BTTV BLOG

Vinyl is not dying, but Wal-Mart is still the head of the beast. Win some, lose some.

——

That’s right.  According to Nielsen Soundscan, 33% of all albums – physical, digital, vinyl, CD, whatever – were purchased at big box retailers like Walmart or Target in 2010.  And that doesn’t even include Best Buy, which was placed into a separate category (for whatever reason).

By contrast, just 8 percent of albums were purchased at independent retailers.  And what about digital albums?  Sales through places like the iTunes Store or Amazon MP3 accounted for 26 percent of the combined (physical+digital) total.

Now, here’s where the numbers flip.  When it comes to vinyl, which sold 2.8 million copies last year, independent retailers accounted for 71 percent of all sales.  Yet, vinyl accounts for roughly 1 percent of the broader album total.

Via Digital Music News

So the single is back or has been back for a while. Though I’d disagree in a lot of ways with this, because I am an “album” guy who likes to listen to a record front to back. As old school as I am, and many of my friends the same it appears that many think that in our quick digestion culture the single is now the delivery option. Here’s a few reasons why MTT thinks the album is dead. For more details on each, click through to MTT.

——

I think it’s safe to say that we’re at the end of the “album age,” and although the format will hold on for a while, it’s clearly waning in popularity. I’ve given this a lot of thought and have come up with what I think are the reasons, but be aware, they’re not all exactly what the popular wisdom assumes. So let’s begin with the 6 reasons why the album format has, for all intents and purposes, died.

It was a visual experience.

It was an informational experience too.

The demise of the record stores.

The price.

The CD.

Too much filler.

Read more @ Music Think Tank

We love us some vinyl at BTTV. To be sure, we like to warm up the old Dual player and spin on into the night w/ cold six. But word is that the format may be on it’s way out after a brief (really?) resurgence. True? Not sure, since this is only 3 years worth of data from DMN, but it’s good to note. We don’t plan on stopping my addiction though.

—–

We already know the story on a-la-carte song downloads – they’re flat and declining in the US (down 0.2 percent during the first half). And, after three quarters this year, digital albums sales are also looking problematic. Billboard analyst Glenn Peoples recently dropped into the data on digital albums, and found some serious warning signs based on previous growth rates. But what about the resurgent vinyl, the nostalgic wunderkind that everyone loves to ‘wax’ about? Music aficionados swear by its aural authenticity, and bands are finding cash in the retro technology. But is this real growth, or just a nostalgia kick that’s already petering out?

Take a look at the data. After years of breakneck growth, vinyl’s comeback is seriously losing steam – and at a very small sales volume. Consider these recent US-based totals, as counted by Nielsen Soundscan:

* 2008: 1.88 million units sold, up 89.9%

* 2009: 2.5 million units sold, up 33.0%

* mid-2010: 1.3 million, up 9.1% from the comparable half in 2009.

via Digital Music News

Who doesn’t like vinyl? We do. A few solid tips for getting that wax on your merch table. And while they suggest Gotta Groove, we’d also recommend hitting up the folks at VEOBA as well.

———-

Vinyl records are a fantastic physical product for artists and bands to offer to their fan base. Having vinyl records produced may be easier than you think! While there are a lot of great pressing plants still operating around the world, Gotta Groove Records in Cleveland specifically caters to assisting indie musicians in pressing their music on wax. You can get a hold of them and/or place your vinyl orders online at www.gottagrooverecords.com. Here are some general pointers for making the process quick and easy:

Read more @ DIY Musician