For the first time since 1987, vinyl has outsold CDs

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — For the first time since 1986, vinyl will surpass CD sales in 2022. This is according to Recording Industry Association of America Year-End Report.

Vinyl sales are projected to increase 17% year-over-year to $1.2 billion in 2022. In addition, 2021 saw “excellent growth” in sales of physical records, according to the report.

However, streaming remains the largest growth factor in the $15.9 billion recording industry.

In Grand Rapids, Music for dizzinessthey are experiencing an increase in vinyl sales.

“After the pandemic, I think people want to enjoy music at home,” said Ethan Hohn, a retailer. “You can put an album on the record player and it will feel like you’re really living the music.”

The music store has been in Grand Rapids for 21 years. Hohn says that while streaming has caused a drop in sales, the new appreciation for vinyl has been good for business.

“When they say vinyl is bigger than CDs, you don’t really understand how big vinyl was in the ’70s and ’80s,” Hohn said. “It was the only way you could really listen to music at home. So now those hundreds of millions of units are down to about 40 million units. But compared to 10 years ago, like 2007, 2008, when this place faced closure because of iTunes, now it’s a big hit. We really feel it.”

Hohn said the store has its share of repeat customers, but has seen a lot of new customers in the past few years. He called vinyl “just a cooler format” compared to CDs.

Some of the store’s biggest sellers include popular artists like Mac Miller and Tyler, the Creator. They also “order about 35 to 30 copies” of Fleetwood Mac at a time.

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