UK vinyl sales surged once more in 2023, it has been confirmed.
The much-vaunted vinyl revival is a hotly debated term, but there’s no disputing the format’s importance in the modern music landscape. Sales shot up once more in 2023, with the latest year-end figures from the BPI being released.
In all, more than 5.9 million units were sold during 2023 – that’s a 11.7% year-on-year rise.
The huge increase can be put down to an increased appetite for the format, but Clash also feels the need to point out that some huge artists came back on cycle in 2023.
Taylor Swift’s ongoing re-recording endeavours sparked a rush for merch, while the Rolling Stones also strolled back on to the scene with internationally successful album ‘Hackney Diamonds’.
Add not one but two albums from Ed Sheeran into the mix, and you’ve got the makings of a bumper year for vinyl.
Indeed, ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ is the year’s biggest vinyl seller in the UK with 78,767 units sold; The Rolling Stones come a close second, however.
Another figure to note are CD sales – after a period of decline they’ve begun to stabilise. Is the compact disc revival upon us? We can but hope.
—
—
Dr Jo Twist OBE, BPI chief executive, says: “Led by vinyl, the resurgence of physical product underlines the resilience of the UK music market at a time when streaming consumption continues to hit record levels.”
“Whilst LP sales have now been on an upward path for the past 16 years, it is encouraging to see a stabilisation in demand for CD, as well as new generations of music fans falling in love with the cassette. It is giving people more choice than ever in how they enjoy their favourite music.”
Fancy building a record collection without breaking the bank? Here’s Just Played with a guide to affordable collecting.
Find past instalments of our regular monthly vinyl column in the Clash archive.
—
