Vinyl Experience(4) The day vinyl exceed to popularity of cd will come?

Speaking of England, bankruptcy of major record chain HMV which took place earlier this year

is fresh in our minds. (Bankruptcy was escaped because the investment company Hilco
eventually purchased.)　Music sales in UK have also fallen into the situation which cannot be
said to be good condition as if failure of HMV was symbolic.Even though sales are located 
in the 3rd in the world, in the ratio of the previous year, it is -6.1%.Compared with other 
sales higher rank countries, the depression is remarkable.In such circumstances, sales of 
vinyl are growing steadily. I want you to look at the graph below.

Discending every passing year to the peak in 2001, sales have risen again around 2007 to
2008.Sales number of copies extended from about 200,000 in 2007 to about 390,000 copies 
and about twice in 2012.Although it is interesting that transitions of a graph are similar with the
United States,you can think this is greatly involved with the existence of Record Store Day 
which began from 2008.

Throughout the 1980s there were about 2,200 independent record shops in the United Kingdom 

which continued to decline, and had fallen to 269 hotels close to one-tenth of the peak in 2009, 
but the number of stores is beginning to increase again after 2010.Is this also the RSD effect?
And bright subjects -- the library of a record speciality opens in July,this year-- are increasing.

Vinyl resurgence is not a topic restricted to the United States and the United Kingdom.

According to the report of the International Federation of record, total vinyl sales of the world
last year has reached 177 million dollar which is best record since 1997.Thus, although it is
the vinyl popularity extended with globally remarkable vigor in recent years,still more, there is
enough room for growth. There is a prediction that it will be located in a line with the sales of
the CD in the future, or also it may become more than it.

「But the format's decline is inevitable in favour of digital downloads. In less than a decade,

vinyl might yet regain its status as the dominant physical format.」

(The Economist)

Independent record shops Waterloo Records in Austin also has a similar view.At Waterloo

Records, vinyl occupies 27% and CDs form 54% of sales.

「The sales of the CD fall and vinyl are going up. It will become about the same sales in the near
future.」buyer&manager Paul predicts.

「Would say it is possible.」Chasson Gracie,CEO of US research firm Gracie Management
replies to my tweet 「The day may be near when the sales of a record exceed the sales of the CD.」

A survey on the vinyl purchase of young Gracie Management has done,number which can be
called shocking is out, but I want to introduce a little later.

「The CD become obsolete at a speed faster than the growth rate of vinyl sales. Only persons who want to buy physical are satisfied with beautiful material these days. But, the CD does not come appeal to aesthetic sense as much as vinyl.」                                     

(Guy Blackman,a musician in Melbourne)

「A speed faster than the growth rate of vinyl sales」

It sounds exaggerated, but it is certainly that cd sales are depressing rapidly.Former CEO of HMV UK,Simon Fox said the CD will be dead in five years.The CD will disappear almost from record shops within five years, it will become the presence of degree to be placed in the corner of the record shop.I think it is, not a shaggy-dog story with no reality at all.   The share of the CD which occupied 95% in 2002 in the United States are cutting 50% already.If it go down in the momentum of this state, it is no wonder even reduced to a share of about 20% in five years.For　example,Sony closed the largest CD production plant in its company in March last year, I can not help feeling that the decline of the CD doesn’t stop.

There is the word "company 30-year theory" said commonly.Although 30 years passed since the birth of the CD, but it can not be denied that the CD has past the peak long ago and are falling into decay gradually.I come to think of it, first issue of LP was produced in 1948, although it has been loved by music fans during the long time, vinyl surrender their position to the CD in about more than 30 years later.After that,vinyl began to underground media that were loved enthusiastically between DJs and a part of mania.And when the CD is going to close the one era, it is a very interesting phenomenon that vinyl driven away by the appearance of the CD to the periphery is trying to fetch its breath again.

          

However, why is the popularity of vinyl increasing rapidly now so far?

Forte Wayne Reader paper summarizes reasons of vinyl’s popularity to five, "They sound better", "The listening process is completely different", "They look cool", "They come with cool stuff.", and "They are fun to buy."

Website, Unified Manifacturing picks up below 6 points:

“Sound Quality”,“Surface Noise”,“Nostalgia”,“Tacticle Experience”,”Collectible”,”Valuable”

In a unique view,RetirementHomes.com points out “Throughout the ’90s, hip-hop DJs spun vinyl disks, manipulating the turntables by hand for musical effect.”

Alan Cross,Canadian MC& writer summarizes the benefits of vinyl to the following ten points.

1.　Today's vinyl is way better than the crap we had when the CD was introduced in the early 80s.  

2.  Today's 180 gram releases sound great.

3.  Turntable technology has come a long way.

4.  There's a good chance you still have a lot of vinyl (or know of someone who does).

5.  Listening to vinyl makes you a more disciplined music fan.

6.  You'll hear things you never heard before.

7.  No more loudness wars

8.  Discover album artwork and liner notes.

9.  Be tactile with your music

10. Vinyl is NOT just for hipsters

In this way, there are a lot of benefits and reasons for vinyl’s popularity.In first,I would like to analyze the popularity from the side of the antithesis to digital musics which became mainstream in the music industry of the world after Napster and itunes.(cont'd)