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BPI publishes vinyl revival stats

By Chris Cooke | Published on Thursday 17 October 2013

Ah, the vinyl revival, we all love that right? Nothing pleases vinyl fans more than watching the CD format’s sorry slide into oblivion as sales of good old-fashioned proper records continue to boom. Of course selling CDs is still the single biggest revenue generator for the global record industry, and CD album sales still account for all but the smallest slice of the recorded music business’s physical product pie. But who asked for vinyl revival figures to be put into perspective? No one, that’s who.

And it’s true that vinyl continues to see impressive growth in the UK, with latest figures from the Official Charts Company and record label trade body the BPI revealing that 2013 sales of the format have now crossed the half million mark, the first time annual vinyl sales have exceeded 500,000 since 2003. And the number of vinyl records shifted could exceed 700,000 by the end of the year, the highest total since 2001. Already vinyl accounts for 0.8% of album sales, which is tiny, but significantly more than the 0.1% market share the format commanded in 2007.

Commenting on the latest vinyl revival stats, BPI boss Geoff Taylor, just back from his cheesy vox pop training, told CMU: “The LP is back in the groove. We’re witnessing a renaissance for records – they’re no longer retromania and are becoming the format of choice for more and more music fans. This year has been a treat for vinyl aficionados with releases from Daft Punk, David Bowie, Arctic Monkeys and Black Sabbath”.

He went on: “Whilst sales only account for a small percentage of the overall market, vinyl sales are growing fast as a new generation discovers the magic of twelve-inch artwork, liner notes and the unique sound of analogue records, often accompanied by a download code for MP3s. As we look forward to new LPs from Arcade Fire, Paul McCartney, Pearl Jam, and Jake Bugg in the run up to Christmas, the vinyl revival looks set to continue”.

Meanwhile, bigging up the role of Record Store Day in all this, Kim Bayley, Director General of the Entertainment Retailers Association, added: “Record Store Day has been incredibly important as a catalyst for the resurgence of vinyl. The fact that indie record shops managed to sell a huge £2 million worth of vinyl in one day puts paid to the idea that either vinyl or record stores themselves are on the way out”.

The BPI has also revealed the results of a recent survey of 1700 vinyl buyers, revealing that 70% of those surveyed bought at least one record a month, and nearly 20% at least one a week. And 85% of those surveyed confirmed vinyl was their favourite music format. And while the 35-44 age bracket made up the highest portion of respondents, a third were under 35, suggesting that – especially in the indie genre – there is a market for vinyl amongst younger consumers too.

So that’s all good. Though obviously what you’re all really here for is a list of the ten best selling vinyl releases of the year so far and some stats about vinyl sales over the last decade. And look, once again CMU provides. Yes, with absolutely no thought for my own safety, I’ve cut and pasted these lists from the BPI’s press release…

Ten best selling vinyl releases of 2013… so far
1. Daft Punk – Random Access Memories
2. Arctic Monkeys – AM
3. David Bowie – The Next Day
4. Boards Of Canada – Tomorrow’s Harvest
5. Queens Of The Stone Age – Like Clockwork
6. Atoms For Peace – Amok
7. Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires Of The City
8. The National – Trouble Will Find Me
9. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Push the Sky Away
10 Black Sabbath – 13

Vinyl sales – units shifted by year
2003 – 579,248
2004 – 453,254
2005 – 351,224
2006 – 250,926
2007 – 205,292
2008 – 208,526
2009 – 219,449
2010 – 234,471
2011 – 337,041
2012 – 388,768
2013 (so far) – 548,142