Vinyl is making a comeback: Record Store Day

Vinyl records may not be small or convenient as playing music off your smartphone, downloading or streaming music, but…it’s trending again now. It has carved out a good niche for aficianados who prefer its more visceral sound…even with surface noise and occasional scratches. Others prefer vinyl simply because it’s not digital. Regardless of you opinion of Vinyl, it doesn’t appear to be going away anytime soon.

Sales of vinyl records jumped 32% in the U.S. last year as new stores opened and more artists have opted to make their music available in vinyl format. Amazon.com reports that vinyl sales have jumped about 745% since 2008 as nostalgic fans have come back to the mix.

Although Vinyl records represent just 2% of overall album sales according to Billboard magazine, the sales have been on the upswing for six straight years. That’s something even digital music can’t claim. Neilsen SoundScan reports that digital album sales in 2013 remain unchanged from 2012 at about 118 million downloads. Individual digital song sales last year dropped 6 percent to 1.26 billion downloads and this is the first decline since the iTunes Store opened in 2003!

With all of this said, is there a way to celebrate the format many call the best? Yes, there is..and it’s called Record Store Day. On Saturday you’ll see the release of hundreds of new and reissued albums and collections by artists ranging from Public Enemy to R.E.M.. Oakland Museum of California also opens a new interactive exhibit devoted to the sound, history, artwork and culture of vinyl records.

Click here to learn more about Record Store Day.