Vinyls are back! Yes, it has come as a great surprise, but those old, large records kept in sleeves with amazing works of art printed on the cover are now back and rising in popularity. And it is not simply a case of new collectors rummaging through boxes in the attic or buying old second-hand vinyl on auction websites. Year after year, more modern artists are selling limited editions of brand-new, unused vinyls that have been manufactured in today's digital age.
But why is this the case? In the era of digital downloads and online subscriptions, the thought of finding a turntable that still works, leafing through many vinyls in an old box and then correctly setting everything up seems cumbersome.
After all, it is not easy to transport your music collection if it is all on vinyl, or even the turntable to play said music collection! But in this article, you will find five reasons why vinyl is popular once again and why you ought to give it a try!
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Reason 1: Nostalgia
Even if you were not there for the original vinyl releases back in the day, you have likely heard of the magic of vinyl. Going into a record store once meant looking through the rows and rows of sleeves, considering what music your favourite artist had just released and making a careful choice about what vinyl you wanted. After all of that effort, when you got home and put that vinyl on the turntable, you felt like you had purchased a work of art. Buying vinyl today brings some of those amazing memories back to life!
Reason 2: You Are Purchasing Something Real
When you buy music today, you get a notification for a completed download or an email confirming you have successfully signed up for a subscription. There is no music collection to present to friends and family in your home. There is no well-organized shelf in your living room proudly displaying your musical taste. Just a digital list on your smartphone or computer that performs the same practical function but lacks that sense of being a real music collection.
Reason 3: Vinyls Sound More Authentic
When listening to vinyl, you feel you are getting the authentic sound that the music was meant to convey. Those who are adamant that digital music is simply superior in every way will scoff and point out that vinyl gets damaged, turntables slowly break down and with technological advancement comes the inevitable audio quality enhancement. But for vinyl collectors, the slight crackle of vinyl is all a part of the experience.
Reason 4: The Turntable
Playing music on vinyl is a lot like drinking tea from a proper tea set. It's not just about the tea you are drinking, it is also about the art behind the tea set and the ritual of preparing and serving the tea. The same is true of using a turntable to listen to music recorded on vinyl. Seeing a turntable in a living room is an unmistakable sign that the owner is a serious fan of music. You know that along with that turntable, there will be a record collection somewhere nearby and that the owner knows how to set everything up properly. The turntable is not simply a means to play music, it is also both an ornament and a statement.
Reason 5: Support Your Favorite Artists
If your favourite artists are still producing vinyl, they are taking a calculated, yet potentially highly rewarding, risk. Part of that calculation is that they know that among their fans there will be those that are highly loyal. These fans buy new music as soon as it is released, regularly attend concerts and purchase merchandise. It is these fans that are central to artists' income. The artists are happy to return the favour and release collector's vinyl for their loyal fans. By purchasing vinyl from your favourite artists, you are directly supporting them while building a record collection that you can be proud of.
Vinyls are back!
It may be hard to believe, but vinyls are well and truly back in the twenty-first century. For reasons relating to nostalgia, a sense of owning something authentic and supporting artists for their amazing work, people are once again purchasing turntables and forming record collections. When the compact disc revolution took hold, the vinyl was presumed to be dead. In reality, it is still very much alive!