Records resurgence: From the perspective of record listeners and sellers
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In 2019, vinyl long-playing, commonly known as LP, had its 12th consistent year of growth in the U.S according to Nielsen.
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Almost a decade before, the growing interest in vinyl was attributed to "a small but dedicated group of fans who view the medium as a more pure listening experience than digital," according to a First Research report, all the while digital music was becoming mainstream.
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"I used to think of record players like turntables and needles as things from the '70s and early '80s... When I grew up they went away. So I still think of those things nostalgically. I don't think of them in a practical way at all," Brown said.
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That sentiment is the polar opposite of Davis Jordan, 23, a history major at Kennesaw State University.
Jordan's first memory of a record is hearing The Eagles, at six years old, on his dad's wooden turntable—a memory he still carries with him 17 years later.
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"We're kind of living in a vintage boom right now where Polaroids and [records] are cool again. Like stuff our parents hated when they were at our age, now we're voluntarily using them...But I think a lot of it just has to do with people looking for ways to do things that aren't just digital," Jordan said.
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His early exposure to listening to this music medium in his basement led him to collect records—a practice he started over five years ago.
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"Vinyls usually have some cool packaging, so when you're streaming a song off Spotify you might not even see what a cover looks like or what the packaging looks like. But when you buy a record, you get a big sleeve with art and lyrics and added stuff [like] photography or poetry. That's neat to look at while you listen," Jordan said.
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Brown compares records and digitally streaming music to bottled versus tap water, while there will always be consumers for bottled water (records) most times people are good with tap water (streaming). The analogy stands correct when an average record at Wuxtry costs $25 while the basic monthly Spotify subscription is $9.99 per month.
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Though Jordan uses Spotify for everyday listening, he finds that vinyl has better quality sound than digital formats, holds more sentimental value and appeals to his inner music-enthusiast.
"As someone, who music means a great deal to me, I feel some degree of obligation to support my local record stores,” he said.