed up with Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey to present ‘Live To Vinyl’—a once-in-a-lifetime experience where fans can win the opportunity to witness an artist’s music-making process in its entirety, from the live recordings to the pressing of the wax. Reviving the traditional method used for public music recordings and using its cutting lathes to capture each session, Metropolis will then create a bespoke, real and unreplicable set of vinyls which will be packaged and posted to attendees. Following an online lottery, 30 winners will be invited into one of four sessions at the West London studios with a selection of boundary-breaking British artists making music across a range of genres.
Winona Ryder jokes she ‘cried’ after her young Stranger Things costars couldn’t identify a vinyl record: The actress also hopes younger generations will go back and study “the history of film” and “photography,” adding, “it’s so rich, and there’s so much there.” Move over, Demogorgons — Winona Ryder has revealed that the scariest thing from Stranger Things is its younger cast’s lack of music history. The actress, who plays Joyce Byers on the hit Netflix series, told Esquire about a harrowing incident that occurred while they were filming the very first season in which she held up a vinyl record and the kids weren’t able to identify what it was. “I cried,” she said. …Ryder, who loves vinyl and record players, conceded that she’s well aware that her penchant for analogue media isn’t exactly the norm these days. “I just think that social media has changed everything, and I know I sound old. I’m very aware of that,” she said. “And part of me thinks, ‘Gosh, am I like vaudeville at this point?’ Like [elderly lady voice], ‘Hey, kids, turn down the music!’”
Alexandria, VA | Vinyl Record Maker Majority Owned by Metallica Extends Lease in Alexandria, Virginia: Heavy Metal Band Bought Controlling Stake in Furnace Record Pressing Last Year. A vinyl record maker majority owned by renowned American heavy metal band Metallica has extended the lease for its facility in Alexandria, Virginia. Furnace Record Pressing signed a renewal for its 49,194-square-foot space at 6315 Bren Mar Drive, CoStar has confirmed. The lease is for 10 years. The company made headlines last year when Metallica bought a controlling stake in Furnace, a leading vinyl manufacturer founded by Eric Astor in 1996. Furnace has produced more than 5 million pieces of Metallica vinyl since 2014, according to the company, including definitive deluxe box set editions for such critically acclaimed albums as Master of Puppets and Ride The Lightning. The extension comes as sales of records have, amid the digital age, unexpectedly soared in recent years.
TX | Vinyl Record Show of San Antonio, TX / Schertz, TX: Find the Music You Love and the Memories It Holds at the Vinyl Record Show of San Antonio! Step into a world of nostalgia and discovery at the Schertz Civic Center, where vinyl enthusiasts gather to celebrate the timeless charm of analog sound. With over 50 vendors from Texas and surrounding states, you’ll find an incredible selection spread across 100 tables. What Awaits You: Vinyl LP Records: Tens of thousands, from budget-friendly $1.00 LPs to rare collectibles worth hundreds of dollars. There’s something for every music lover. More Treasures: Dig through a variety of music memorabilia, 45’s, CDs, T-shirts, posters, cassettes, and even a few 78’s. Exciting Door Prizes: Every attendee has a chance to win a free record, a cool T-shirt, or even tickets to future shows! Join us for your shot at some fantastic goodies.
Massillon, OH | What’s new at the Mu? Vinyl record artwork in spotlight: The Massillon Museum’s Fred F. Silk Community Room Gallery will exhibit vintage record album covers from Aug. 31 through Oct. 27. “On the Record” will celebrate iconic vinyl album artwork from the collections of Massillon Public Library Vinyl Club members and friends. In addition to seeing album covers, music lovers will be able to select and play (free!) 45 RPM records on a 1950s Seeburg jukebox on loan from Phillip Elum. Vinyl Club member and Massillon Museum volunteer Mary Jane Corwin organized this exhibition with the assistance of fellow club members, the library’s programming specialist and the the MassMu staff. Vinyl Club, which is open free to teens and adults, meets monthly in the main branch auditorium. Presenters address pertinent topics and participants share their knowledge and spin songs on the library’s turntable.
