The way we listen to music has changed repeatedly over the past 40 years, moving from vinyl, to tape, to CD, and now digital. However, one thing has stayed constant and weathered the storm - the humble record store.
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Despite the majority of people now listening to their favorite artists via digital streaming services, there are still many record stores to be found in any city you visit. Despite the big music outlets closing by the day, the indie record store is still going strong.
In 2023, vinyl outsold CDs for the second year in a row in the US. The year reported 34.9M sales, with a further increase of 6.2% in 2024. This signifies a massive comeback for vinyl sales, making the record store a valuable business venture for entrepreneurs looking to keep the industry alive.
Although they are still far from their heyday in sales, vinyl has become something of a collector's item and a wonderful way to pay a little more to the artists you like. They're being robbed by most music streaming sites, after all.
Can't Kill The Culture
Before the age of digital media, the record store was not just a place to buy music, but somewhere to meet fellow music lovers. There were record stores for grungy metalheads, classy jazz fans, and the all-night ravers. Whatever your genre, there was a cozy little corner to cater to your needs and keep you in the loop. Gigs and record releases were all advertised in the record shop, they were a cultural hub.
With the advent of digital, on-demand music, accessibility blew up. Anything and everything could be listened to at all times, marking a musical revolution. Consequently, the world of the record store was threatened. There was, all of a sudden, no need to buy physical musical media. Expensive records, CDs, and tapes were out, and on the go, digital media was in.
But, it appears, as brilliant as having the world's entire music library in your pocket is, there's something just too special about owning a vinyl and rubbing shoulders with like-minded musicophiles. Music is a culture, after all, and culture loves company. Nobody wants to appreciate art alone.
The Record Store Revival
What has kept the record store going strong is their adaptation. Of course, the upsurge in vinyl sales helps. But, there are also many other elements at play in a successful indie record store. Where the large commercial music stores were stunted by size, indies were able to flourish.
Now, heading down to your local record store will provide a much more enriching musical experience. It's possible to go into most and find local music events, news on record releases, and limited edition merch. I have seen some of my favorite producers playing intimate, free gigs, in local record stores, and had the chance to meet with artists and industry heads in the process.
The record buying experience is such a pleasant one too. In a room full of music, the beautiful artwork of every album fills the walls, and a worthy sound system plays only the best of the best while you browse. The staff are all clued up, and happy to talk about music all day. It's one of the only places that is still exclusively dedicated to the art form.
The record store has seen where its place is in society and filled the role with gusto. They're a meeting place for like-minded music lovers. There aren't many places outside of gigs where you can surround yourself with the culture and crowd of the music scene. In the same way that the E-Reader will never replace the book, I don't think real fans will ever find anything better than owning a beautiful 12".
