From vinyl to streaming: The music consumption trends for 2026. Think about how you listened to music ten years ago. Maybe you owned a CD collection, or perhaps you were already streaming on Spotify. Fast forward to today and the landscape is almost unrecognizable. We’re living through a moment where vinyl records sit alongside algorithmic playlists, where the tactile experience of dropping a needle competes with instant access to millions of songs at our fingertips. The way we consume music has always been evolving. From wax cylinders to cassettes, from radio waves to digital files. Yet the past few years have brought changes that feel particularly dramatic. ..Physical formats, once left for dead, are experiencing unexpected resurgences.
Boston, MA | Going analog: The sustaining support for physical music. Even with virtually every song ever released available to stream at the tap of a screen, many people still choose to drop their phones and instead drop needles to listen to their favorite albums. Whether it’s the tactility of playing a record, the ability to support their favorite artists directly or the nostalgia for a time they may or may not have lived through, physical media has created a tightly knit community of analog music fans. Lately, artists, store owners and a growing community of collectors have come together to share a common value: ownership.
Cardiff, UK | Welsh record shop which closed is to reopen—for one day only: The much-loved Welsh record shop which shut up shop last year—is to reopen for one day only. The store, D’Vinyl Records in Cardiff, a treasure trove for music lovers, had been a fixture in the Welsh capital for more than 30 years. But last year Steve Collins decided to shut up shop and retire after looking after the secondhand music store which sold records, CDs, DVDs and music memorabilia to a loyal customer base from its location in Mackintosh Place in the Roath area of the city. However, it appears he’s been very busy in his retirement—clearing out his garage and shed, where he has unearthed some buried treasures. “…Well believe it or not, while emptying my garage and shed I’ve found lots and lots of stuff I’ve forgotten about, all in great condition. So, drum roll, Saturday the 24th. January a “pop up shop” 9-30am—5-30 pm. Hope you can all make it.”
Overheard at the Record Store: Another day of life at a retail music store. My favorite part about working at a record store were the conversations with fellow employees about music. These could get heated and evolve into passionate arguments. Once we were trying to define punk rock. Travis, an Elvis Costello fanatic said, “Punkers can’t play instruments. Their songs only have two or three chords.” “Wrong,” Bad Luck Benjy said. Benjy was lead singer in a band called Tetraplegic. He considered himself an authority in all things punk. “Should I Stay or Should I Go has four chords. Don’t tell me the Clash aren’t punk.” “They’re not, they’re pop,” Travis shot back. “The Clash is punk as fuck,” Benjy said. Ricky, the angry Vietnam Vet, interjected. “The Clash are reggae posers. They stole from Jimmy Cliff and Peter Tosh.” “That proves they’re punk,” Benjy said. “Punkers steal.”
Alexandria, VA | Alexandria record store is recovering after devastating flooding: The water destroyed album covers, including a radio station-only Talking Heads, a Japanese pressing of “Meet the Beatles” and even the Crooked Beat Records’ owner Bill Daly’s first ever album, “Indian Reservation” by the Raiders. That’s a record Daly got when he was eight years old. Now the record store is cleaning up and deciding whether to stay at its Alexandria, Virginia, location after two floods hit the business. Daly sifted through pressing of Bob Marley, Bruce Springsteen and a $400 recording of the Ronettes as they were all neatly placed in a room with multiple fans running on full blast, drying them out. He told WTOP that around 400 records, worth tens of thousands of dollars, were destroyed in a flood that took place at Crooked Beat Records on Sunday, Jan. 11.
Jamestown, NC | Vintage stereo dealer grows niche: What started as a hobby in 2013 for Ed Parks has grown into a business that’s drawn countless fellow audiophiles as customers. The owner of Vintage Audio Exchange in Jamestown has tapped into markets of buyers who listen to old records that were mastered from 24-track tape using a turntable, amplifier and speakers from the 1970s and ’80s. “Our niche has really honed in on high-end stereo gear, which is really where I wanted to be,” Parks said. “We are a stereo equipment store that sells used vinyl, not a record store that sells stereo gear.” He recently moved all of his lines of business into one space directly across the street from where he had been the past 10 years. Spanning 2,500 square feet at 707-C W. Main St. in the strip building behind the Dollar General, it’s about three times the size of the former store and includes warehouse space in addition to a retail component.
St. Petersburg, FL | St. Pete City Councilman Richie Floyd launches re-election this weekend with record store party: St. Petersburg City Councilman Richie Floyd is running for re-election, and to kick off his upcoming campaign, he’s hosting a Saturday record store party at Bananas Records’ 22nd Avenue N location. Floyd’s new campaign follows his four-year term in District 8, with similar objectives to his previous run, including sustainability, affordability and a stand against corporate control over municipalities, to name a few.
Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON | Pop-up record show lures ‘vinyl junkies’ to Niagara-on-the-Lake: The event at the legion hall was a spinoff of the long-running St. Catharines Record Show. Jackie Kevill had a request from her daughter to buy new wave ’80s records at the pop-up vinyl record and CD show at Royal Canadian Legion Branch 124 in Niagara-on-the-Lake. “My daughter just got a record player,” said the St. Catharines woman. Among musical treasures Kevill found were albums by Styx and Eurythmics, and even The Archies’ 1969 album “Everything Archie” with the catchy hit “Sugar, Sugar.” “My grandkids will love the song,” said Kevill. The legion hall was packed Sunday, with people shuffling through crates of albums, most of them protected with a plastic envelope, and seeking a piece of sound nirvana.
Detroit, MI | 2nd annual Detroit Vinylfest: records, CDs, tapes, more! FREE! Over 70 vendors selling vinyl records, CDs, tapes, and more! Free entry! Brought to you by the Detroit Bookfest team, the 2nd annual Detroit Festival of Records (aka: Detroit Vinylfest) is happening in May! Over 70+ vendors will be selling vinyl records/LPs, CDs, cassette tapes, music-related posters, ephemera, t-shirts, and more. Some musicians/DJs/rappers, etc, will be doing autograph signings. And DJs will be spinning vinyl records. FREE ENTRY for attendees!
Augusta, GA | Vinyl is the star at record fair on Jan. 24: It’s no secret that Matt Porter loves to spin vinyl records. The executive director of Westobou also doubles as a DJ at local events. Last year, he brought that love of vinyl to Westobou and created with the inaugural Augusta Vinyl Record Fair in partnership with Grantski Records. “Last year, we had a lot of success,” said Porter. The second annual event is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 24 at the Westobou Gallery, 1129 Broad St. It will bring together record sellers from across the region with a selection of new, vintage and collectible records. And people can learn a little about what it’s like to be a DJ during the event. They can sign up to play their favorite music all while getting a chance to learn tips from the pros.
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