With more music being released in physical editions than ever before, Record Store Äx is expecting record sales this year.
*Why not just open the music app on your phone and press play, wouldn’t that be much easier?*
The above phrase may have become familiar if you collect and listen to vinyl records.
The hobby was inspired by a friend of Piirainen’s.
– We had already talked a lot about music before, but then one day, when I was at his place, he showed me his vinyl records. Somehow it struck me that this is pretty cool.
In addition to Piirainen, many other twenty-somethings are also enthusiastic about the familiar vinyl records from past decades.
The popularity can be seen in record store sales: for example, Finland’s largest chain selling music in physical form, Levykauppa Äx, had the best turnover in its history last year.
– This business used to be such that Christmas was a big factor in physical music sales. Now the big publications are sprinkled throughout the year, and spring looks like a record number in terms of their number, says Lipponen.
It is not only a large number of new records, but also reissues of albums from different decades, in different versions and in different formats are added to the pot.
– The apocalypse lasted for 15 years, and soon you won’t be able to get real records anymore. Rather, the problem now is how to take over the entire selection and prioritize what can be offered in our small stores, says Lipponen.
Young people have a future
For Piirainen, collecting vinyl records is part of one’s own identity and a way to express oneself.
Among other things, Piirainen, who prefers the Rap genre, has placed vinyls in visible places in his home.
– I think that what I listen to tells about me as a person and also about what kind of cultures I care about.
Piirainen says that the advantage of wearing vinyl records compared to other collectibles is that the records have exactly the right purpose.
Besides, compared to streaming services, he thinks music sounds better when listened to on vinyl. Then the sound is not compressed in digital format.
It’s also nice to be able to jump on physical discs with accompanying materials and cover images.
The share of young customers has been growing for the past few years at Levykauppa Äxä as well.
Lipponen says that although the most stereotypical customer who buys vinyl music is a man between the ages of 30 and 50, there are a gratifying number of young people, including minors, who visit stores today.
– Nowadays, there’s a lot of gangs hanging out in record stores and dreaming that \”what a joke, if only I could get that\”. I think it’s amazing because it’s also my own youth, says Lipponen.
This phenomenon is also indicated by the fact that Tiktok, which is popular especially among young people, is a buzzword
The music business is not a party for everyone
In the early days of his hobby, vinyl enthusiast Piirainen had to limit himself so as not to buy too much expensive vinyl. He agreed with himself that he would buy no more than two records a month.
In the beginning, collecting was very big, but nowadays Piirainen buys vinyl mostly when one of his favorite artists releases a new album.
– Yes, as much money as possible could be sunk into this, Piirainen states.
However, he is happy to invest in music. For Piirainen, the biggest reason for collecting records is the desire to support music makers.
The revenue from streaming services alone is not a big deal for artists.
Despite this, almost all of us stream: nine out of ten Finns use streaming services to listen to music, according to a study commissioned by GESAC, the umbrella organization of European copyright organizations, from the fall of 2022.
Piirainen also uses music streaming services. They give different possibilities for listening to music.
The flip side may be the experience of many consumers that music should somehow be available all the time, Piirainen reflects.
– This is a really romanticized idea, but it warms me that even if the streaming services disappear someday, as long as I have a vinyl player and those records, I have music.
*You can discuss the topic on 17.4. until 11 p.m.*