You would think that the rise in vinyl sales would also lead to an increase in record player sales. But as a recent study by music sales data provider Luminate found, about half of American vinyl buyers don’t have a record player at home.
According to the 2023 edition of Luminate’s music trends survey, 15% of the 3,900 Americans surveyed have a record player at home, but only 50% of those who bought a vinyl record in the past year. This means that 50% of people who bought vinyl records in the last 12 months have no way to play them at home, so they likely bought the vinyl for decoration or to support their favorite artist. Luminate’s survey classifies these people as “super fans”.
The vast majority of music revenue – 84% in 2022 – will still come from streaming services. It’s also worth noting that last year’s best-selling vinyl record by Taylor Swift was Taylor Swift midnight (945,000 copies), Harry Styles Harry’s house (480,000) and Olivia Rodrigo sour (263,000) albums – all artists known to have passionate fan bases.
