Streaming overtakes downloads, CDs and vinyl sales in the U.S., Music sales also increased by double digits for the first time since 1994: A new report from the Record Industry Association of America says that in 2016, streaming overtook downloads, CDs and vinyl sales combined in the United States. Streaming accounted for 51% of the industry’s overall revenue, according to the RIAA. Sales from digital downloads of albums and individual tracks decreased by 22% from 2015, while overall sales of physical music fell by 16%. Due to the rise of streaming, overall industry revenue in the U.S. increased by 11% – it’s the first year-on-year double digit increase since 1994, and the best overall growth since 1998.
Streaming drives a growth spurt in the US music industry: For the first time ever, streaming platforms accounted for the majority of the US music industry’s revenue, according to the Recording Industry Association of America, which released the annual figures on Thursday. Fresh evidence of streaming’s momentum came this week, when tracks from Drake’s new album “More Life” were played 385 million times in its debut week…Vinyl remained a bright spot, however, with sales rising 4 per cent to $430 million — the highest level since 1985.
Music News: Irving Music Factory Is Coming in Hot, Bucks Burnett Opens a New Record Store and More: Regular readers of the Dallas Observer know Bucks Burnett. In addition to penning our Namedropper column he’s an aficionado of eight-track tapes, the listening medium that briefly reigned supreme in the ’70s, and until a couple years ago he ran a museum in Deep Ellum dedicated to the tapes. That space closed, but now Burnett has announced the opening of a new record store at 9022 Garland Road. Among other things 14 Records will also include a cassette museum. Check it out when it opens to the public at noon Saturday, April 1.
Rock’s the new jazz and vinyl’s so-called revival: what I’ve learned as Guardian music editor: Vinyl sales may be increasing every year, by large percentages. But a large percentage increase on very little is still very little. What’s more, as Nat Cramp of Sonic Cathedral wrote on this site, vinyl doesn’t make money for many small labels, whose audience doesn’t want to pay that much. And that’s before we get into how major labels take over pressing capacity in the run-up to Record Store Day, forcing indies to change their release schedules because they simply can’t get the records made.
The rise of vinyl records: Banquet Records, an independent record shop in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey started to organise live shows followed by singing sessions in 2008. “I’ve seen my favourite bands here at Banquet Records, that’s where I get my exclusive LPs. I have many and they’re all signed, I have All Time Low, Blink 182, Moose Blood, Tonight Alive to name a few. This is how I started my vinyl records collection and I have over 120 now. I am so proud of it” The store his home to alternative and upcoming new bands in the music industry. It’s one of the most known music stores in the UK and sells limited and rare editions of EPs as well as LPs.
Jim Duffy: Vinyl record experience has got me back into the groove: For some reason, I honestly thought that stores like HMV had disappeared from the high street and big shopping malls. But, after a quick Google search, low and behold, I found my nearest store. On entering, I was immediately struck by how busy it was. There were people everywhere looking at all sorts of media, T-shirts and, of course, CDs. But, when I turned a corner, I thought I had been transported back to 1981. A whole quarter of the store was dedicated to selling records – aka vinyl. And alongside that was what really blew me away – record players! Holy Toledo Batman, I thought.
How to properly maintain your vinyl: While vinyl records have undergone a recent spike in popularity, many people are handling vinyl for the very first time. Because vinyl is a very different material from compact disc or DVD, there are several precautions necessary to preserving its sound quality and maintaining its condition. This guide has been written in order to inform new vinyl owners of what equipment to invest in and how to best store their records.
