BOISE, Idaho — For the first time since 1987, vinyl records are outselling CDs across the nation.
A 2022 report came as no surprise to The Record Exchange in downtown Boise as music lovers have been buying more vinyls than CDs there for years.
“In the age of streaming, vinyl is like a gourmet meal,” says Aaron, a Moscow, Idaho resident who frequently visits The Record Exchange.
Store employees say that besides the cover art and better sound quality that comes with having vinyl records, there is something so meaningful about being able to hold your favorite album.
“You can’t always count on finding the [song] on the streaming service that you're subscribed to,” says John O’Neil, the general manager at The Record Exchange. “Other physical media isn’t quite as romantic.”
“You also get a warmer tone and sound out of Vinyl than you do out of digital music,” says Aaron.
When Aaron and his family travel from northern Idaho to Boise, they always stop by The Record Exchange to check out the collection.
“I just got a record player for Christmas and I got some Beatles records,” says Aaron's son Ben.
Vinyl records are enjoyed by people of all ages, but many music stores are seeing Millennials and Gen Z consumers more often, since older adults may still have the records they got years ago.
“I thought everybody that had ‘Rumors’ by Fleetwood Mac had it already, but that’s not true. A whole new generation of people picked it up,” says O’Neil.
The Beatles still hold the record for most vinyl records sold, but The Record Exchange says their recent sales are driven by popular contemporary artists like Mac Miller and Frank Ocean.
“Taylor Swift is huge as far as vinyl sales go. Taylor is a well-known supporter of record stores and record store culture,” says O’Neil.
In 2022, there was 41 million vinyl albums sold and only 33 million CDs sold.
John has been in the music business for years, and he predicts that one day CDs will make their own comeback.
