The sound of silence

Half of vinyl buyers don't own a record player. Is an image worth a thousand records?

Photo by Victrola Record Players on Unsplash

You may or may not be aware, but half of vinyl buyers in the US don’t own a record player. Hat tip to my friend

Brad Kyle

from

Front Row & Backstage

from whom I heard this news first.

According to research from music sales data company Luminate, only 50% of vinyl buyers in the past 12 months reported owning a record player. We could assume, then, that the other half of vinyl purchasers don’t own one.

Now, if you know a thing or two about me, I tend to be a bit cautious with assumptions (a decade working in the legal industry takes its toll). Half of vinyl consumers declared owning a record player (that’s a fact), but it doesn’t necessarily mean that the other 50% don’t own one: they may have simply chosen not to disclose this information (for reasons unbeknownst to us and not worth exploring here).

(This is why lawyers are annoying, I know, and if you hate lawyers, you’ll be pleased to know I’m not a lawyer myself: I’m simply a legal linguist).

My graduation ceremony (we didn’t do the hats thing). My tie is a bit messy and I can’t un-see it now. Life was chaos: I was in the middle of a transatlantic move, so it’s quite lucky that I was actually there and physically present! Still got a distinction though :)

Anyway, what we do know for a fact, at least according to this data, is that only half of the respondents of that survey chose to say that they own a record player. That’s enough to give me some food for thought and make me wonder what is going on with these people.

When I first got into vinyl, all I cared about was the sound. True, my first vinyl record was a gift, and while I didn’t own a record player at the time, I immediately appreciated its collectible value.

But when I got into vinyl properly, the driving force behind this adventure was (still is) the sound. The ritual of putting a record on and getting lost in the sound is hard to beat. It’s a real experience.

To me, everything else (enhanced cover art, for example, or a funky colour), while of course nice to have, is secondary.

Photo by Dorien Monnens on Unsplash

When I started collecting vinyl, I realised soon enough that certain records sounded better than others, and that your stylus, turntable, amp and speakers will have a direct impact on the sound you hear. I started reading and studying as much as I could humanly absorb in order to learn the craft to the best of my abilities. This is an ongoing process which I envision will end the day I die.

It should surprise no one that my top priority will never be how pretty a certain record looks. The music — and consequently the sound — will always matter more to me than anything else. Without music, there would be no records. In legalese, music is the sine qua non of records.

We all know that a vinyl record is a lot more than a collection of recorded material. The long-lasting (and dare I say unprecedented) impact of vinyl records throughout the decades as highly coveted collectible items and, what’s more, objects of cultural significance is well-documented. Vinyl helped define and redefine genres, set trends, and solidify the identity of entire urban tribes and communities around the world.

But there’s also a reality: some people are lazy. Vinyl makes no apologies for being a demanding and high-maintenance format. Specialised equipment, alongside a certain degree of knowledge and skill, is required. Playing vinyl is not too dissimilar to playing an instrument (especially when contrasted with other music formats, like CD or streaming).

So the fact that half of vinyl purchasers are seemingly not motivated enough to proudly say that they own a record player (let alone learn the craft or marvel at the wonders of analogue reproduction) is, in my view, disconcerting. What are they doing with the records, then? Hanging them on their walls?

Don’t get me wrong: vinyl makes for an excellent and disctinctive piece of art to display. This goes to show the versatility of vinyl and might explain (at least partially) its dominance and resilience as the ultimate physical format.

Vinyl is perhaps the only music format that can be truly experienced with most of our senses at once. This is the true reward for the extra hard work it entails. You can see, hear, touch… even smell your records. The music just feels different.

Vinyl is the only music format that can be truly experienced with most of our senses at once. The music just feels different.

I care more about sound than the average individual, I suppose. But seriously, aren’t these people at least… intrigued? Presumably they like the artist and/or the record they purchased. Do they not have the tiniest bit of curiosity about how their favourite record may sound in this emblematic format?

You don’t need to go all guns blazing with a sophisticated setup when you are making your first steps. There are cheap, all-in-one, plug-and-play turntables that, while their sound capabilities may not be the absolute best, they can work as a great starting point for anyone who is curious about vinyl but not sure where to start.

Photo by Victrola Record Players on Unsplash

Now, the curiosity needs to be there. I’m concerned that, sadly, for some people, it doesn’t seem to be there at all.

I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Why do you think so many people are buying vinyl records with seemingly no intention of playing them?

Thanks for reading and/or listening. Happy spinning!