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Report Shows Half of Vinyl Buyers Don’t Own a Turntable

Author Erica Banas // Rock Music Reporter

We all know vinyl is back in a big way, but for some reason, that hasn’t translated into people actually owning turntables.

According to a report from Luminate (h/t Music Business Worldwide), 50% of consumers who purchased music on vinyl in their 12-month study don’t own a turntable. You know…the thing that actually plays the vinyl!

So, what’s the point of owning vinyl if you don’t actually play it? Music Business Worldwide cited a 2016 BBC story that talked to a vinyl customer who didn’t own a turntable. This customer told the BBC, “I just collect them and put them on my wall, I think it looks great. I literally do it based on how it looks, or if I feel like I have a connection with the artist… If I think it’ll look good on my wall, so be it.”

While the concept of owning music you can’t play still seems silly, displaying vinyl sleeves is incredibly popular. A simple internet search of “vinyl wall display” yields a wide variety of results for nearly every price point. Clearly, there is a demand for this, but it still would be nice if vinyl owners actually owned turntables, too.

The Demand for Vinyl Continues

The resurgence of vinyl appears to be here to stay. In 2022, vinyl albums outsold CDs for the first time since 1987 and accounted for $1.2 billion in sales. However, the demand for vinyl has put a strain on pressing plants. In fact, Jack White shared a plea in March 2022, where he called on the three major record label groups — Sony Music, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group — to build their own vinyl pressing plants (again.)

In the clip below, White says, in part, “It’s 2022 now, and it’s no longer a fad. Vinyl records have exploded in the past decade, and their demand is incredibly high. A small punk band can’t get their record for eight to ten months. And I now ask the major labels — Warner Brothers, Universal and Sony — to finally build your own pressing plants again.”

He concluded, “As the MC5 once said, ‘You’re either part of the problem or part of the solution.’ Thank you.”

The vinyl demand is so great that in March 2023, Metallica invested in Furnace Record Pressing, a vinyl pressing plant based in Alexandria, Virginia. The majority interest in this plant is now owned by Metallica, who have pressed over five million reissue records there since 2014.

Unsurprisingly, White was quite pleased about this Metallica news. He shared, in part, via Instagram, ” Welcome to the cause gents! … Here’s hoping the major labels will also see this as further proof, and finally start investing in themselves.”

Erica Banas is a news blogger who's been covering the rock/classic rock world since 2014. The coolest event she's ever covered in person was the 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. (Sir Paul McCartney inducting Foo Fighters? C'mon now!) She's also well-versed in etiquette and extraordinarily nice. #TransRightsAreHumanRights

12 Highly Rated Turntables Under $200

If there’s something here you decide you just Must Have, we’ve provided links to the product websites. If you click on the link and make a purchase, Beasley Media Group may earn a commission. Have an idea for a fun theme for a gift idea list you’d like us to create? Drop us a line at [email protected]. 

 

With vinyl record sales up nearly 30% in 2020, more and more people are investing in physical albums again, and as a result, turntables. However, most people just can’t drop hundreds or even thousands of dollars on a turntable.

Fortunately, we can point you in the direction of some affordable turntables (with and without speakers) that are four-star rated or more and won’t break the bank. Scroll through the list below and check out 12 highly rated turntables under $200.

 

Please note that items are in stock and prices are accurate at the time we published this list. Have an idea for a fun theme for a gift idea list you’d like us to create?  Drop us a line at [email protected]. 

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Author Erica Banas // Rock Music Reporter
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