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Everyone knows that record sales are going up and CD sales going down. I can’t find any data on how many records are actually sold, when will Record sales overcome CD’s?People have said that one day in the far future digital will one day sound better than analogue, but knowing that CD’s only sound marginally better than MP3’s while taking up 10 times the space. Any real “high quality” sound from digital would be unwieldy due to the amount of space it would take up, and could never replicate the warmth of vinyl even if they could come in close to the definition and the expense of a ridiculously large file. Another problem with digital would be the access time; it would need to access a file in excess of a gigabyte in less than 4 minutes.
For the foreseeable future I think analogue will remain king.
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Funny you should ask, because out here in Seattle one of the local papers carried an article on the subject a few days ago. It said that vinyl sales were $800,000 last year vs. CD sales of about $550 million.
Sorry but I must respectfully disagree about vinyl sales. They are only "up" for a small segment of the music buying public, and when the whole music listening segment of the population is considered, vinyl is barely visible, just like the hi-res formats. Vinyl and LP playback has a certain appeal in some circles outside of "audiophiles", but I wonder how much real staying power it has.
Also, never say never in regard to digital playback. Back in the early-1990's a semi-professional photographer friend of mine said that he'd never use digital cameras or digital photographic processing. He thought that there would never be enough resolution to rival chemical film or slides. Now all he shoots is digital and he feels his photos look far better than they did 10 years ago. Audio may go the same way, if it hasn't already, the question is whether it will be widely marketable, and over the long haul, who knows?
So Michael Fremer, a.k.a. Mr. Vinyl, and multitudes of other vinylphiles are NOT audiophiles?LOL.
this reminds me of a visit from my brother about two months ago. I was just finishing up some major alterations to my downstairs system, and had an SACD disc in play when he walked in. Liked what he heard, and asked me to play something else, so I did. Then he asked me what was under the black silk cover on the table next to all my sources. Told him it was my turn table, and of course he wanted a look see. So I played a Kieth Jarrette LP for him. Then he asked me to play it on the CD player (told him I had it). Then we played some other stuff, and finally he said the turntable made those tin discs sound like frisbes.
Now he wants a turntable. He dosn't know it yet, but his nephews have bought him a Music Hall #5 for his birthday. Being the "blues head" that he is, I'd say he's gonna need two or three good LP's to perk him up a bit.
gary
One must separate the visual medium from the audio medium.I shoot professionally and converted to digital from medium format and 35mm, about 3 years ago. Human senses are different, eyes react differently to sensations than ears do. I would never go back to shooting film not only because digital looks cleaner and IMO rivals resolution to most film formats short of large format but because shooting digitally allows me so much more control over my end result of images including how I may display such.
I listen to CD format for music and having decent payer (none of the cheapy crap all too often peddled to consumers) I am pleased with Red Book CD sound (I hate lossy formats, the sound is puss IMO) but LP records if properly played on good gear (no one needs not spend thousands on such either) will outdo most if not all digital formats but in some case blow them away.
But back to my point one should not mix visual senses and audio senses, they are two very different human sensations.
sales down from 2005. the vinyl comeback is over. it was never more than a blip, and the blip was mostly created by new release dj business. the reissue business, even for a major title, or a new major release is still only 1500 to 2500 units on a good day.
to display the many new re-issues and even new pressings of vinyl records, you would see more sales. Throw in electronics retailers jumping on board to carry a selection of the new turntables and accessories and that would re-enforce such. I'm not saying vinyl will rival CD or even the choice in downloads, but even with limited bricks & mortor space for both vinyl softwares and record playback gear, record sales are generally on the rise. Lets not forget the stats given do not reflect used transactions on line or esp. at thrift stores, flee markets and garage sales.I suggest more people would re-buy into vinyl for the sound quality and the mood it gives by having more stores sell both records and gear. It is a chicken and egg thing though. Most music stores think records are past history and most electronics stores think the same with gear. So it's a matter of showing them the dollars and cents but without easy access to esp. new albums on vinyl and ability for people to go and see all touchy feely numerous analogue gear it will be harder for vinyl sales to grow beyond what we have been seeing for the last 5 or so years.
Yes, online is available choice and for many the only choice, sales of electronics on line is growing and even record playback gear. Sales of vinyl records online is steady but a whole other avenue of sell through is being stunted by not having easy access to sales of both records and gear at bricks & mortar stores.
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