Vinyl sales increase by 13.2% in 2023
In the first three quarters of the year, vinyl sales have increased by 13.2% from last year. Between the start of the year and the end of September, the BPI found that 3.9 million records were sold. In the third quarter alone, over 1.2 million records were sold.
The most successful vinyl release of the year so far is Lana Del Rey’s Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, boasting sales of over 33,000 LPs. Taylor Swift’s Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) and Blur’s The Ballad Of Darren are both close behind.
The figure has further increased from the six-month mark, which found a surge of 12.4% from last year. At the time, a BPI spokesperson commented, “Demand for vinyl continues to rise despite many years of growth, driven by the passion fans feel for the format and the emotional connection it provides with the music they love.”
That demand and passion certainly doesn’t seen to be slowing down, as this year’s increase seems set to overtake 2022, which saw a vinyl sale surge of 2.9%.
With Record Store Day’s Black Friday event on the horizon and album releases from the likes of The Rolling Stones and Taylor Swift still to come, the future looks promising for vinyl. Record Store Day recently revealed a list of exclusive titles which will be available in stores on November 24th, including LPs from the Doors, Joni Mitchell, and Prince.
It’s more important than ever to support independent artists with physical purchases, as the landscape of the music industry becomes increasingly difficult due to the rise of streaming and small venue closures.
While the vinyl revival thrives, CDs are still becoming increasingly less popular, their decrease negating the growth of physical media as a whole.
Find the full list of Record Store Day titles below.
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Music Newsletter
All the latest music news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.