2016 May Be the Biggest Year for Vinyl Since the 80’s

It’s a new year. And if the past 12 months were any indication of what’s to come, we’re witnessing a resurrection in the world of vinyl. Just in case you weren’t convinced that 2015 was the year records truly started to make a comeback, HMV dropped this bomb the other day. Yes, you read that right. HMV sold one turntable per minute in the week leading up to Christmas. After doing the math (The local HMV is open 64 hours during a standard week, it would probably be higher during the week leading up to Christmas), that adds up to a staggering 3,840 turntables in a week!

Don’t get us wrong, vinyl still makes up a very small percentage of overall sales. And many of the new turntables purchased worldwide will be used individually to simply listen to records, not mix them. But the impact those sales will have on the pressing of singles, EP’s, and LP’s will be undeniably massive. In January of last year, it was reported that over 9 million records had been sold in the US during 2014, a number unseen for over 20 years. In 2015, between January and March, album sales were 53% higher than at the same time the previous year. And if Amazon’s reports from this past holiday season are accurate, then 2016 is going to be the biggest year in vinyl since the introduction of the compact disc. How does all that tie into dance music? One word: Turntablism.

While most of the vinyl sold will have nothing to do with EDM, seasoned crate diggers like Z-Trip, Skratch Bastid, Kid Koala, and BC legend Mat the Alien have documented their turntable skills and proven that dance music is a very broad term. One that’s subjective to the individual behind the decks. It doesn’t matter what’s on the record, it’s how you mix it. And with such a drastic increase in the sales of vinyl over the past decade, one can only assume the impact it will have on a generation of DJs to follow. Let’s just hope the labels don’t shoot themselves in the foot, again, by price gouging the consumer out of a purchase. Better yet, say fuck the labels and start your own.

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How do you feel about the resurgence of vinyl within the music industry? Is there a place for it within the EDM community or will technology reign supreme? Let us know below or follow us on Facebook and Twitter to share your voice!