Critical Evaluation of Vinyl's Resurgence in Media Studies

This essay critically evaluates the resurgence of vinyl records as a medium for music consumption, examining its historical context, technological shifts, and cultural significance. It begins by exploring the evolution of music mediums, including cassettes, CDs, and MP3s, and then focuses on the comeback of vinyl. The essay analyzes factors contributing to vinyl's resurgence, such as its appeal to audiophiles, its cultural status, and its role in identity formation. It also discusses the impact of digital technologies and changing consumer behaviors. The essay highlights the increasing demand for vinyl, the growth of independent record shops, and the preference for vinyl among certain demographics. The analysis considers various research findings and reports to provide a comprehensive understanding of the vinyl resurgence and its implications for the music industry and media studies.

Media Studies
[Document subtitle]
[DATE]
[Company name]
[Company address]

1
Introduction
Since a number of decades, music has been accepted a medium of communication of
emotions, feelings as well as an emotional state of mind (Bennett and Rogers). There are a
number of types and style of music which is heard by almost all people. Music may be
played, sung as well as heard at live concerts. A medium of music is of immense importance
because it adds value to the songs. Music is at the forefront of the digital revolution ( Harvey,
2017). The type of medium and the use of instruments in playing music has always been a
source of wonder for both the players and the listeners. There are a number of mediums, for
instance, MP3, Vinyl, cassettes, CDs and many others which has been used since decades to
record and play music. These devices have been considered as a good source of recording and
playing music (Posner, 2014). However, due to the advancement in technology there has been
a shift in the use of the medium of music.
Use of Smartphones, music system, woofers increased tremendously in the past few years.
This, in turn, led to a declining in the traditional mediums. But then again, there is a
significant growth in music consumption since past years among the UK population,
particularly Vinyl as a medium of music. At present, Vinyl records are enjoying a resurgence
in popularity that has outstripped the digital music growth, and have proven the maxim that
everything which is old is new again (Sinclair and Green, 2016). Despite the apparent
obsolescence of the physical formats as well as retail spaces, the demand for vinyl records
has increased tremendously and some of the independent record shops have also become the
attractive spaces of vinyl music consumption as well. This essay provides a critical evaluation
of the resurgence of vinyl as a medium for music’s consumption.
Importance of Medium of Music
There are a number of mediums that have been created and adopted for the purpose of
recording the music for listening. These include cassettes, compact discs, and MP3's.
Cassettes
In the early years, particularly, by the early 1970s, though the quality of sound was average,
then again it improved dramatically as soon as it caught up with the quality of 8-track tape.
Thereafter, the Compact Cassette went on to become a popular medium of music. This was
an alternative to the Vinyl LP the demand of which increases tremendously. This was
compact and easy to carry from one place to the other, unlike the Vinyl LP system.

2
By the year 2003, most of the major music companies in the United States had superseded the
production of cassette tapes. However, as of 2012, blank cassettes were still being produced
and are still sold at some retail stores, while facilities for cassette duplication remain
available.
Cassettes have continued to serve as a variety of specialized purposes where the other
technologies cannot replace it. According to the point of view of the scholars Sinclair and
Tinson, (2017), cassettes are used for audio books for the blind people as well as also have a
number of benefits over other audio media. Lepa and Hoklas (2015) contend that cassette
tapes were well-equipped with a label in Braille so that the blind person may read what the
cassette actually contained. In addition to this, it has also been a noted fact that cassettes start
playing from that position where it had been stopped playing. This, in turn, had enabled the
blind people to move the cassette from one player to another without losing the place.
Moreover, Leguina et al (2017) suggest that cassettes were commonly used in court
recordings.
Compact Discs (CDs)
Compact discs (CD’s) are digital optical disc data storage formats which are used to store
data such as important files, presentations, movies as well as music. It is a small and portable
device, unlike Vinyl LP. Since its introduction in the year 1980s, CDs progressively replaced
the pre-recorded cassettes as a distribution medium for commercial music releases. There was
a tremendous increase in the sales of CD's after its introduction in the market because it was
advantageous for people to procure a CD and record their favorite music as per their own
choice and playlist, in comparison to the cassettes where there was no option for the same
feature. This is one of the major reasons for the increase in the sale of the CDs. In addition to
this, the CD's were regarded as a secured device which can be carried from one place to the
other without the fear of getting tangled reels, as in the case of cassettes.
This medium of music consumption grew very faster and within less than a half-decade, it
became popular among people all over the world. People began to discard the pre-recorded
cassettes and purchased CD's to get their playlist at one place as per their choice. There are
two different types of CD's available in the market, one which is normally used for one-time
recording and another is a re-writable CD which can be used to load files and other forms of
data more than once depending on the size of the file.

3
MP3’s
It is a device which is used for playing audio files which are loaded by the listener on their
own choice. Playlists can be created on MP3's as well as reloaded and deleted, unlike pre-
recorded cassettes and re-writable CD's where the files could only be added more than once,
but only up to a limited number of times. MP3 players, when introduced in the market,
created a very huge business due to an increase in demand of the product by thousands of
people. The device became a significant medium of music consumption since its innovation
and release in the market. People used this form of device to store, play, record and deleted as
well as reload again different types of music. In addition to this, it is one of the smallest
devices which has been introduced in the market and portable as well, unlike cassettes, CDs
or Vinyl LP.
Critical Evaluation of Vinyl Resurgence
To begin with, the increase in the use of the Vinyl media in terms of comeback and
resurgence indicates that this medium’s re-articulation in the market presence is
multidimensional as well as relatively robust cultural situation set against the fleeting craze.
The vinyl record has managed to survive and persist through the sweeping wave of
digitization. In the words of Garrido and Schubert (2015), those analog formats that were
once considered as dead, and also replaced by the physical digital storage instruments and
devices, is now back to the platform again. Vinyl, music has however experienced a full-
blown revival at present.
It is not at all a new concept that consumption of specific cultural products like the art,
fashion, and music, allows individuals to construct identities as well as communicate the
characteristics, for example, the status, class, and levels of cultural capital, and individuality
(Trimmer et al, 2018). Indeed, the pioneering work of the artists in any field has forced the
globalization to accelerate consumerism as well as the availability of the best alternative
choices.
Bartmanski and Woodward (2015) in their work emphasized that the Vinyl record has made a
rapid comeback all around the world, where the sales have increased year after year. In
addition to this, innovative technologies have also continued to shape the process in which
the music is recorded, produced, distributed as well as consumed. Pedersen et al (2017) in
their work contends that the new turn to digital streaming services, in particular, such as
Pandora, iTunes, and Spotify, indicates that very recent music format technologies such as

4
cassettes, Vinyl and also the compact discs have almost lost their value due to the fall in
demand of such medium or format of music. However, astoundingly, one of the obsolete
formats of music, Vinyl record, has made a rapid comeback. Van Dyck et al (2017) Have also
emphasized that there is an increase in the sales of the Vinyl systems, and along with this, the
number of music enthusiast who has approached the retail outlets in the UK for procuring
such long-playing records have increased persistently.
It has been noted that the recent discussions with regard to the music listening practices have
also prioritized the digitalization of sound. In addition to this, music lovers have also praised
the role of digital music players in the changed form due to advancement in technology,
diverse types of instruments and medium and along with this the content of listening as well.
While such importance is reasonable, subject to the rapid acceptance of the digital music
consumption, however, at present, it is also the case that vinyl records have significantly
become the fastest growing medium of music sales. Liikkanen and Åman (2016) in their
work argued that within a certain music listening circles, such as the young generation and
the middle-aged group who have earlier been a fan of the vinyl record is being once again
considered as a distinct quality object.
Vinyl Resurgence
During the beginning of the '90s, due to the surge in new technology, Vinyl LP had
disappeared from the market considerations. In addition to this, it was generally seen as one
of the dead mediums of music. While it was a true fact that the Vinyl market had greatly
shrunk, however, it never disappeared. Berg (2018) in their work have emphasized that
notwithstanding the rise in the debates in the community with regard to the quality of digital
vs. analog sound, the Vinyl remained one of the selected medium-of-choice, particularly for
those high-fidelity audiophile audiences who consumed music in their traditional way and
loved to do that. But perhaps, in the sense of advancing status as a cult object, it has been
considered that the vinyl medium, even more prominently, was used by the DJ’s as well as
hip-hop DJ culture, thereby attaining an alternative cultural status. As a result of such a shift
in the cultural status, this medium also disappeared from the sight of mainstream consumers.
The disruptive nature and technological paradigm had kept the Vinyl system alive among
different generations (Bartmanski and Woodward, 2015). The demand for such music comes
from the baby boomers, particularly that generation who grew up listening to music in Vinyl
LP and kept the flame of heritage music system burning among them. In addition to this, the

5
demand for Vinyl also came from the new generations of engaged as well as younger fans
drawn towards its emotional appeal.
Despite the availability of new technology, people have selected Vinyl as one of the most
trending options. It is an evident fact that fashion and the changing trends thereof is the
original signifier of class, however, the music consumption has become one of the most
powerful ways of establishing self-identity as well as signaling the belonging and also the
opposition to subcultures, scenes, and groups as well. In addition to this, Thompson (2018)
argues that, in the digital, contemporary, and in the globalized marketplace, music
consumption has evolved tremendously and also became an integral part to the creation as
well as communication of values.
According to the report from MusicWatch, almost 56% of Vinyl record purchasers are males.
In addition to this, almost one-half of purchasers of Vinyl LP is under the age of 25 years
(European CEO, 2016). The industry research company also found that 58% of the Vinyl
consumers only purchase used records than compared to the 32% who only purchase new
ones. However, the reports also suggest that despite the recent surge, vinyl sales make up a
small portion of music sales as a whole, merely 11% of physical album sales according to
Nielsen (European CEO, 2016). Moreover, according to the data, it reveals that growth in
Vinyl LP sales has outdone digital downloads, as well as also drawn the attention of the new
generation of music adherents (CNBC, 2017).
At present, consumers are already are of the products they would procure and the services
they would avail. Earlier, people used to take chance on different products and instruments
whether they are useful to them or not (Bartmanski and Woodward, 2015). With the rise in
knowledge and advancement is product awareness, people have become more advanced in
learning about the products and services which they are going to avail. Thus, the rise in the
sale of Vinyl LP has taken place keeping with the knowledge of the people who have
procured the product based on its specifications, and features (Nowak, 2014). There is a
number of people who have procured Vinyl LP merely out of love for vintage records and for
keeping ancient piece at their home for the purpose of attracting others.
Consumers have also acknowledged that in case anyone desires to sink into the soul of the
music, then, it is Vinyl LP which gives a better option for all. One need not become an
audiophile to procure Vinyl, rather the love for music determines the procurement of the
medium for music consumption. The rise of the streaming music in the new era in

6
comparison to the past era has led to an increase in the demand for the digital medium of
music consumption which not only soothes the ears but also touches the soul. Bartmanski and
Woodward (2015) in their work contends that due to the rise in the demand for music Vinyl
has accounted for 2.6% of the overall music market in the UK. Though this is a small portion
in comparison to other modes of music consumption, however, the rise in music lovers will
also lead to a gradual rise in the demand for Vinyl as well. According to the point of view of
the scholars Bartmanski and Woodward (2015), specifically because Vinyl does not lend
itself to portability, it can become more demanding, as a special medium for music
consumption. More interestingly, the present commercial comeback of the Vinyl records has
occurred precisely when computer-based technologies have intensely renovated the music
industry as well as have rendered both the cultural and the cultural systems irrevocably
digital.
Theorists Liikkanen and Åman (2016), have also emphasized that due to the increase in the
sale of Vinyl LP, which be at odds with the projected linear narrative of technological
progress with regard to sound quality as well as listening formats, the Vinyl LP is treated as a
cultural curiosity in the mainstream media. It has also been added that this system works to
re-construct its mythology as they report its apparent resurgence. Liikkanen and Åman (2016)
in their work have added that as the music marketplace continue to advance, it has been
argued that there is an immense need to move beyond illegal downloading as well as meet the
MP3-crisis so as to contemplate the influence of legal streaming on the nature of
consumption and the significance of retail outlets or the bricks and mortar stores.
Of course, the new generation has been very selective with regard to the consumption of
music, however, there are also more than a few mediums that are available in the UK market
which has served the consumers since decades. The rise in the era of globalization and market
competition has been a very significant factor which determines the growth and progression
of the Vinyl LP. As listeners, people are highly inspired by the consumption of music which
re-enters their souls, whether it is through any medium. Vinyl, is indeed an analog technology
as well as one that has remained comparatively unchanged over the past 4 decades.
According to the viewpoint of the theorist Liikkanen and Åman (2016)_, the style and
support system of the medium of music consumption matters a lot for the public, without
which any system or set up of music system becomes worthless. Initiating any step towards
launching any music device, the manufacturers must be aware of the changing trends and
preference of the consumers towards their choice and filters regarding the selection which

7
they make. Music plays with the sentiments and impacts the emotional state of mind of the
people, therefore, right configuration of the medium of music is essential.
Conclusion
Music has been regarded as the best medicine to cure mental agony for many decades. People
listen to music and related the same with their life and moods as well. Music which when
added to lyrics becomes an important method to share our emotions, as well as balance our
emotional state of mind. Consumption of music has taken place through diverse mediums by
people all over the world, whether it is cassettes, CD's MP3's or Vinyl LP. These devices
gained immense support from the people all across the world, particularly the music lovers
who increased the sales and revenues of the companies that produced such medium of music
consumption. Due to advancement in technology, there was a sharp decline in the traditional
form of music consumption, particularly Vinyl LP. Though there was a decline in sales and
demand for the device but it did not disappear from the market completely. Rather, in the 21st
century, there is a sudden rise in the demand for Vinyl LP by the music lovers as well as
those who want to get into the depth of music when played on the traditional medium of
music consumption.
Theorists have also accentuated that resurgence of Vinyl LP is treated as a cultural curiosity
in the mainstream media. In addition, as the music marketplace continues to develop with
new innovative technologies, it has been argued that there is an immense increase in the sales
of Vinyl device in the UK as well as all across the world market.

8
Reference List
Bartmanski, D. and Woodward, I., 2015. The vinyl: The analog medium in the age of digital
reproduction. Journal of Consumer Culture, 15(1), pp.3-27.
Bennett, A. and Rogers, I., 2016. Popular music and materiality: Memorabilia and memory
traces. Popular Music and Society, 39(1), pp.28-42.
Berg, J., 2018. Preserving Music through Reissues. Music Preservation and Archiving Today,
p.141.
CNBC, 2017. Vinyl is vintage and the future, as new generation warms to an old music form.
[Online] Available at https://www.cnbc.com/2017/04/13/vinyl-is-vintage-and-the-future-as-
new-generation-warms-to-an-old-music-form.html [Accessed 15 December 2018]
European CEO, 2016. Vinyl is back as a popular and profitable music medium. [Online]
Available at https://www.europeanceo.com/lifestyle/vinyl-is-back-as-a-popular-and-
profitable-music-medium/ [Accessed 15 December 2018]
Garrido, S. and Schubert, E., 2015. Music and people with tendencies to depression. Music
Perception: An Interdisciplinary Journal, 32(4), pp.313-321.
Harvey, E. (2017). Siding with vinyl: Record Store Day and the branding of independent
music. International Journal of Cultural Studies, 20(6), 585-602.
Leguina, A., Arancibia-Carvajal, S. and Widdop, P., 2017. Musical preferences and
technologies: Contemporary material and symbolic distinctions criticized. Journal of
Consumer Culture, 17(2), pp.242-264.
Lepa, S. and Hoklas, A.K., 2015. How do people really listen to music today?
Conventionalities and major turnovers in German audio repertoires. Information,
Communication & Society, 18(10), pp.1253-1268.
Liikkanen, L.A. and Åman, P., 2016. Shuffling services: Current trends in interacting with
digital music. Interacting with Computers, 28(3), pp.352-371.
Nowak, R., 2014. Investigating the interactions between individuals and music technologies
within contemporary modes of music consumption. First Monday, 19(10).

9
Pedersen, S.K., Andersen, P.N., Lugo, R.G., Andreassen, M., and Sütterlin, S., 2017. Effects
of music on agitation in dementia: A meta-analysis. Frontiers in psychology, 8, p.742.
Posner, B. (2014). The impact of global trends on ILDS. Interlending & Document
Supply, 42(4), 147-152.
Sinclair, G. and Green, T., 2016. Download or stream? Steal or buy? Developing a typology
of today's music consumer. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 15(1), pp.3-14.
Sinclair, G. and Tinson, J., 2017. Psychological ownership and music streaming
consumption. Journal of Business Research, 71, pp.1-9.
Thompson, J., 2018. Mastering the Sonics of Historic Recording Media. Music Preservation
and Archiving Today, p.75.
Trimmer, C., Tyo, R., Pikard, J., McKenna, C. and Naeem, F., 2018. Low-Intensity Cognitive
Behavioural Therapy-Based Music Group (CBT-Music) for the Treatment of Symptoms of
Anxiety and Depression: A Feasibility Study. Behavioral and cognitive psychotherapy, 46(2),
pp.168-181.
Van Dyck, E., Six, J., Soyer, E., Denys, M., Bardijn, I. and Leman, M., 2017. Adopting a
music-to-heart rate alignment strategy to measure the impact of music and its tempo on
human heart rate. Musicae Scientiae, 21(4), pp.390-404.