US Music Streaming Tops 100 Million Subscribers; Vinyl Outsells CDs For Third Year 13
U.S. music streaming services surpassed 100 million subscribers in 2024 [PDF] while industry revenue hit a record $14.9 billion, up 4% from the previous year, according to the Record Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Physical media sales outpaced digital growth, with vinyl records increasing 7% to $1.4 billion, outselling CDs ($541 million) for the third consecutive year. Digital downloads plummeted 14.9%, now representing just 2% of industry revenue.
Physical media sales outpaced digital growth, with vinyl records increasing 7% to $1.4 billion, outselling CDs ($541 million) for the third consecutive year. Digital downloads plummeted 14.9%, now representing just 2% of industry revenue.
Amazing! (Score:1)
It's wild that when you give consumers a chance to consume legally without squeezing them like a grape, they respond by purchasing your product!
Who knew?
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All the hottest underground mixes come on Edison wax cylinders.
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All the hottest underground mixes come on Edison wax cylinders.
It's the hot sticky cylinders that defined the Edison pornograph.
Groovy! (Score:2)
No comment.
As a Vinyl lover, I approve (Score:2)
I fell in love with vinyl when streaming became popular. I got a record, album art, and a certificate to download all the mp3s for the same price as buying the album? That was a no brainer for me.
The main reason why I recommended it to everyone is because streaming just became a top 40 whatever. For those of us to remember buying and listening to albums: How many songs do you know and love that never made it to the radio? I know I have tons! That's my reasoning and why I recommend it to everyone.
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It's not a technological thing, it's a "people mastering CDs are stupid and like to destroy the audio quality just to make it sound louder" thing.
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So the loudness war does not affect new vinyl? Wouldn't wanna pop a grove now.
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Not quite to the same extent, first of all you have to master for vinyl separately as mastering for vinyl needs to take the engraving process and RIAA curves into account. Also clipping can be a lot worse on vinyl, even leading to skips.
But of course a really lazy engineer can take a peak-limited digital master, just drop the level to avoid clipping, tweak the bass, apply the RIAA curve and call it a day. The result will sound horrible, but hey at least it was quick.
CDs all the way (Score:4, Insightful)
I purchase a lot of extended edition film soundtracks that are only released on limited run CDs. This is done to keep the licensing affordable for the small labels that put them out.
I love having these noncompressed, archival backups. I still legally rip them to the computer once I get them, for convenience of playback.
Records are just a tactile, feel good format for hipsters that isn't actually superior in any way, shape or form to compact disc. You just like the experience. That 'warm' sound quality is actually is actually just poor frequency response. But I understand the appeal of retro technology for the experience. The thing is, I grew up with all that, and when CDs came out in the mid-80s most of us never looked back. The convenience, durability and sound were just miles ahead of typical mass produced records and cassettes. Unlike DVD and Blu Ray, CDs did not come with obnoxious copy protection technology baked in, so one is free to transport the content to other formats as desired. You'll probably never see anything like that combination of perfection ever again.
I think records appeal more to people who never had to deal with them as their only decent musical option, whereas I have no interest in re-living a format that is easily damaged, has poor fidelity (except when compared to cassette tapes) and is just generally inconvenient. The one upside was huge album art and beautiful etched discs on occasion. More collectors art than anything.
Sales in dollars, but how about units? (Score:3)
"Physical media sales outpaced digital growth, with vinyl records increasing 7% to $1.4 billion, outselling CDs ($541 million) for the third consecutive year."
Vinyl is quite a bit more expensive than CDs, so it wouldn't be at all surprising if CDs still outsell vinyl based on unit sales instead of dollar sales.