CD Sales Increase More Than Vinyl Mostly Due to Kpop Album Sales: On Wednesday, entertainment and music data compiler Luminate released their midyear report that “highlights changing consumer behaviors and the evolving economics driving music, television & film.” As Stereogum reported, a major takeaway from the report is that CD sales are on a massive rise—despite only half of Gen Z and millennials owning a CD player. According to Luminate, CD sales rose 16% to 16.3 million units, while vinyl sales only had a 2.4% spike. Despite vinyl still selling more overall, this data supports Luminate’s theory that superfans are gravitating towards a cheaper CD format as an “an affordable collectible.” A big reason for the CD surge is due to K-pop fans, but even if you remove K-pop releases from the data, CD sales still rose 6.7%.
Winnipeg Beach, MT | Shoreline spins: Winnipeg Beach vinyl boutique helps lake-goers get in the groove. A just-released book called The Record Keepers: Digging for Stories in Canada’s Record Stores is being described as a cross-country love letter to the nation’s vinyl-record shops. The 158-page tome, written and photographed by Carleton University professor Josh Greenberg, shines a light on 60 independently-owned operations from coast to coast, including four in Winnipeg: Old Gold Vintage Vinyl on Osborne Street, Winnipeg Record and Tape Co. on Wellington Avenue, Into the Music on McDermot Avenue and Argy’s Records on St. Mary’s Road. Now, it’s probably too soon for Greenberg to be considering a sequel, but if the self-described audiophile ever decides to go that route, he may want to pay a visit to Winnipeg Beach, home of the province’s newest vinyl mecca.
Phoenix, AZ | Phoenix record store, Tracks in Wax Records, gains support: Elementary school principal Joshua Briese is the proud owner of the iconic Phoenix record store, Tracks in Wax Records, after purchasing it in 2025. The purchase price included all the inventory in the store and approximately 7,000 records the previous owner had in storage, to which Briese added 15,000 records of his own. Tracks and Wax has been a fixture of the Phoenix music scene since 1982, with a recent growth in success due to a resurgence in interest in records in the younger generation. Joshua Briese joined “Arizona Horizon” to talk about his store and the growth it has had.
New York, NY | Business of the Month: Ergot Records, 32 East 2nd Street. You can blast open the doors of perception by eating rye bread invested with ergot, a fungus that causes hallucinations, madness, and uncontrollable dancing; or you can ease your way through them at our July Business of the Month, Ergot Records, located at 32 East 2nd Street (btw. the Bowery and 2nd Ave.), a store specializing in experimental music, but happy to meet you where you are. You can find there both familiar items capable of evoking fleeting moments of your past and unfamiliar ones capable of reconfiguring your relationship to music and the world of sound. …Adrian’s choice of location was never in doubt. He knew that the agglomeration of record stores in the East Village has long made the neighborhood a destination for record shoppers and that this advantage far outweighs the challenges of having competitors nearby.
Nashville, TN | Great Escape prepares move from Charlotte Avenue building: Iconic local business to relocate from The Nations as reinvention of West Nashville site looms. The owners of The Great Escape—a local retail icon known for its expansive inventory of used vinyl records, CDs, comic books, video games and DVDs—are expecting to relocate their shop from The Nations by year’s end. The move—a west side future space is planned—will come as the business prepares to celebrate 50 years of operations in 2027. Located at 5400 Charlotte Ave. in a space once home to a bowling alley, the business is moving due to a looming development. Rob Baker, Great Escape co-owner, said staying at the site is not feasible.
Sioux Falls, SD | Vintage store opens with move to Phillips Avenue: Get ready for a throwback trip through the ’80s, ’90s and 2000s with a vintage store that opens today in an expanded downtown space. Thrift Heat Vintage opens at 222 S. Phillips Ave., making a move from 8th & Railroad Center, where owner Owen Monaha has operated since 2023. “I think it’s awesome,” he said of the new space. “I didn’t get everything done, but I’m ready to open … and it’s always going to be a work in progress.” The new location allows him to double his inventory, including between 500 and 600 T-shirts and a women’s section that has tripled in size with more than 300 pieces of clothing. He also has expanded a section of classic toys with two full display cases and three shelves. …And a new addition has plenty of vinyl: a record wall.
Manchester, UK | New record shop, Onsite Records, opens in Manchester: Located on 81 Newton Street, the new shop opened earlier this month. A new record shop, Onsite Records, has opened in Manchester. Located on 81 Newton Street in the Northern Quarter area of the city, the shop opened on 5th July. The shop will open from Tuesdays to Sundays each week, and also houses a coffee shop in addition to selling prints by local company Taking Shape. It’s hoped that the shop can soon host events on Fridays and Saturdays. Onsite Records carries a curated selection of Balearic, disco and progressive house records, according to Resident Advisor.
Philadelphia, PA | Vinyl Heaven! South Street Vinyl Block Party! Outdoors on South St in Philadelphia, Sat August 1st: Vinyl Record Crazy! The South Street Record Riot is an outdoor market of vinyl records and MORE! 50 tables LPs CDs. Plus crystals, vintage clothes, jewelry and more. Between 5th and 6th Streets! Attention Philly area vinyl fans! Come shop at over 50 tables of LPs, CDs OUTDOORS on South Street in Philly! Saturday August 1st from 9 AM to 5 PM! Dealers from all over the area converge on South Street between 5th and 6th Streets (the street will be closed to cars!). We’ll also feature a variety of local vendors, including some South Street businesses too. Jewelry, t-shirts, knick-knacks, who knows what else. Meet new music friends, find that special LP you’ve been looking for. All types of music: punk, funk, country, classical, blues rock, hip hop and more. FREE ADMISSION!
“For a long time, the machine itself acted as a gatekeeper”: Teenage Engineering’s new APC-2 wants to make record cutting more accessible than ever. Built with analogue specialists SUPERSENSE, the 104kg cutting lathe is designed to bring professional-quality vinyl cutting to more artists, studios and small-scale manufacturers. For all the advances in music technology, cutting a vinyl record remains one of the industry’s most exclusive crafts, relying on decades-old machines and a shrinking number of specialists. Teenage Engineering thinks it’s time that changed. Its answer is the APC-2, a professional record-cutting lathe developed with analogue experts SUPERSENSE. Designed to make vinyl cutting more accessible without compromising on sound quality or craftsmanship, the 104kg, made-to-order machine cuts original playback discs in real time, without the need for a traditional pressing plant.
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