Record Store Day Declared Big Sales Success

According to the Nielsen Soundscan, recorded music sales surged during America’s third annual Record Store Day on April 17th. In comparison with the previous week, overall U.S. album sales in the independent sector increased 12% including a big 19% vinyl sales jump for the weekend and 529% growth in vinyl single sales.

Several artists including Black Keys, Soundgarden, and Bruce Springsteen were among those who released exclusive vinyl singles, part of the nearly limited vinyl and CD releases offered in the U.S. for Record Store Day. Eight hundred stores in the U.S. (1,400 total worldwide) participated in Record Store Day and saw a 7% increase in record sales. While on the whole, album sales were up 3% on a year-over-year basis.

Honestly, these statistics sort of surprised me a bit. What they suggest to me is that the Compact Disc is still thriving somehow in a world that has been overpowered by the Internet and illegal downloading. I still believe the CD is going to eventually become extinct, however. What I think is keeping the CD sales alive right now is the older, less technologically-inclined generation who grew up on cassettes and CDs. Eventually, this generation is going to die out and the people to replace them are going to be those who grew up on stealing from the Internet. I guess only time will tell what's really going to happen though.

- Samantha Bruno

Source:

http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2010/04/record-store-day-declared-big-sales-success.html#more