Vinyl: the next generation

A 2022 survey has found that, for a variety of reasons, youngsters as well as older generation music collectors are now buying vinyl. Neville Roberts digs into the data

Vinyl's resurgence has changed the way that we interface with music in ways that are clearly proving meaningful to fans of all ages. For younger buyers it's the excitement of watching for the first time a needle flow through a record. For the older generation, the appeal seems to be rediscovering the joy of reading through liner notes, as well as the authenticity and 'warmth' that vinyl records deliver.

A report compiled in 2022 by MusicWatch surveyed nearly 1,400 consumers across the USA from all walks of life. The report, entitled Revelations About the Vinyl Revolution, notes that in 2021, vinyl record sales topped $1-billion in the USA alone. The last time this happened was in 1988. An estimated 18-million consumers aged 13 and over purchased vinyl during 2021, representing a 27 percent increase over the previous year's figures, which were significantly impacted by the pandemic.