BILOXI, Miss. (WLOX) - Vinyl record sales were higher in 2022 than CDs, according to a report from the Recording Industry Association of America.
“It’s really astounding to me, the rate of growth we have had in a comparatively short amount of time,” said Marley Roberts, owner of Marley’s Music in downtown Biloxi. “The growth of vinyl record sales is something that has taken several years to get to this point.”
The last time vinyl records were this popular was 1987.
“If you think back to the late 1980s to the 2000s, vinyl production was at an all time low,” said Roberts. “One of the main reasons I think that things have really exploded in the past few years is that newer artists would have a vinyl version of their current releases. People like Lady Gaga, Post Malone, Taylor Swift – these people that have very successful records would actually release records. So, the whole vinyl market was opened to all these people that weren’t in on it in the first place or maybe had been turned off it by CDs or streaming or anything.”
According to the RIAA’s report, 2022 marked the 16th consecutive year of physical media revenue growth. Vinyl records made up 71% of those sales.
Beyond the superior sound quality of vinyl records, Roberts tells WLOX that there is something special about the record shop experience.
“I have a lot of people that come in and say this is a home away from home,” he said. “They come in a couple times a week and just chill and listen to music, and I’ve made a lot of cool friends that way as well, which I’m really appreciative of.”
One of the busiest days for sales at Marley’s Music is Record Store Day/ The shop opens early and hosts special deals and limited release albums. The event happens on April 22. You can visit the shop’s Facebook page to learn more.
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