And the biggest music comeback in 2014 was…?
…
Need a hint?
It wasn’t an artist or band.
But rather, vinyl records.
According to industry data, nearly 8-million vinyl records were sold as of date in 2014, which is up nearly 50% percent from one year ago.
Vinyl has become popular with younger people, indie rock fans, and hipsters. Reasons being that sound quality is better and of course that romantic ritual of putting the needle to groove.
However, the demand for vinyl is creating chaos at the country’s few remaining factories.
Just one company supplies nearly 90% of all raw vinyl in circulation here in the United States.
That’s a lot of demand for one company.
Therefore, contemporary vinyl producers experience the daily plagues of factory break-downs and machine malfunctions, which slow-down the ever demand for vinyl.
There are an estimated 15 vinyl factories running right now in the U.S.
Problem is, though, the machines that play vinyl records haven’t been produced at a large scale level in several decades.
Business idea, anyone?
So, as the record-making-industry fights to stand on its own feet again, the large demand for vinyl swoops in and offers a firm hand to help it up.
There are producers, though, that are adding record presses to their lines, but a large amount of capital by entrepreneurs has yet to be invested, making the added endeavor difficult.
Orders that usually take only weeks to fill have seen month-long waits. Reason being is because a press machine only can crank out about 125 records per hour.
Artists and bands are making their hits available to fans on vinyl.
Jack White led all artists in the vinyl-race in 2014 by selling over 75,000 LP’s.
It’s still too early to tell if the vinyl-reemergence is here to stay, or will develop into something bigger.
But while we wait to find out, pour a nice drink, throw that Janis Joplin record on, and sit back, listening to the needle make some magic.
