Vinyl Record Sales Outpacing PlayStation Games

Here’s an interesting fact to chew on – more people across the UK are now buying vinyl records than physical PlayStation games. According to the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA), vinyl sales have been increasing at such a rate that they’re now comfortably outpacing other more ‘conventional’ entertainment products.

“Vinyl’s rise and rise seems unstoppable. For a 74-year-old analogue format to eclipse the digital-age technology of games platforms is quite extraordinary,” commented ERA representative Kim Bayley. “Ten years into its long climb back to favour, the vinyl revival is most definitely here to stay.”

The only video game medium that’s still outperforming vinyl is Nintendo Switch games, but the figures suggest vinyl will soon take the lead. As for whether this all adds up to anything significant, it depends entirely on how you interpret the figures. On one hand, you could rightly say that the popularity of vinyl is skyrocketing. More DJs (aspiring and established) than ever before are trying their hand at classic DJing, the appeal of vinyl is growing among the masses.

At the same time, the whole video game comparison thing doesn’t hold a great deal of water. The reason is that fewer gamers than ever before are buying physical format games, this is the trend that has been for some time. If you were to compare vinyl sales to digital games downloads or subscriptions, the two would pale in comparison.

DJs Should Still Take Note

Still, this doesn’t necessarily mean that DJs should not take note of what’s going on in vinyl circles. Vinyl DJing is unlikely to see such a renaissance as to reverse the digital revolution, but it is still a big deal. More importantly, it’s becoming a bigger deal than it has been in some time.

Of course, it is entirely up to you as to whether you see any sense in giving vinyl DJing a shot. Even so, ask a bunch of newcomers to vinyl why they decided to go old-school and you’ll find most citing the same motivations.

Examples of these include the following:

1. They’re disenchanted by today’s technology overload 

For some, it is simply a case of finding it difficult to be inspired by today’s largely automated approach to DJing. Not to take anything away from the skills and talents of the world’s best digital DJs, but mastering the art of vinyl DJing is much more of a challenge. If you really want to showcase your talents to the world, try taking computers and software out of the mix and see how you get on.

2. They get a kick out of shopping for vinyl

70s, 80s and 90s kids will know just how much of a thrill it used to be to pick up a new release from a record store, take it home, rinse the living daylights out of it and worship the packaging it came in. All of which is a pleasure that’s been totally wiped out by digital media. You can therefore understand why some set out to rediscover the simple pleasures of shopping for music the old-fashioned way. Even today, there’s nothing quite like hitting an old record store and spending hours on end checking out the vinyl on offer.

3. They want to stand out from the crowd

Taking things back to basics is a surefire way to differentiate from most other DJs on the scene. The simple fact that most digital DJs never stray from their digital setups could be all the motivation you need to do just that. Coupled with the satisfaction of mastering a truly challenging craft, learning the ropes with vinyl could give your reputation and image a major boost.