research of the current status of vinyl records in context of the internet

by Sarah Steffen

Sarah Steffen

Wallstraße 24

40878 Ratingen

+49 151 555 41704

FOM Hochschule für Oekonomie & Management gemeinnützige GmbH

Leimkugelstraße 6 45141 Essen

Bachelor Thesis Research of the Current Status of Vinyl Records

in Context of the Internet

FOM Hochschule für Oekonomie und Management – University of Applied Sciences Study Centre Essen

Business Informatics

I

Table of Contents

List of Abbreviations ..................................................................................................................... IV

List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. V

List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ V

1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 1

1.1 Objective of the Research ............................................................................................. 2

1.2 Research Design ........................................................................................................... 3

2 A Short History of Sound Recording and Replaying ......................................................... 5

2.1 Analogue Audio Formats ............................................................................................... 5

2.2 Digital Audio Formats .................................................................................................. 11

2.3 Downloading and Streaming As Modern Ways of Consuming Music......................... 12

3 Vinyl Records Today ....................................................................................................... 16

3.1 Acoustic, Visual and Emotional Aspects ..................................................................... 16

3.2 Variations in Use and the Transformation of Meanings .............................................. 23

3.3 The Vinyl Audience on the Internet and the Culture of Communication and Information

.................................................................................................................................... 29

3.4 The Online Collectors' Market ..................................................................................... 38

3.5 Distribution Channels and Marketing for Vinyl Records on the Internet ..................... 41

3.6 Current Sales Trends for New Vinyl Records ............................................................. 44

3.7 Summary ..................................................................................................................... 47

4 Researching the Current Status of Vinyl Records .......................................................... 49

4.1 Selection and Evaluation of Suitable Sources of Information ..................................... 49

4.2 Research Methods ...................................................................................................... 49

4.2.1 Research with SAS Text Analytics ...................................................................... 49

4.2.1.1 The Sentiment Analysis Studio ....................................................................... 50

II

4.2.1.2 The Content Categorization Studio ................................................................. 53

4.2.1.3 The Information Retrieval Studio ..................................................................... 55

4.2.1.4 The Sentiment Analysis Workbench ............................................................... 57

4.2.2 Research With a Survey Among Online Vinyl Record Sellers ............................ 58

4.2.3 Research With an Expert Survey ........................................................................ 59

4.3 Evaluation of the Results ............................................................................................ 59

4.3.1 Sentiment Analysis Results ................................................................................. 59

4.3.2 Survey Results From Online Vinyl Record Sellers .............................................. 65

4.3.3 Results of the Expert Survey ............................................................................... 72

4.4 Summary ..................................................................................................................... 77

5 Analysis of the Findings .................................................................................................. 78

5.1 The Image of Vinyl Records in Context of the Internet ............................................... 78

5.2 The Future of Vinyl Records ....................................................................................... 85

6 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 87

Appendix A .................................................................................................................................. 88

1 Concepts Used in the SAS Content Categorization Studio ........................................ 88

2 Categories Used in the SAS Content Categorization Studio ...................................... 90

3 Rule Model Used in the SAS Sentiment Analysis Studio ........................................... 91

Appendix B ................................................................................................................................ 101

1 Questionnaire Used for the Survey Among Sellers .................................................. 101

2 Results of the Seller-Survey From Google Spreadsheets ........................................ 102

3 Condensed Survey Results ....................................................................................... 119

Appendix C ................................................................................................................................ 125

1 Questionnaire Used for the Expert Interviews .......................................................... 125

2 The Expert Interviews ............................................................................................... 126

III

Bibliography .............................................................................................................................. 139

Picture Credits ........................................................................................................................... 143

Declaration in Lieu of Oath........................................................................................................ 144

IV

List of Abbreviations

API: Application Programming Interface

C2C: Consumer-to-consumer

CD: Compact Disc

CDJ: (Combination of CD and DJ)

CEO: Chief Executive Officer

dB: Decibel

DJ: Disc Jockey

DVD: Digital Versatile Disc

EP: Extended Play

ffrr: Full Frequency Range Recording

HD: High Density

Hi-Fi: High Fidelity

HTML: Hypertext Markup Language

HTTP: Hypertext Transfer Protocol

JPEG: Joint Photographic Experts Group

JSON: JavaScript Object Notation

LP: Long Play (also: Long Playing Record)

MC: Music Cassette

MP3: MPEG-1 Audio-Layer 3

REST: Representational State Transfer

RPM: Revolutions per Minute

RSS: Rich Site Summary

V

URL: Uniform Resource Locator

USB: Universal Serial Bus

XML: Extensible Markup Language

List of Tables

Table 1: Vinyl record sales in the USA in USD ........................................................................... 10

Table 2: Vinyl record sales in the UK in GBP ............................................................................. 46

Table 3: Summary of the survey results (ratios rounded) ........................................................... 61

Table 4: Summary of the survey results ..................................................................................... 70

Table 5: Interviewees of the expert survey ................................................................................. 72

List of Figures

Figure 1: The theoretical aims of the research ............................................................................. 2

Figure 2: Vinyl groove seen through electron microscope ............................................................ 6

Figure 3: Vertical recording (a), lateral recording (b) and microgrooves (c) seen through electron microscope .................................................................................................................................... 7

Figure 4: Needle movements in a stereo groove .......................................................................... 9

Figure 5: Label of a one-sided French shellac record from 1904 ............................................... 22

Figure 6: Close up of a timecode record ..................................................................................... 24

Figure 7: Digital-analogue "hybrid-disc" by Yuri Suzuki and Jeff Mills........................................ 25

Figure 8: The "circuit of practices" for music consumption ......................................................... 27

Figure 9: Member types of virtual consumption communities ..................................................... 32

Figure 10: Vinyl album sales in the USA in million units, 1993-2011 ......................................... 44

VI

Figure 11: Positive and negative keywords in the Sentiment Analysis Studio ........................... 51

Figure 12: Definition of a positive context using boolean rules ................................................... 52

Figure 13: Phrase matches in a test document in the Sentiment Analysis Studio ..................... 53

Figure 14: A concept definition in the SAS Content Categorization Studio using regular expressions ................................................................................................................................. 54

Figure 15: The SAS Web Crawler and its export- and indexing-processes ............................... 56

Figure 16: Input sources of the Sentiment Analysis Workbench ................................................ 57

Figure 17: Sentiment analysis of a test document in the Sentiment Analysis Workbench ......... 58

Figure 18: Sentiment-distribution for the product "VinylRecord" ................................................. 60

Figure 19: Sentiment-distribution for the feature "Sales" ............................................................ 60

Figure 20: Feature-distribution within the product "VinylRecords" .............................................. 63

Figure 21: Summary of pros and cons from the interviews ........................................................ 76

1

1 Introduction

On-going global digitalization might be a phenomenon of more recent history but it

is extremely influential. Almost all scopes of daily life, economy and art have been

dramatically changed, or entirely newly defined by it. New technologies made

obsolete what was seen as reliable, efficient and simply a matter of course. As a

result, corporations are at risk of falling behind their competitors if they do not follow

this digital cultural change.

Niches for pre-digital technologies and products have survived among nostalgic

people, collectors and "hipsters". Although the bulk of official and personal

correspondence is processed digitally, stamps are still collected; vintage cars are

cherished and well cared for, and prices for collectibles are on the rise.

Naturally, one would assume that all these things disappear once the people who

grew up with them pass away or new technologies become superior to the old

ones, to the extent that sticking to the old ones simply does not seem sensible.

Interestingly this is not the case. Stamp collections are inherited over generations,

and even cars from the 80s are now labeled as "youngtimers", (as opposed to the

classical vintage "oldtimers") and appreciated by a small but growing community of

enthusiasts.

This re-discovery and increase in popularity also happened to vinyl records, which

lately have been taken out of the attic or basement more frequently. This is

happening now, parallel to the product life cycle of the CD having reached the

decline stage and consumers adapting to its successive formats. Apart from the

traditional collectors' community which is now experiencing rising prices, more and

more people are enjoying the experience of analogue music consumption again.

And it is not just the older generation who embraces this technology; even so-called

"digital natives" sometimes acquire a turntable, now available with a USB-port.

Many new releases are now available on vinyl as well, and not only for DJs, who

traditionally use them for their performances.

But what is the situation of the vinyl record in the digital age exactly like? Is vinyl a

competitor to listening to music over the internet or are they complementary to each

other? How are analogue and digital media combined by the consumers and what

place is there for vinyl records in the culture of blogs, forums and social media?

1. Introduction 2

What relevance does the enhanced availability of information on the internet have

in this case? All of these questions shall be the basis of this research.

1.1 Objective of the Research

The main objective of this research is to assess the current image of vinyl records

in context of the internet and to determine, to what extend the often mentioned

comeback of the vinyl record is consistent with actual consumer behaviour, and if

there is connection between these developments and the internet in its current

state with the potentials for sales, marketing and communication it offers. To

achieve this, firstly all the particular features of the vinyl record that affect its

meaning to the consumer will be determined, and secondly, the link between the

vinyl record and the internet as a mass medium will be analysed, as well as its

effect on the global trade with and sales of vinyl records. The aforementioned basic

questions will be discussed with the accumulated findings (see figure 1) and then a

future prediction will be made with regards to give an outlook on whether the vinyl

market will continue to grow or if the observed trend will turn out to be a short-lived

hype.

Figure 1: The theoretical aims of the research

•Special features, added values

•Meaning to consumers

Basics

•Audience in the internet

•Information paths in the internet

•Trade / sales in the internet

Link to the Internet

•Relevance in context of the internet

•Current image

•Does a vinyl hype exist?

Results

1. Introduction 3

There will be no direct evaluative comparison between vinyl records and digital

media, as the latter are still constantly advancing and improving, and thus no

worthwhile results could be expected. The position of the vinyl record in the current

internet-culture will thus be observed independently from the technical supremacy

of digital audio formats.

As the market for classical music is an entire domain unto itself and would exceed

the scope of this paper, rock music, pop music and niche genres like independent

rock will be observed concerning the relevance of vinyl releases.

The aforementioned actual situation of the vinyl record in today's culture will be

presented through analysis of relevant written sources, as well as three different

data collections.

1.2 Research Design

This paper consists of four sections apart from the introduction and the conclusion.

As an introduction into the subject of this research, in the first section the most

important events in the history of sound recording will be summarized. Historically

relevant analogue and digital audio formats, as well as the current download- and

streaming-services, will be presented briefly.

The following section will focus on the current position of vinyl records in context of

the internet and digital media. Thereto the following individual aspects will be

examined:

3.1 Acoustic, Visual and Emotional Aspects 3.2 Variations in Use and the Transformation of Meanings 3.3 The Vinyl Audience on the Internet and the Culture of Communication

and Information 3.4 The Online Collectors' Market 3.5 Distribution Channels and Marketing for Vinyl Records on the Internet 3.6 Current Sales Trends for New Vinyl Records

In the third section the methodology of the research based on the data collections

will be explained, including the selection of sources. Furthermore, the methods for

analyzing the results will be presented with their technical backgrounds explained.

The first data collection will be conducted by using a software framework that offers

web crawling- and text analysis-functionality, the second will be a survey among

1. Introduction 4

record sellers on eBay, and the third will be a series of interviews with experts who

have significant experience in the music business.

The last section is comprised of the analysis and discussion of the accumulated

data and consequential findings in relation to the questions the research is based

on. It consists of a subsection about the image of vinyl records and one about the

future of vinyl records in digital culture. A subsequent conclusion completes the

research by presenting a summary of the most essential findings to the reader.

5

2 A Short History of Sound Recording and Replaying

2.1 Analogue Audio Formats

The first successful attempts to record sound were made in the middle of the 19th

century by using a needle or bristle to transmit its wave structure onto sooted glass

or paper. In 1877 Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931) assembled the prototype of his

so-called "phonograph" and by doing so created the first device that was capable

not only of recording sounds but also playing them back. The machine was

patented the following year and consisted of a tinfoil-covered cylinder that was

spun by a hand-operated crank, and a membrane connected to a needle which

carved the movements transmitted by the membrane into the tinfoil while the

cylinder rotated1. A vertical (or "hill and dale"-) recording was used in this process.

The coating of the cylinders was later replaced by wax and eventually a play time of

approximately four minutes could be achieved2. At this time though nobody

seriously thought of using these devices for recording music, which was mostly

considered as useless fooling around, but rather as an alternative to stenography in

offices. At the end of the century the potential for the entertainment industry was

brought further into focus; again by Thomas Edison.

One of the biggest flaws of the sound storage media of this time was the lack of an

efficient duplication procedure. Until 1901, the listeners always purchased original

recordings3, which meant that every cylinder had to be recorded individually –

clearly unsuitable for mass production. When in 1902 an efficient technique to copy

them mechanically was introduced, the rotation speed was standardised to 160

rotations per minute concurrently. Cylinders of this kind, and later also such that

were made of celluloid, were still sold up until 19124.

The round and flat records, like those still used today, were invented by Emil

Berliner (1851-1929), son of a Jewish merchant from Hannover, Germany, who

patented them in 18875. This time, a lateral recording technique was used that

transformed the sound waves into a side-to-side movement of the needle instead of

1 cf. Haffner (2011), pp. 9-16.

2 cf. Haffner (2011), p. 22.

3 cf. Haffner (2011), p. 27.

4 cf. Haffner (2011), p. 31.

5 cf. Haffner (2011), pp. 32-34.

2. A Short History of Sound Recording and Replaying 6

up-and-down. The term "gramophone" was soon established as a common name

for all playing devices for round records. The records were copied by using a matrix

representing the negative of the original recording that could be re-used and

archived6. From 1896 on, Berliner's records were made of a material that was

named after the binding agent used in it, known as shellac. Compared to the now

common polyvinyl chloride, shellac is much heavier and firmer, but also more likely

to shatter; these records hardly survived being dropped. Unlike vinyl records and

the styli used to play them, the needles to play shellac records with wore off sooner

than the record itself. They were made from steel and a new one had to be used for

every play. From 1897 to 1899 the number of records sold (including cylinders)

rose from 500,000 to 2.8 million and 151,000 phonographs were produced during

this period7.

In 1924, engineers of the Bell Telephone Company developed an electro-acoustical

recording technique which replaced the direct-to-disc recording method that was

used before. In the following years appropriate loudspeakers and pick-ups were

developed, making electronic playback with valve amplifiers possible by the mid-

1920s. The listening experience was considerably improved as now a broader

6 cf. Haffner (2011), pp. 36-37.

7 cf. Shuker (2010), p. 15.

8 Source: rochester.edu (2005).

Figure 2: Vinyl groove seen through electron microscope8


range of frequencies could be reproduced9. At the same time a standardised speed

of rotation was defined while a record diameter of 10 inches prevailed, and thereby

the common 78 rpm format was established.

Nevertheless, there also had been harsh criticism on the recording and mass

reproduction of music. In 1906, the famous American composer John Philip Sousa

wrote in his essay "The Menace of Mechanical Music", "that when a mechanical

system of gears and megaphones substituted for human skill and soul it defeated

nature itself. Records, he warned, could lead to the deterioration of musical taste

and would put many musicians out of work. Moreover, the desire to study music

would be diminished, and future Mozarts and Wagners would lose their incentive to

create new work."10

Fewer and fewer people shared these believes, and looking

back at the musical history of the twentieth century, it is obvious that Sousa was

anything but proven to be right.

During the Great Depression in the late 1920s the music industry suffered from

great economic pressure. Especially the availability of free music through the radio,

but also the rapidly decreasing spending power of the consumers lead to declining

9 cf. Haffner (2011), pp. 73-75.

10 Bierley (2006), S. 82.

11 Source: qehs.net.

Figure 3: Vertical recording (a), lateral recording (b) and microgrooves (c) seen through electron microscope

11


record sales. In the course of this economic crisis many of the smaller record labels

had to give up their business or were incorporated by larger ones, so that after the

crisis the market was almost exclusively divided among the so-called "big six":

Columbia, Victor, Decca, Capitol, MGM (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer) and Mercury12

.

Parallel to the development of music cylinders and records experiments to store

sound magnetically had been made for some time, mostly using wire as a carrier.

This material though was too heavy and not flexible enough for practical use, so in

1928 the German electricity company AEG began to use tapes covered with metal

oxide instead of wires13

. This was the beginning of a revolution in sound recording,

due to the considerably extended play time, a broader range of frequencies to be

recorded and because it allowed the cutting of sound recordings. Defective

recordings no longer needed to be re-recorded in their entirety.

During the Second World War the USA sent records to their soldiers overseas to

keep their spirits high for the long-awaited victory. The so-called "V-Discs" mostly

contained Jazz music and had to be robust enough to endure sustained shipping

and the precarious storage at their destination. Moreover, shellac by then had been

rationed due to the demand for the war effort and was too scarce to be used for

records, so the material eventually chosen to produce the V-Discs was the lighter

and more flexible polyvinyl chloride, making them the first vinyl records to be

manufactured14

.

Before the war, the sound quality of the 10" records had already experienced

substantial improvements when hi-fi was introduced. After the war, the

establishment of "ffrr" (full frequency range recording) marked a further

enhancement; it was merely the short play time of 78 rpm records that still limited

the enjoyment of listeners15

. A new type of record was developed to amend this;

with a diameter of 12 inches and a speed of 33⅓ rpm, which had been commonly

used for the presentation of "talkies", a play time of approximately 25 minutes could

be achieved. This was possible due to narrower record grooves, so-called

microgrooves, which allowed 250 to 300 grooves per inch instead of 85, as had

been common until then. Shellac turned out to be an inappropriate material for

12

cf. Ox-Fanzine (2006), p. 5. 13

cf. Haffner (2011), p. 108 et seq. 14

cf. Haffner (2011), p. 102. 15

cf. Haffner (2011), p. 117 et seq.


rendering these delicate structures, as the groove walls would collapse when

pressed into the rather coarse matter16

. Proven and tested through the use of the

V-Discs in wartimes, vinyl was eventually chosen for the production of the long

playing records, and soon the "LP" entered the market.

CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System) was the pioneer in selling LPs17

, but it was

not long until their major competitor RCA (Radio Corporation of America) came up

with a counter-concept. They chose a speed of 45 rpm and a diameter of 7 inches

which allowed about 5 minutes playtime on each side. This format was designed as

a successor to the 78 rpm single, but later also used for extended play records that

contained three or four tracks instead of just two. The 45 rpm single though was not

compatible with the turntables produced by CBS, as were their records with the

playing devices from RCA, which lead to a protracted and costly "battle of speeds"

that eventually resulted in both companies adopting each other's format18

.

16

cf. Ox-Fanzine (2006), p. 5. 17

cf. Haffner (2011), p. 124. 18

cf. Haffner (2011), p. 126. 19

Source: Bali (2005), p. 132.

Figure 4: Needle movements in a stereo groove19

a. Right-hand channel modulated b. Left-hand channel modulated c. Both channels modulated equally and in phase d. Both channels modulated equally but in opposite

phase


Nevertheless, the 45 rpm single would soon dominate the market due to its

purchase price being much lower than that of an LP, and made popular by all the

jukeboxes that now spread in venues everywhere. By the mid 1960s, the bulky 78

rpm records had silently disappeared from the market.

As early as 1931, the English electronics engineer Alan Dower Blumlein (1903-

1942) developed a concept to play two audio channels from the same record

groove20

(see figure 4); however, stereophonic sound was not widely used in the

record industry until the late 1950s. Stereophonic sound offered a whole new range

of possibilities for music production to create certain effects for the listener. Over

the years, recording devices provided more and more tracks to work with, and

eventually the post-production of music could become more elaborate and time-

consuming than the actual recording. A famous example is the Beatles' 1967 album

"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", which had been recorded with four-track

recorders. The entire production took more than six months.

Table 1: Vinyl record sales in the USA in USD21

Year Sales in USD

1960 600 million

1970 1.6 billion

1978 4.1 billion

At that time, however, the vinyl record already had a new competitor. Devices to

play sound tapes had been available for private use since the 1950s, but it was the

compact cassette introduced in 1965 that became so popular it could be seen as a

serious threat to vinyl records; especially when Sony put their highly successful

"Walkman" on the market in 197922

. One particular advantage eventually made the

cassette tape unbeatable: it could not only be played by the consumer but also

recorded on. In this manner, piracy became a crucial issue in the music industry for

the first time. Although vinyl record sales kept on rising at first (see table 1), those

20

cf. Haffner (2011), p. 136 et seq. 21

Based on Haffner (2011), p. 157. 22

cf. Haffner (2011), p. 152 et seqq.


of cassette tapes soon overtook them – and an even more perilous rival was yet to

come.

2.2 Digital Audio Formats

In 2012, the compact disc celebrated its 30th birthday. Unlike its precursors, it had a

standardised format from the beginning on: 120 millimetres (ca. 4.7 inches) in

diameter, 1.2 millimetres thick and with a play time of approximately 78 minutes;

this amount of time was chosen to make sure Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 could

fit on a single disc23

. When Sony put the first CD players on the market in 1982,

only few people could afford them because they would cost several thousand

dollars24

. Nevertheless, CD sales nearly increased a hundredfold in the following

years, rising from 1.3 million units in 1982 to 120 million units in 199025

.

Digital cassette tapes would be available some time later, but nonetheless

cassettes eventually lost their importance with children's entertainment remaining

as a last refuge, due to their robustness and not being susceptible to scratches.

In 1988, CDs outsold vinyl records in the USA for the first time in history; vinyl sales

had dropped by nearly 80 percent in the previous ten years26

. Furthermore, from

the early 90s on it was possible to burn your own CDs at home, and in the mid-90s

it also became affordable. Bootlegs and pirate copies of vinyl records had been

around for a long time by then, but the effort needed to create such copies

dramatically decreased with the CD-R; it was almost as easy to copy a CD as to

copy a cassette tape, and far less time-consuming than the latter.

At this time it was another oligopoly of some "big six" that dominated the music

industry; it consisted of Warner, Sony, MCA, BMG, EMI and Polygram. Due to the

developments in the following years, be it the introduction of new formats, the

changes in consumer behaviour, or the financial crisises, some of them had to

merge, so that at the end of the 2000s only Warner, Sony BMG, Universal and EMI

were left. The latter has meanwhile been bought up by the private equity firm Terra

Nova27

.

23

cf. Haffner (2011), p. 166. 24

cf. Haffner (2011), p. 164 et seqq. 25

cf. Haffner (2011), p. 168. 26

cf. Millard (1995), p. 355. 27

cf. Sen (2010), p. 11 et seq.


While burning CDs at home became a common practice, so did copying their

contents to the PC's harddrive itself. Music was now completely detached from

physical media for the first time. CD collections wandered from shelf to drive, and

through increasingly private internet use and available bandwidth it eventually

begun to roam the world methaphysically via uploads and downloads. This process

was boosted when the audio encoding format "MPEG-1 Audio-Layer 3" ("Moving

Pictures Expert Group"), which had been developed by the Fraunhofer IIS in 1987,

began to spread28

. The format is based on the omission of frequencies inaudible for

the human ear and thus reducing the information being saved to a minimum.

Through MP3 the filesize shrunk to just a fraction of that of the uncompressed files

from a CD, thus increasing flexibility and portability of digital music.

Around the turn of the millennium, the first MP3 players entered the market. Music-

to-go was not an entirely new feature. Portable wind-up gramophones had been

around since the 1920s and they did not even depend on electricity. Walkman and

Discman were modern equivalents. The MP3 player opened a whole new

dimension – despite its rather tiny size (now there was no more actual record or

cassette which's size had to be considered) it could store a number of songs so

much greater than what had been possible up to then, that a person could listen to

it non-stop for weeks without hearing any track twice. Storage became faster and

cheaper at an increasing rate and very soon consumers had access to more music

than could be consumed in a lifetime.

2.3 Downloading and Streaming As Modern Ways of Consuming

Music

Without the need for a physical sound carrier, and through less memory being

required due to better compressing techniques, music has not only become more

portable and easier to consume, but it is also much more facile to build up large

collections of music. In order to purchase a song the consumer no longer has to

leave their house. Furthermore, their purchase will be much cheaper, not only due

to the omitted material costs, but also because they are not constrained to buying

entire albums or samplers anymore; they would not even have to pay for an

unwanted flipside of a single. From the late 1990s to 2005, the sales of singles in

the UK dropped from 80 million to 20 million units, meanwhile 75 percent of singles

28

cf. Haffner (2011), p. 176.


in the UK are sold as downloads (where the customer is not forced to buy a B-side

song as well, should one even exist)29

.

Executives in the music industry though failed to recognize these potentials at the

appropriate time. Free and illegal services were the first to exploit this potential, and

accustomed the consumers to quick and carefree access to any music they liked.

"Napster", which had been started by an American university student in 1998, had

been one of the first of these platforms and was used by millions of people soon

after30

. Napster was eventually closed down after a flood of lawsuits by copyright

holders, but at that time numerous clones and successors had already been

established under names like "Morpheus", "Audiogalaxy", "KaZaA", "BearShare" or

"LimeWire". The last two used the so-called "gnutella network", a peer-to-peer

network which then belonged to a subsidiary of AOL – the leading e-mail provider

at the time – eventually leading to the great heyday of these networks being used

for sharing music and movies illegally. Peer-to-peer networks are based on the

concept of users downloading their desired files directly from the computers of

other (anonymous) users instead of one or several central servers; that way, there

is no obvious point of attack for claimants31

.

The so-called "BitTorrent protocol" uses a similar system and is used for file

sharing on a very large scale. One of the most infamous examples of this is the

Swedish-based website "The Pirate Bay", on which P2P-, torrent- and file hosting

links to illegal copies of music, movies, games and software were collected and

provided in great amounts. The founders of "The Pirate Bay" were charged for

copyright infringement in 2009, and convicted in 2011. Another large file hosting

platform well-known for being used for spreading illegal files, called "Megaupload",

was closed down in January 2012 in the course of an operation by the FBI32

. At the

time of this writing, proceedings against its owner Kim "Dotcom" Schmitz are still

pending.

Attempts made by rights holders and labels to establish commercial counter-

models of these file sharing platforms failed at first – it seemed as if "The Internet

[had] opened up the Pandora's Box of music" 33

. Napster and its successors were

29

cf. Sen (2010), p. 9 et seq. 30

cf. Kernfeld (2011), p. 205. 31

cf. Kernfeld (2011), p. 207. 32

cf. Kernfeld (2011), p. 215; SPIEGEL ONLINE (2012); SPIEGEL ONLINE (2012); manager magazin (2012).

33 Sen (2010), p. 8.


still used by millions of people, while only a couple of thousands were interested in

the first pay-per-download services. All this changed when Steve Jobs, CEO of

Apple Inc., launched the authorized song-sharing service "iTunes" in 2003.

Corporate executives and right holders refused to get involved into the proposed

business model at first, but when the failure of their own concepts became evident,

some of them finally agreed to cooperate with iTunes34

.

Shortly before this Apple had placed their own brand of MP3 player, called "iPod",

on the market, which soon became a prestige product and meanwhile has even

become a generic name for MP3 players in general. Its enormous popularity helped

iTunes become a model for success and so by 2006, iTunes had sold a billion

downloads35

. Services like iTunes had one decisive advantage compared to the

free and illegal ones: users could rely on the music files being of a high and

consistent quality and not containing any malware or viruses. On the downside,

commercial services could not and most likely never will provide a diversity in

genres and obscurity as rich as that of unauthorized platforms, file sharing

networks or music blogs. Commercial download business is still paying off more

than selling CDs though, as not only material and manufacturing costs are omitted

but also the expenses for the distribution, which account for the largest share of the

total costs36

. Thus it is not very surprising that sales of physical recorded music are

declining, in the UK for instance sales of CDs have halved from 2000 to 2010; from

2007 to 2008 alone they dropped by 20 percent37

.

Apart from iTunes several other successful commercial download services began

to establish themselves, e.g. "SpiralFrog" from Universal, "Musicload" from the

Deutsche Telekom AG, Amazon's MP3 shop, the Nokia Music Store, and also

Napster which reappeared as a legal service – though this time as a streaming

platform and not one for downloads. Spiralfrog was a free service supported by

advertising that meanwhile has been forced out of the market, because the users

felt hassled by ever more and longer commercials they had to watch in order to

listen to their music38

. That way, subscription models became more popular, and

thanks to internet connections getting faster and faster streaming now appears to

be the preferred way to consume music digitally. Songs are no longer downloaded

34

cf. Kernfeld (2011), p. 209 et seq. 35

cf. Kernfeld (2011), p. 210. 36

cf. Sen (2010), p. 13. 37

cf. Sen (2010), p. 9. 38

cf. Glaser (2006).


onto the customer's device but played online, and thus only saved into the buffer

memory, which provides the customer with more flexibility and saves memory.

Most streaming platforms offer flat-rate subscriptions, either for a monthly fee or ad-

financed. Free and unlimited streaming services might even help to take "some of

the wind out of the pirates' sails."39

Some of the most popular streaming services

are "Spotify", which was founded in Sweden, "Deezer" from France, "Simfy",

"Napster", "MusicMatch", "Yahoo! Music", "Juke", Sony's "Music Unlimited", "Rdio"

and "Wimp". Deezer, Napster and Wimp can only be used in combination with a

Facebook account while others – eg. Spotify and Simfy – offer this as an option40

.

Although Spotify is a fast rising competitor, iTunes still remains as the market

leader41

.

Just like SpiralFrog, Spotify is financed by audio ads that are placed in between the

songs in certain time intervals, and to a smaller extend, by paid premium accounts.

However, this practise is being criticized because independent artists without a

recording contract are under-represented as well as underpaid, the length of the

ads and the frequency in which they are aired are increased subtly, and "the lack of

communication and clarity in the relationship between Spotify and music fans."42

For instance they have to accept that the entire repertoire of an artist will be

removed from Spotify without any notice or exculpation – often the artists

themselves require this because of the marginal profitability43

.

This entails a considerable disadvantage compared to a conventional CD- or record

collection, which is available steadily and ad-free once acquired. Streaming

platforms offer flexibility and mobility to their users, but are still not profitable

enough for artists and labels to provide their customers with a truly unlimited and

comprehensive (music) service.

39

Sen (2010), p. 14. 40

cf. magnus.de (2012). 41

cf. Heise Zeitschriften Verlag (2012). 42

McLean et al. (2010), p. 1372. 43

cf. McLean et al. (2010), p. 1372.

16

3 Vinyl Records Today

In this section the role vinyl records have adopted in today's music will be observed

and discussed. While doing so, every examined aspect will be analyzed as to

whether it has a causal connection to the internet as a medium for communication

and trade, in order to find answers to the main research question.

3.1 Acoustic, Visual and Emotional Aspects

The developments described in chapter 2.3 represent a counter-movement to a

distinctive break in the history of music that took place at the end of the 19th

century: the reification of music, made possible through the invention of sound

storage media. The transience of music was abolished as sounds could be

conserved in objects for an unlimited amount of time. In recent years the physical

reification of music became obsolete. Music is no longer only stored in shelves,

captured in plastic, but saved onto hard disc drives and meanwhile also more and

more moved into so-called "clouds". It is available more easily, and to a greater

extend than ever before; disembodied information that can be copied arbitrarily.

But what does this mean for the music's value experienced by the consumer?

People who are now middle-aged had to save money for weeks until they could buy

the next coveted single or album as teenagers, while today's teenagers are only a

click away from almost anything that has ever been recorded. While most people

now take this for granted, some experience some kind of weariness. Either

because they are overstrained by the enormous range of recordings to choose

from, or because they want to have something tangible and long-lasting to set their

musical affections on, unlike all the virtual streams and files.

Apart from vinyl-obsessed stereotypes like Rob Fleming from Nick Hornby's 1995

novel "High Fidelity", more and more people turn towards "tangible music"

nowadays, with vinyl records being seemingly more appreciated than CDs or

cassette tapes.

Nostalgia and childhood memories put aside, vinyl fans often state that the sound

of vinyl is much warmer than that of digital media it also allows more frequencies to

3. Vinyl Records Today 17

be recorded and played back44

. The correlation between the sound of vinyl being

perceived as warmer and fuller and the greater range of frequencies analogue

formats can store compared to digital formats with discrete frequency recording,

might be correct in theory, but when a vinyl record is actually played, the

frequencies are in most cases not continuous because transistor amplifiers divide

them again. Only (quite costly) valve amplifiers can reproduce the entirety of

frequencies stored on an analogue medium.

"Vinyl has very limited dynamics compared to all modern formats. Vinyl has about

65 dB of dynamic range, as opposed to the 30-plus-year-old digital compact disc at

95 dB. The more modern Blu-ray disc packs 120 dB of dynamic range"45

, nearly

twice as large as that of a vinyl record46

. Nevertheless, many people perceive a

distinct inferiority in sound quality between these media in comparison to vinyl. It is

unclear though, if this perception is based on measurable characteristics, or just on

the expectation that there has to be an audible difference.

Vinyl enthusiasts often accuse CD- and MP3-consumers of not particularly caring

about the quality or authenticity of sound, but it should be mentioned that there are

many digital savvy audiophiles who invest enormous amounts in exquisite hi-fi

systems as well. Apart from that, many of those who grew up with vinyl records and

still prefer them already developed their aversion to CDs when they were

introduced. At that time, digital media were not yet technically mature, while vinyl

records already had experienced forty years of innovation and perfection. By now

digital audio media have left their analogue counterparts far behind them, so the

special appeal vinyl records have to their fans must be founded on something else

in addition to sound quality.

With vinyl records, it is not only listening to them, but also touching and handling

them that matters to their owners. Sometimes even treated like devotional objects,

vinyl records are commodities with special features and emotional associations to

them, rather than merely serving as sound carriers. Despite their fragility, careful

treatment of vinyl records pays off with longevity. CDs might appear as robust and

reliable, but they have a considerably limited shelf life just as flash drives or hard

disc drives. For the latter, as well as for home burned CDs, a maximum lifetime of

five to ten years is estimated. Flash drives will presumably stop working after ten to

44

cf. Ox-Fanzine (2006), p. 8. 45

Del Colliano (2012) 46

Dynamic range: Difference between lowest possible and the highest possible signal level


thirty years, and factory-made CDs are said to last between twenty-five and thirty

years with average use47

. In comparison, there are analogue records that are now

more than a hundred years old and can still be played fine. From this point of view,

vinyl records are no more risky an investment than digital sound carriers.

The tangibility of physical records does not only imply durability of sound storage

media, but allows a whole new relationship level between consumer and

commodity. This special relationship becomes more intense the more the customer

is involved in music, be it knowledge about music or consuming music. People who

know a lot about music and cultivate this knowledge listen to and buy more music

than the average consumer does, but the more intense this knowledge and

involvement is, the more likely a higher value is perceived in physical records than

in MP3 files and other non-tangible formats. These non-tangible formats don't

supersede the tangible ones, rather, it stands to reason that they fulfil different

needs of the consumers, "for example, sampling and complementing vs. collecting

and displaying."48

In 2009, Maria Ek Styvén, professor at Luleå University of Technology, published a

study titled "The need to touch: Exploring the link between music involvement and

tangibility preference". The results showed that "music involvement is positively

related to the extent to which consumers favor tangible music formats," while

"innovativeness in terms of using new technology (MP3 player) for listening to

music [also] increases with music involvement. However, this link is weaker than

the one from involvement to tangibility preference, suggesting that music

involvement may have a stronger influence over consumers' expressed

preferences for tangible formats than over their use of MP3 players."49

Looking at

these results, it can be said that physical records are more important to inveterate

music fans than to the average music consumer. They more often prefer tangible

formats. To a lesser degree, they also tend to use more innovative formats.

Apart from the ability to touch physical records there is another serious difference

between them and file-based media: the visibility of the record and thus the visual

experience of the consumer, or in this case spectator. Many music consumers and

collectors own more records than they could ever listen to (while looking at them

47

cf. FL-electronic (2008); netzwelt (2007); netzwelt (2007). 48

Styvén (2010), p. 1088. 49

Styvén (2010), p. 1093.


takes considerably less time), and so "the recording becomes an object of

exchange and contemplation: an image of music that substitutes for music itself."50

For Philip Auslander, professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, looking at

records even resembles "a perverse act, given that the object of the gaze was

produced as a commodity to be consumed through the ear."51

This apparent

"misuse" is especially important to people who cherish objects and artefacts; most

notably, collectors. Evan Eisenberg tells the story of a record collector who began

collecting in the 1920s, and at the end had accumulated a collection worth around

$200,000 – although he was deaf52

. Looking at and touching his records were the

only ways left for him to "consume" them, and to derive pleasure from owning them.

Touch and physical appearance apparently served sufficiently to keep the

fascination about these objects alive, despite the fact that they were designed for a

completely different use. It is difficult to imagine a blind person getting the same

pleasure from touching or "listening to" an oil painting, for instance. Thus, vinyl

records offer a special and perhaps even unique opportunity to consume them in a

way entirely different from what they were meant for. Referring to the consumers'

choice between analogue and non-tangible digital music products, this feature of

the vinyl record can be considered as a distinctive additional value.

There is another quite important aspect to the optical reckoning of vinyl records:

they constitute a visual representation of time. "Vinyl records reify time in that they

make time tangible: in handling a record, one is handling a chunk of time, in a

sense. ... In these ways, records are means by which time is rendered

spectacular."53

Digital audio files convey this experience merely indirectly, if at all.

The consumer can see another representation of time when looking at the time

display on their iPod or desktop media player, but as those files or recordings are

immaterial themselves, this can hardly be considered reification.

One could assume now that record collectors in fact are collectors of time,

stockpiling it portioned into single units that represent a kind of "exchange-time",

with the intent to preserve pieces of the past like an archaeologist. But "in fact what

was being stockpiled was coded noise with a specific ritual function, or use-time.

For we must not forget that music remains a very unique commodity; to take on

50

Auslander (2001), p. 79. 51

Auslander (2001), S. 80. 52

cf. Eisenberg (1985), p. 8. 53

Auslander (2001), p. 81.


meaning, it requires an incompressible lapse of time, that of its own duration."54

So

the time that passed while a recording was made, and which a consumer thinks

they are acquiring or exchanging with the means of a record, might be congruent in

length to the time it takes to play or "use" this recording, but in fact there is no

further connection between these periods of time; the act of "preserving time" is

thus based on a false assumption. And furthermore, "Since there is no direct

correlation between the musical use-time of an album and its visual appearance,

the visual representation of time on a vinyl record asserts itself as arbitrary,

abstract, and capricious. Understood in this way, the surface of a vinyl record

makes visible the means by which the spectacle induces false consciousness of

time through images of time purveyed by commodities."55

The assumption that the

time it takes to play a record equals the time it took to make the record (given that

only the actual recording time is counted) implies that the recording was made in a

single take, which is rarely the case, except for live recordings. The track which is

finally pressed on the record is the result of several takes that were cut and edited

several times and put together in a way that differs from a single-take-recording of

the song. It is a mélange of excerpts of different recorded time spans, between

which minutes or years could have passed, and not the coherent entity of time the

listener has in mind when they play a record.

Nevertheless, this consciousness of time (though it is in fact false) creates a certain

fascination in the spectator of the record, which vinyl fans can appreciate. For the

vinyl record as a commodity, this can be considered as an additional value on an

emotional level.

Apart from the visual features of the vinyl record itself, a significant additional value

perceived by the eye is provided by its packaging, most notably the classical LP

cover. While vinyl fans and audiophiles mostly appreciate the higher quality of the

medium itself in new issues and re-issues, original issues are often also cherished

because of the accompanying artwork, delivered in the form of a record cover.

"Appreciation of high-quality and original pressings expressed values art, heritage

and a 'higher consciousness'"56

among record collectors. From an economic point

of view, this appreciation comes out in the form of extreme price differences

between records sold with and without the original picture cover, especially

54

Attali (1985), p. 101. 55

Auslander (2001), p. 82. 56

Mitchell et al. (2011), p. 47.


concerning 45rpm singles. For example, "Makin' Love" / "You Mean Everything" by

The Sloths sold for $2,258 in 2009 without the original cover57

, and for $6,550 with

the original picture sleeve in 201158

.

The advantage of an LP compared to, say, a CD concerning the presentation of

cover art is not only its size (ca. 30x30cm or 12"x12" compared to ca. 12x12cm or

4.75"x4.75"), but also the better possibilities for adding "gimmicks" to the cover.

Andy Warhol for example immortalized himself on the cover of the debut album of

The Velvet Underground, a band closely related to him. The cover shows a yellow

banana on a white background which can be "peeled" to reveal the same motif in

bright pink (copies with "unpeeled" bananas sell for respectively high prices today).

Another example, which was also created by Warhol, is the infamous and not very

subtle cover of the album "Sticky Fingers" by The Rolling Stones from 1971, which

shows a pair of jeans worn by a man, with a real zipper glued on it. This case

already shows that an LP cover does not only offer more possibilities for visual but

also haptic enhancement than a CD cover. While the latter mostly is printed on thin

paper and hidden in a plastic case, an experience of touching and feeling can be

created for the consumer by structural embossing of the cardboard of an LP cover

or by gluing objects onto it.

Other examples for album covers that became famous artworks are "Sgt. Pepper's

Lonely Hearts Club Band" by The Beatles and the cover of King Crimson's debut

album "In the Court of the Crimson King". The painter of the latter, Barry Godber,

died shortly after the album's release at the young age of twenty-four, which helped

the work become legendary59

.

For many vinyl lovers, it is not only the record's cover that can feature an

aesthetically pleasing and attractive artwork. Old 78rpm records often have artful

and ornate labels that have a certain antique charm. This was probably of central

significance for the deaf collector mentioned above, as he most likely owned mostly

78s (at the times of 78rpm records, records were sold in simple brown paper covers

with the record company's logo and maybe some advertising on them. The "album

artwork" only came up with the invention of the long playing record).

Listening to vinyl records usually is stationary. Portable record players have not

caught on significantly and represent something of a "gimmick." That said, limited

57

cf. Popsike.com (2009). 58


cf. Sinfield (2008).


mobility is not always perceived as a disadvantage. Rather, consuming music once

again is the in the actual focus of the consumer's concentration and no longer a

background noise for some other activity. It demands the consumer's own action,

and to act with care and precision. As a result, the record is listened to more

consciously, and mostly also continuously, with the turning of the record after one

side has been played being the only interruption. Of course it is possible to jump to

certain tracks on an LP, but it is more difficult than jumping to a track on a CD or

iPod. Also, a lot of albums are composed in a way that makes the consumers want

to listen to them in one go. In the age of MP3, "concept albums" have become

rarer; quite often it is all about single tracks that climb the single charts and then

disappear on samplers and mixes. Listening to an album continuously – with the

exception of turning it around after half the time – requires patience (in a positive

sense) and the engagement with the record is more intense. In turn, the consumer

can experience a more conscious listening pleasure in the form of a ritual. This

"ritual feature" is unique to the vinyl record when compared to intangible digital

media, because it results from its physical usage requirements. Thus, this is an

additional value of the vinyl record.

60

Source: http://78rpmrecord.com/.

Figure 5: Label of a one-sided French shellac record from 190460


3.2 Variations in Use and the Transformation of Meanings

As was previously discussed, vinyl records are not exclusively used in the manner

they were meant to be used. But even when they are played, according to their

original purpose, they are not only used as a static source of music, but also as a

versatile tool to produce a variety of sounds and sound effects in different ways. Of

course a vinyl disc does not emit sounds by itself, so in the course of a record

being played, the record player becomes a kind of musical instrument through

which an artist can express their skills and creativity.

The idea of using two turntables at a time in order to minimize or eliminate the gap

between songs on different records emerged when vinyl records became the

leading music format. Soon, DJs could not only combine and arrange tracks more

effectively, but manipulate and influence the sounds produced by the record

creatively, instead of simply reproducing rigid recordings.

The turntable itself has assumed the role of an instrument at least since the

discovery of a playing technique called "scratching" by the young DJ Theodore

Livingston in 197761

: "a vivid example of user-driven change that led to a radical

change in the function of an existing technological object while leaving its physical

form almost completely undisturbed."62

What had happened was a shift in the

social ontology of turntable and record, the observer-related features of these

objects had changed ("a turntable and a vinyl record make a musical instrument"),

while the observer-independent features (production process, material, shape and

functionality of said objects) remained the same63

.

Eventually the term "turntablist" was established to describe the DJs who use their

turntable in the above-mentioned way, "as distinct from someone who uses it

strictly in its playback capacity."64

Meanwhile, turntablists are no longer associated

with "classical" DJ genres only, but there are all sorts of "rock, pop, nu-metal, and

even country music bands that include a turntablist in their ranks."65

During the 1980s and 90s, the CD conquered the market. Some DJs switched to

the new format. However, those DJs who preferred to use manipulation techniques

61

cf. Faulkner et al. (2009), p. 449. 62

Faulkner et al. (2009), p. 451. 63

cf. Faulkner et al. (2009), p. 459; Searle (2006), p. 53. 64

Faulkner et al. (2009), p. 448. 65

Faulkner et al. (2009), p. 450.


such as scratching or beatmatching still had to rely on vinyl, as these techniques

could not be reproduced with CD players. In 2001, a so-called "CDJ" player was

brought on the market with the aim to be able to emulate vinyl manipulation

techniques with CDs and at the same time retain the "look and feel" of a classic

turntable. Successive models included features like USB ports, slots for flash

memory cards or the ability to read data CDs. Eventually, the CD player unit gave

way for iPod consoles and the like66.

Even in a fully digitalized and virtualized environment, vinyl still serves as a

reference benchmark for audio quality. So-called "vinyl emulation software" is

especially designed to play digital audio files as if they were played from vinyl, i.e.

digitally emulating the warmer analogue sound a vinyl record would produce

without actually using a physical sound carrier68

. But even vinyl as a physical object

has not completely disappeared in DJ culture, new ways of combining it with digital

technology have emerged. For example, in a "digital vinyl system", a standard

turntable is used for playing a vinyl record pressed with a digital timecode, and the

signals it conveys are analyzed by a vinyl emulation software running on a PC or

laptop. That way, the movements of the timecode disc under the stylus affect the

playback of the digital music as if it came from a vinyl record that is manipulated

manually while playing69.

66

cf. Faulkner et al. (2009), p. 451 et seqq. 67

Source: wikipedia.org (2011). 68

See: http://www.channld.com/purevinyl/. 69

cf. Faulkner et al. (2009), p. 452.

Figure 6: Close up of a timecode record67


A special combination of vinyl and digital technology was released by DJ Jeff Mills

in 2010: A CD which had not a label but a vinyl single pressed on its rear side,

containing the same song as on the CD itself. This "hybrid disc" is the brainchild of

designer Yuri Suzuki, who, based upon the notion that the act of buying CDs "has

become increasingly more obsolete as downloading music files has gained

popularity[,] … wanted to bring value back to the compact disc."70

Apparently, the

compact disc gains just that value when being half vinyl; in other words, the

obsolescence of CDs is camouflaged with an homage to the good old vinyl record,

which had been "obsolete" so much longer. The choice of vinyl to revalue the CD is

not quite surprising when the particular emotional meaning digital and analogue

music consumption has for consumers is considered. In the ensuing paragraphs,

these meanings and their development, as well as their effect on practices of music

consumption, are examined.

In an era of mainly digital music and immaterial media, it might seem that the

importance of physical objects associated with the consumption of such media

would be diminished. But this is not the case, as "music digitalization and the

dematerialization of musical goods do not mean less materiality and do not imply a

less relevant social role for material objects within consumption processes."72

Almost on the contrary, what takes place today is a "process of deep re-articulation

of the relationships between content and material media."73

One of the reasons for

70

designboom.com (2010). 71

Source: Pinter (2010). 72

Magaudda (2011), p. 16. 73

Magaudda (2011), p. 18.

Figure 7: Digital-analogue "hybrid-disc" by Yuri Suzuki and Jeff Mills71


this is that technological changes are not a crucial influence, and by far not the only

influence, on consumers' habits and consumption practices. Changes in these

habits are largely caused by social factors. For instance, a new product will not

catch on if it requires the consumers to give up or change certain habits, and the

additional value of the product does not make up for it. On the other hand, a

product can experience a "boom" or "hype" even if it has no significant technical or

economic value; just because certain target groups or subcultures attribute special

values to it. This is one way how social factors can drive consumer habits and

behaviour.

In order to explain these influences and their impact on consumption practices,

Italian professor of sociology and marketing, Paolo Maggauda, described the so-

called "circuit of practice" (see figure 8). He analyzed the changing relationships

between materiality and social practices using the example of three technologies

currently used for music consumption - the iPod, the external hard drive and the

vinyl record.

The circuit of practice has three anchor points that represent the abstract levels of

objects, meanings and practices (doing). The first phase, in which the circuit is

entered, begins with the digital revolution of the music industry, in particular the

massive spreading of MP3 files, sharing platforms and download services. A

process of dematerialization, which represents a change on the level of objects,

starts and leads to a change on the level of doing in phase two. The activities

associated with the consumption of and involvement with music are now mainly

carried out through the screen of a PC or similar gadget. The result is "a change in

the listener's approach to his or her musical experience, which is now perceived as

less authentic and significant"74

. This constitutes a shift in the impact particular

music-related objects have on listeners, represented in phase three. As a result,

consumers are looking for ways to regain the feeling of authenticity experienced

when listening to music through trying out new or previously used practices for

music consumption. In phase four, a change on the level of objects takes place, as

consumers are reintegrating vinyl records (or tangible recordings in general) into

their listening habits because they can provide this feeling of authenticity. The

acknowledgement of these unique qualities of vinyl records, and their subsequent

appreciation by the consumers, occurs on the level of meanings in phase five. At

this point, the consumers get accustomed to listening to vinyl records and may

74

Magaudda (2011), p. 30.


even develop a passion for it. In phase six, the last phase of the circuit, the

consumers accomplish another transformation on the level of doing by buying,

trading and collecting vinyl records to a greater extent.

This does not imply that consumers will exclusively listen to vinyl once they

discovered it for themselves or have reverted back to it. Most of them will

incorporate their new listening practices into existing ones instead of replacing

them. For example, someone might keep their MP3 player for occasions such as

long car or train rides, and yet listen mostly to vinyl when at home. This shows that

"new objects and devices and old ones are not mutually exclusive, and that their

material configurations enable the development of different listening practices in

terms of both material activities and symbolic value."76

Furthermore, not only can modern and "obsolete" objects and technologies coexist,

but the latter also carry certain symbolic values when being used despite their

75

Source: Magaudda (2011), p. 30. 76

Magaudda (2011), p. 31.

Figure 8: The "circuit of practices" for music consumption75


obvious obsolescence and technical inferiority; their use conveys a social, and

sometimes even political, message. Younger listeners, for example, sometimes use

their preference of vinyl records to demonstrate their deep aversion against the

contemporary culture of music consumption, contemporary music itself, or even the

contemporary culture and society in general. This instrumentalization of listening

practices, and especially listening to vinyl (exclusively) in order to transfer such a

message would not have been possible when the vinyl record was the primary

format (1950s to 70s), and also not at times when fewer consumers were

passionate about vinyl (90s). It is evident that vinyl has taken on a new social role

in the past few years.

Apart from this attitude people might want to express by preferring vinyl records,

many also value the practices and habits themselves that come with listening to

and acquiring vinyls. For instance, one of Maggauda's interviewees recounts:

"Maybe you were just about to forget that the vinyl was on, and it is already time to

change the side. It is like the vinyl asks for your attention when you are about to

forget that the turntable is on."77

This additional required attention and action is an

important factor in times of increasing passivity, which is encouraged by ever more

technical facilitations and automation of every day routines, and contributes to the

emotional valorization of vinyl records in a positive way.

Other activities and experiences associated with vinyl records include the pleasant

anticipation and excitement when unpacking a new record and then touching it for

the first time, which is completely missing in the consumption of intangible media.

There is also great excitement in discovering a desired record by chance in a

record shop, second hand store or on a flea market. Generations that grew up with

intangible music formats like MP3 and online stores for downloads might have the

privilede of having almost the entire knowledge and cultural output of mankind

directly at hand through the internet, but they never experienced the allurement of

"crate digging" or the precarious endeavor of trying to get the precious new albums

home savely78

. Of course, it is quite understandable that those who finally get in

touch with vinyl or other analogue formats want to reclaim these experiences and

emotions by listening to or collecting them. That way, an originally obsolete

consumption practice regains importance in a society that likes nothing more than

to dispose of obsolescent technology and objects.

77

Magaudda (2011), p. 29. 78

cf. Patokos (2008), p. 247.


3.3 The Vinyl Audience on the Internet and the Culture of

Communication and Information

Mike Featherstone coined the term "consumer culture" to describe the social

significance of consumption and the attitude and interaction of consumers in

contemporary Western societies79

. Vinyl buyers and enthusiasts are a

distinguishable part of this culture, representing a so-called "consumption

community". In line with Michael Maffesoli's concept of "neo-tribalism"80

, these

communities can be classified as so-called "consumer tribes" (referred to as

"tribes" in the following).

There are notable differences between a "tribe" and a "subculture". A consumer

tribe forms easily and can be short lived. Members have easy to pinpoint ideals or

interests, (e.g., someone strongly favors a product or they do not), but do not

necessarily share a similar social setting. They do not necessarily identify

themselves as being part of the group. Individuals also can "belong to multiple

tribes at the same time to express different aspects of their identity,"81

which would

be uncommon in a subculture. A subculture persists over a longer period of time

and is far more complex. Many different attributes can define a member of a

subculture, and it is not always clear if someone in fact is a member. Unlike tribe

members, the members of a subculture often have a similar social setting.

According to French professors Bernard and Véronique Cova, who specialize in

tribal marketing, tribes appear in temporal as well as in spatial traces:

"In temporal terms tribes emerge, grow, reach their zenith, languish, then dissolve. Their underlying logic is timeless and fragmented. (...) Tribes also exist and occupy space physically. The tribe - or at least some of its members - can gather and perform rituals in public spaces, assembly halls, meeting places, places of worship or commemoration. (...) None of these time and space traces exhaust the full potential of tribes. Tribal belonging exists on a daily basis at home, as well as occasionally and informally with others anywhere."

82

There are many realms where a tribe can be imagined, but one gains importance

like no other in this context, and also perfectly supports the geographic dispersal

and informality of consumer tribes: the internet. Tribes that sprout in cyberspace

79

cf. Featherstone (1991), p. 13 et seqq. 80

cf. Maffesoli (1996), p. 11 et seqq. 81

Mitchell et al. (2011), p. 40. 82

Cova et al. (2001), p. 604.


represent a special kind of consumer tribe, which is mainly characterized by

intensive virtual communication and global networking between the tribe members.

This kind of tribe is referred to as an "e-tribe", a term coined by Canadian professor

of marketing, Robert Kozinets. At first glance, an e-tribe might appear quite similar

if not identical to a market segment, as it is a group of people who appreciate the

same product or brand and frequent the same communication medium, and thus

could be specifically targeted with advertising. Cova and Cova distinguish clearly

between such tribes and market segments, whereby the first is defined as "a

network of heterogeneous persons - in terms of age, sex, income, etc. - who are

linked by a shared passion or emotion; a tribe is capable of collective action, its

members are not simple consumers, they are also advocates."83

A market

segment, however, represents "a group of homogeneous persons - they share the

same characteristics - who are not connected to each other; a segment is not

capable of collective action, its members are simple consumers."84

Thus, there are

two essential differences between (e-)tribes and market segments: first, tribe

members share only one characteristic while those of a market segment share

many, and second, tribe members connect and interact socially while those of a

market segment are unaware of one another.

As for Maffesoli's neo-tribes, or postmodern tribes, every one of them has its own

"emblematic figure just as each [archaic] tribe, in the strict sense, possessed and

was possessed by its totem."85

In both e-tribes and consumer tribes in general, the

role of the totem is taken over by the product, the shared appreciation of which is

why a tribe is formed in the first place. Not all products an individual prefers serve

as a tribe's totem because they lack potential for emotional bonding – think of

favourite brands of carrots, toilet paper, telephone cables, or tooth picks. The vinyl

record, however, makes a perfect totem with all the personal memories and

emotional value associated with it. Thus, it is no surprise that there is an e-tribe

specialized in vinyl records coming together on the internet to share emotions,

experiences and information.

This tribe is made up of a group of geographically distributed persons who have a

passion for or interest in vinyl records, and use the same communication platforms

and sources of information online. These individuals have gathered great amounts

83

Cova et al. (2001), p. 602. 84

Cova et al. (2001), p. 602. 85

Maffesoli (2004), p. 141.


of insider information about music and records that could not have been captured

without a versatile mass medium such as the internet. The tribe members practice

four primary modes of interaction: informational, relational, recreational, and

transformational86

; which means that apart from accumulating and benefiting from

the aforementioned mass of information, they maintain social contact and frequent

communication, both on a short-term, superficial basis, as well as on a long-term,

dedicated basis.

This particular e-tribe, also referred to as the "online vinyl record network", has

been examined in a study by David Broman and Stefan Söderlindh ( Broman et al.

(2009)). According to Kozinets' definitions of tribe member types they classify the

members of this network into four different groups: "devotees", "insiders",

"minglers", and "tourists". Tourists are the kind of members who "lack strong social

ties to the group, and maintain only a superficial or passing interest in the

consumption activity"87

– listening to and collecting vinyl records – while the

minglers are the ones who hold social ties, but are "only perfunctorily interested in

the central consumption activity."88

Among those members who have a strong

passion for the specific consumption activity, devotees are barely socially attached

to the group, while the insiders have both "strong social ties and strong personal

ties to the consumption activity."89

These latter groups are most relevant to the

structure and dynamics of the online vinyl record network, because they represent

its core. People who do not have strong personal ties to vinyl records less

significantly contribute to such a network, thus, the focus will be on devotees and

insiders as opposed to tourists and minglers.

In addition to Kozinets' model of member types, which does not acknowledge any

kind of hierarchy within the tribe, Cleo Mitchell and Brian Imrie discovered a

member type they refer to as the "chief" in a study similar to that of Broman and

Söderlindh, in which they researched "the tribe of record collectors."90

They found

that the chiefs inside the vinyl tribe set themselves apart from the other members

based on their high assets of so-called "cultural capital". This capital puts them in a

higher rank within the tribe, putting them in charge of the "organisation of tribal

activities and [making them] influential on other members (both potential and

86

cf. Kozinets (1999), p. 255. 87

Kozinets (1999), p. 254. 88

Kozinets (1999), p. 254. 89

Kozinets (1999), p. 255. 90



existing)."91

Chiefs as well as devotees possess "status and respect in the tribe,

which makes them crucial for connecting and communicating with the tribe at

large."92

Cultural capital mainly consists of knowledge. As for the vinyl tribe, this can be

knowledge about particular artists, genres, specific releases of a record, etc. Social

contacts to important persons, be it high ranking members of the tribe, artists, or

famous people from the recording industry, also fall into cultural capital, as well as

the member's own record collection; specifically its size, range, uniqueness,

monetary and sentimental value. Mitchell and Imrie observed that cultural capital in

the vinyl tribe had become "a currency of trade among members, facilitating

socialisation and creating a tribal community around this particular consumption."94

The internet plays a key role in the acceptance and rise of new members in the

vinyl tribe. It facilitates and speeds up the obtaining of information and gathering of

knowledge about music and records – important assets that are rewarded with

respect and appreciation by the other tribe members, and needed to maintain one's

status and authority within the tribe.

91

Mitchell et al. (2011), p. 48. 92

Mitchell et al. (2011), p. 48. 93

Source: Kozinets (1999), p. 255. 94


Figure 9: Member types of virtual consumption communities93


The online vinyl record network is a "derived cyberculture", which means that it

originated from a real-life culture or community that has moved or extended itself

into the online world95

. In the case of the vinyl network, this real-life community had

already existed for some time when the internet came into regular use. Thus, the

vinyl network consists of "digital natives", who grew up with access to the internet

which helped facilitate their interest in vinyl records, as well as "digital migrants",

who carry on or revive their old passion for records in a new medium. Quite

naturally, the latter group can be assumed to represent the majority of the tribe

members, although this ratio could be expected to shift in the near future; not

necessarily because the older members pass away, but because there is an

increasing group of younger people intrigued by vinyl records.

Most of the tribe members stay in touch online as well as through personal contact,

both to varying extents. Especially insiders tend to exclusively use the internet for

tribe-related communication and activities. This does not imply that they are

suffering from inibitions in maintaining social contacts, but rather that they lack

"individuals in their personal networks with the exact same taste in music,

compelling them to go online to find peers with whom to interact."96

In this case, the

internet liberates them from being entirely excluded from any kind of community

that meets their preferences and access to detailed information about their

personal field of expertise. It provides the tribe members not only with vast

information and social interaction, but also commercial resources, allowing them to

purchase records that are not available in record shops within their reach.

Broman and Söderlindh interviewed nine vinyl consumers and retailers, all male

and aged between 25 and 36 years97

. They were asked about their expectations

concerning the future of the vinyl market, and how they perceived the typical vinyl

consumer. Responses to the latter question framed the picture of a "friendly,

honest and music-loving man, pursuing his music interest passionately."98

This

statement might appear rather trivial at first glance, but it illustrates a striking

feature of the vinyl community (on- and offline): almost all of its members are male,

or at least a large proportion of them. It is rather difficult to pinpoint any concrete

numbers concerning this question, as the vinyl tribe is widely dispersed around the

95

cf. Broman et al. (2009), p. 11. 96

Broman et al. (2009), p. 29 et seq. 97

cf. Broman et al. (2009), p. 13 et seqq. 98

Broman et al. (2009), p. 16.


world and not all members join a form of vinyl club or community that would allow

for the collection of such statistics.

Of the vinyl collectors Roy Shuker interviewed for his book "Wax Trash and Vinyl

Treasures: Record Collecting as a Social Practise", only 16 per cent were female99

.

According to Shuker, "record collecting can represent a public display of power and

knowledge, serving as a form of cultural capital within the peer group."100

The

competitive nature of this seems to be a typical male attitude; also, male collectors

are slightly more likely to become obsessed with collecting or the collectable

objects. As Shuker observes, "For male collectors, the social role of collecting

appears to be a significant part of masculinity."101

What makes collecting in general,

and record collecting in particular, so "un-feminine" and unattractive to women, can

only be speculated. Perhaps women are less inclined toward developing emotional

relationships to objects than men are, and value social contacts and emotional

bonds to other people more. Also, they might be less likely to seek competition and

less eager to stand up to other collectors on the basis of status symbols (i.e. size

and uniqueness of their collection).

Shuker's interviewees seemed to impute a lesser degree of seriousness and

rationality to their female counterparts, suggesting that, unlike collecting, women

are rather interested in activities that involve more emotions, or maybe more trivial

emotions; stating for instance: "Record people tend to be more intellectually

centred, it's a neurotic thing, what do female neurotics do?"102

Apart from such

stereotypes, in fact "women aren't driven to forms of 'conspicuous seriousness' in

the ways men are, in part because the very idea of seriousness has historically

been gendered as masculine for a long time in Western culture."103

Thus, it seems the issue could be not so much about the difference between male

and female attitudes, but about the difference between serious, "neurotic" and

easy-going, sociable individuals. There are female record collectors – although a

minority – it seems likely that they are just part of the proportion of women who

exhibit some male character traits, and thus collect the same way as men do. But

while interviewing and researching on female record collectors, Shuker saw some

striking differences in male and female attitudes and ways of collecting. He found

that "women collectors … placed a greater emphasis on the 'use value' of their

99

cf. Shuker (2010), p. 34. 100

Shuker (2010), p. 35. 101

Shuker (2010), p. 35. 102

Shuker (2010), p. 36. 103

Shuker (2010), p. 37 et seq.


recordings, and showed less concern with collection size, rarity and value."104

Hence it seems that women rather collect for the music itself than for having lots of

rare, valuable records in their shelves they do not even dare to play – which

already seems irrational to any non-collector, especially taking into account a vinyl

record's actual purpose. The obsession with features of a record that transcend the

entertainment of listening to the music on it, is again something that is commonly

seen as a male character trait; or even, as Shuker puts it: "for men, record

collecting embraced being in control."105

Furthermore, as he refers to an

unpublished study about female record collectors by Vicki Bogle from the year

1999: "What she found striking was the tendency for women to play down the fact

they are collectors. While passionate about their collections, and the process of

hunting down records, 'they are put off by the term record collector, and its possible

masculine, and even anal connotations'."106

In conclusion, there may be far more female record collectors out there than is

commonly assumed. Perhaps they are just not as present as their male

counterparts, either because they do not want to be labelled as collectors, they do

not fit into the all-male "fraternity", or they feel they are simply not taken seriously

and excluded from these groups.

Apart from the above-mentioned gender bias, Broman and Söderlindh found that

the online vinyl record network is highly fragmented. It consists of many small

groups which are usually dedicated to a specific genre or format (e.g. 78 rpm

records)107

. This is naturally due to the fact that the variety in music and music

releases is so inconceivably large that it is impossible for one individual to concern

themselves with literally every kind of music. Even before the times of mp3 and the

possibility for everyone to record anything they want at any time, there already had

been much more music recorded than a human being could listen to in their

lifetime.

The demand and availability of vinyl releases also varies among different genres.

Classical "vinyl-genres" for instance would be Rock, Pop, Folk, Jazz, Techno,

House, Industrial and Hip Hop. Concerning Easy Listening or "Schlager" the record

format is fairly irrelevant, while in classical music a perfect quality of sound (e.g. in

104

Shuker (2010), p. 38. 105

Shuker (2010), p. 36. 106

Shuker (2010), p. 36. 107

cf. Broman et al. (2009), p. 27.


form of HD-CDs or other modern formats) is valued higher than nostalgia or the

possibility to use manipulation techniques like in DJ-ing.

A key feature all these genre-specific sub-networks have in common and that

characterizes the vinyl-tribe as a whole, is the importance of trust. Although there

are different types of tribe-members and some of them have more influence than

others, they all share "a sense of unity and a sharing ethos,"108

which comprises

honesty and the proactive exchange of information. An example of this is the

grading of the condition of vinyl records when trading or selling them. Although

there are well-known standards for grading records, (for instance the "Goldmine" or

the "Record Collector", both deriving from famous record collecting magazines),

their interpretation can be quite arbitrary, and from time to time the interpretation by

the seller and by the buyer of a record diverges. When examining this problem,

Broman and Söderlindh discovered that the tribe possesses a kind of self-

regulation of this issue. It "appeared to be efficient, as the individual members are

dependent on the network and unlikely to risk losing trust in order to achieve a

short-term economic gain."109

Thanks to the tight online network of the tribe, a

seller who does not follow the accepted grading standards soon has a bad

reputation among their potential customers. As the tribe members quickly exchange

their record buying experiences through the internet, most of them will know in a

short time which sellers to avoid. Thus, grading records in a manner acceptable to

all tribe members is an important value within the vinyl-tribe that requires a high

degree of trust.

This example also shows the great influence the internet has on the vinyl-scene.

Globally dispersed communication and social-networking-effects have significantly

altered the situation compared to pre-digital times.

The vinyl tribe's culture of communication and information, affected by the technical

innovations of the internet, is a crucial factor for the vinyl market. In "analogue

times," a fan or collector had to flip through record catalogues up to the size of a

telephone book to order a desired – and maybe rare – record in the likely case it

wasn't available in any of the record stores in town. Furthermore, the catalogues

themselves had to be acquired first. Orders were placed on the phone or by mail,

hence the information paths were relatively slow (a human being has to answer the

108

Mitchell et al. (2011), p. 52. 109

Broman et al. (2009), p. 31.


phone call, so ordering by phone is slow compared to the 24-7 availability of

internet orders). The distribution of information also was far less efficient in those

times. Potential record buyers could only rely on the radio and the (local) music

press to catch up on new releases and artists, thus their choices were naturally

limited to the records promoted in their area – unless they had the connections, the

means and the nerve to order magazines and catalogues from overseas and wait

several weeks for them. As a result, it was quite likely that "an artist who did not

enjoy media coverage or whose releases did not have wide distribution would

practically be non-existent for the listeners."110

Nowadays, these information paths only take milliseconds – initiated for instance by

clicking on a "buy"-button in an online store or on an auction site, or by sending an

email to a record dealer via their website. The geographic barriers have also been

defied; the most obscure releases from faraway countries are known to an ever

larger audience. As a result, the range of obscure records is diminishing. The

special knowledge about those records, formerly known to experts only, is now

collected in databases, forums, blogs and other types of websites, and thus is

readily available to virtually everyone interested.

Concerning the forums frequented by the tribe members, four recurring reasons for

utilizing them were identified by Broman and Söderlindh, namely "interaction,

information, inspiration, and transaction."111

"Interaction" represents the social

interaction between the members, "inspiration" is associated with musical

preferences, i.e. the mere content of a record, "information" comprises facts about

records, artists, producers, labels, etc., and "transaction" means selling and trading

records from private collections.

All of Broman's and Söderlindh's interviewees confirmed

"that the Internet has changed the way they buy, compare, and find information about vinyl records. It has brought the group closer together, and facilitated the exchange of both records and information. … The dynamics of the network facilitates the information-seeking process, and appears to allow for all network members to benefit from the interaction."

112

Thus, the internet has become an important instrument for the social and

commercial processes within the vinyl tribe, connecting collectors and enthusiasts.

110

Patokos (2008), p. 235 et seq. 111

Broman et al. (2009), p. 19. 112

Broman et al. (2009), p. 26 et seq.


3.4 The Online Collectors' Market

The collectors' scene experienced some significant changes in recent years. The

general vinyl hype that is now occurring contributes to its growth. More often, young

people are attracted to this hobby. And like the number of vinyl collectors, vinyl

prices are constantly rising. During the late 1980s and 90s, new and used vinyl

records became cheaper. Having switched to CDs, a lot of people saw vinyl as

outmoded. In contrast, the last few years have shown a price explosion for vintage

records exceeding all expectations.

Long before this, there already had been lists and books with price estimations of

rare records. Notable works are the "1001 Record Collector Dreams" series by

collector-icon Hans Pokora (started in the year 2000; the last issue being "6001

Record Collector Dreams" from 2010)113

, and "Scented Gardens of the Mind"

(2000) by Dag Erik Asbjornsen, which also retails for high prices itself by now.

Some of these books are not very accurate anymore though, as the market has

changed dramatically since their release. Especially, beat and psychedelic records

from the 1960s and 70s, as well LPs with progressive rock and "kraut-rock" (a

special form of progressive rock that originated in Germany), sell for record prices

these days.

Serving as an example for these developments, the first press of the debut album

of the British group Caravan, that was estimated at 200 to 350 DM (ca. £72 to £126

/ $116 to $203) by Pokora in the year 2000114

, and had soared up to £942 (ca.

$1,405) by 2009115

.

In addition to all the rediscovered rarities, there are highly sought-after first issues

by well-known groups like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, or Pink Floyd, which had

always been relatively expensive, but are now sold for four- to five-figure amounts.

Thus, rare vinyl records that used to be a collector's gem with mainly sentimental

value are now more often becoming a capital investment.

During the last decade, the expansion of the internet has contributed to the

increase of record prices more than any other factor. In the early days of vinyl

collecting, price lists were only available through printed guides, which were

updated far less often. Nowadays, this happens automatically and in real time.

113

cf. Breznikar (2012). 114

cf. Pokora (2000), p. 63. 115

cf. Popsike.com (2012).


The demand for collectible vinyl records is increasing all around the world; and

through the internet, collectors and dealers have access to a global market for

records that has no impediments in the form of geographic barriers, time zones or

currency exchange issues. The aggregation of the global demand and spending

power into a single, highly dynamic market almost naturally leads to higher prices;

especially as a result of hypes or fads relating to certain genres or record labels.

The communicative character of the so-called "Web 2.0" plays a key role in the

dispersal and enhancement of these hypes; be it through emails, chats, forums, or

– as is the current trend – through social networks such as Facebook or Twitter.

The internet has completely changed, if not revolutionized the experience of "crate

digging", "an old school hip-hop term for musicians who spend hours flipping

through boxes of faded and dog-eared sleeves, looking for the elusive cut that will

become the centrepiece of their collection."116

Nowadays, many people prefer ordering items from services like Amazon to going

to an actual shop themselves. It saves them time and money through the

opportunity to compare prices from a vast number of suppliers, and not having to

leave the house. Also, they can buy goods from virtually any place in the world, and

are hardly limited in their choices compared to pre-internet times. For the same

reasons, the mail-order section of vinyl sales has expanded dramatically. A lot of

these sales take place on eBay, which as the undisputed monopolist of online

auction and resale sites, is highly attractive to sellers. It offers the exact conditions

described above. Alongside eBay, several sales platforms specialized in vinyl

records and related products have established themselves; most notably

musicstack.com, cdandlp.com, eil.com, gemm.com and discogs.com.

The latter also serves as an informational database, with detailed information on

vinyl- and CD-releases of virtually every imaginable artist. On discogs, as well as

on the comparably popular record database-website rateyourmusic.com, registered

users can add the record data sets to lists that represent their actual collection, or

records they are still looking for; or, add information about records from their

collection that are still missing in the database. Especially, professional collectors

benefit a lot from these databases, as they provide information on the differences

between certain releases of a record that can be crucial in buying decisions and be

of help on the hunt for collectibles.

116

Soteriou (2013).


With contributions by thousands of users from all over the world, no printed record

catalogue can keep up with enormous mass of data. At the time of writing, 3.5

million records were listed on discogs alone117

– including high resolution pictures

of labels and covers that further help to distinguish different pressings of a record.

As of December 2011, rateyourmusic had 2.3 million records listed in their

database118

(according to the most up-to-date figures at the time of writing). There

are several other music databases of different size, specialization and popularity;

but discogs and rateyourmusic represent some of the most favoured sites of this

kind among vinyl enthusiasts.

These databases, however, only provide metadata about the vinyl releases

themselves, and do not inform the users on the current market value of their

records, or the records they wish to acquire. Filling this gap, different websites have

been established that crawl completed auctions on vinyl records – and vinyl records

only – on the internet and archive the information found about auction date, end

price, number of bids, etc. Statistics are compiled from this archived data, showing

top and median prices, etc., while it is also possible to trace back single auctions

from years ago that have long been deleted on the original auction site. That way,

sites like popsike.com or collectorsfrenzy.com make it possible to find out in

seconds how much a record from the old collection from the attic is worth, or what

amount has to be expected for a planned acquisition.

In earlier periods, only (local) record shops, flea markets and second hand shops

could be consulted. A collector could not always be certain whether they paid too

much for a rare record, or perhaps even made a bargain.

Resources like popsike encourage further growth of the collectors' scene by

facilitating research. Because these sites document the development of a record's

value over time (which in many cases is increasing), buyers are rather willing to pay

high amounts for desired records – either because they think the prices are

justifiable (compared to the mean prices they can see there), or because they feel

they have to hurry before the prices continue to rise. Thus, popsike and other

auction archive sites also stimulate an increase of the financial volume of the

market, and not only the number of collectors.

117

cf. Discogs (2012). 118

cf. rateyourmusic.com (2011).


These conditions lead to a higher motivation for counterfeiters to sell cheap fakes

of rare records at top prices to unsuspecting collectors. These counterfeit pressings

are often made to look like the original in such a meticulous way, that a non-

professional record collector hardly has a chance to identify them. Ultimately, it is

mostly the "look and feel" of a record that distinguishes a genuine pressing; for

instance the thickness of the vinyl or of the cardboard the cover is made of, and the

way it is printed and glued together – features that are hard to ascertain when

buying something over the internet.

Because of that, profiteers can earn a lot from flooding the market with lookalike-

pressings of sought after records. If the publishing rights for the music on the

record are paid for before releasing these pressings, this practice is not even illegal

(a clear distinction has to be made here between records purposely made to be

mistaken for vintage ones, and exact "repro"-issues that can be definitely

associated with legitimate re-issue labels).

The wealth of information on the internet, maintained by the vinyl tribe, can be of

great help in this dilemma; as well as the personal exchange of specialist

knowledge within the vinyl network.

3.5 Distribution Channels and Marketing for Vinyl Records on the

Internet

As the results of Broman's and Söderlindh's study suggest, "the activity within the

online vinyl record network does contribute to the overall growth of the [vinyl]

market."119

According to these results, the internet "has made the pricing process

more efficient"120

and "has also evened out price differences between markets."121

Price fluctuations affect the whole global market at once, which is primarily a

disadvantage for local retailers. When a customer enters their store, they are

already well aware of the market price of the record they want to buy, or they

simply look it up on a mobile device whilst inside the store.

It is rarely the case that a retailer, who runs a local store as well as an online store,

puts the same amount of time and resources into both. Often, one of these

distribution channels is the primary one and the other complementary, owing to the

need to be present on both sides of the market. Lack of overall resources may 119

Broman et al. (2009), p. 35. 120

Broman et al. (2009), p. 19. 121

Broman et al. (2009), p. 34.


contribute to such an arrangement, but there could also be marketing-oriented or

ideological ideas at play. For instance, on one side there are analogue-purists or

pre-internet "veterans" who do not want to or do not know how to get involved with

online sales, and on the other side there are modern entrepreneurs who consider

local business as unprofitable and maybe even anachronistic. Most of the vinyl

retailers, however, are adapting to the general movement in the market towards

online business, "as they expect a larger portion of sales to stem from online sales

in the future."122

The vinyl tribe, though, is a challenging target group. Not only are the preferences

of its members very specific and individual (for instance, a strong relation to certain

genres or artists that are not part of the mainstream), they also have precise

information about the products of their interest and notice instantly if a store's

selection meets their expectations.

This leaves two primary options for retailers: they have to "choose between

appealing to a broad range of customers, and carry the most popular records within

a number of genres, or put emphasis on certain customer groups, offering a deep

assortment of records within the genre."123

The tendency towards buying either new or vintage records is also quite genre-

specific, although these attitudes are not necessarily mutually exclusive. While

there are of course no vintage copies of new releases with a vintage collector's

value, original recordings from past decades are re-released frequently, for

instance as a remastered edition or furnished with extras for the dedicated fan.

Advocates of vintage pressings are generally more likely to be found among Rock-

Folk- and Jazz-listeners, while in modern electronic music, or DJ-related genres in

general, new releases are more important. Re-releases of old or already well-

known recordings are often aimed at audiophiles (often in the form of 180 gram

pressings), loyal fans of certain artists, or collectors of gimmick extras and special

editions. These potential customers want to experience their favourite songs in

optimized high-definition analogue sound quality (sometimes these issues are

advertised as "HQ vinyl"), keep up their collection of their favourite band, or are

interested in extras like (previously unreleased) bonus tracks, insert or booklets

with lyrics or information on the artist, posters, etc. Sometimes such issues are

122

Broman et al. (2009), p. 33. 123

Broman et al. (2009), p. 32.


limited to a certain number, which is supposed to increase the desirability, or

"prestige" of the product. As with rare vintage records, customers are willing to pay

more for an item that appears to be scarce.

More and more of these special editions are already scoring high prices in auctions

shortly after being released. For example, the 12" EP "A Poetry of Love" by Sky

Saxon and The Vibravoid, which was released in December 2010 – more than a

year after Saxon passed away in 2009 – and limited to 200 pieces, was sold for up

to 199€ (ca. £174 / $260) on eBay in the year following its release124

. As of March

2013, a sealed copy is offered on eBay for $350 (ca. £232)125

.

Not only do the activities of the vinyl record network help retailers sell new records,

in some cases even the artists themselves benefit. On one level, music piracy may

appear as the biggest threat the internet has ever posed to music sales, with the

increased supply of information having negative effects. For example, "artists

already over-exposed by the 'traditional' media may have experienced a decrease

in demand for their products, once a multitude of other artists became known to the

listeners"126

through the internet. The competition and its presence grew fast with

the internet, so that established artists began to lose their appeal for some of the

listeners.

Those artists, however, who were savvy enough to use the internet for marketing

themselves efficiently, are the beneficiaries of these developments. The large

amount of information aggregated by the vinyl tribe helps to get listeners interested

in new artists, or discovering the yet rather unknown ones, and lead them directly to

the artists' homepage where they can listen to samples or order records. Thus, the

increase of available information might also have increased the demand for music

recordings in general127

.

Another idea to consider is the feeling of being close to the artist. For instance, if an

artist or group created the website themselves the music fan is visiting, this might

increase the qualms or inhibition threshold to download the artist's music illegally.

In many cases, such websites offer free listening samples to facilitate the decision

to buy or not to buy a record. The lack of such samples, however, might drive the

listeners towards illegal downloads again, because they "clearly have the right to

124


cf. eBay (2013). 126

Patokos (2008), p. 241. 127

cf. Patokos (2008), p. 240 et seq.


know what they are buying, and the Internet is an ideal tool for removing imperfect

information – way better than, for example, the odd listening-post in large record

stores."128

3.6 Current Sales Trends for New Vinyl Records

Not only the trade of vintage records is growing, but also sales of new vinyl issues.

Back in 2005, the prevailing view on vinyl record sales was that they had kept

declining for years130

. At that time, about 1 million LPs were sold in Germany each

year131

. By 2011, vinyl still had only about 1 percent share in the market of physical

recordings there, but according to the market research organization Media Control,

vinyl sales had risen by 18.5 percent between 2010 and 2011132

.

128

Patokos (2008), p. 246. 129

Source: nielsenwire (2011). 130

cf. Ox-Fanzine (2006), p. 8. 131

cf. Ox-Fanzine (2006), p. 11. 132

cf. Overkott (2012).

Figure 10: Vinyl album sales in the USA in million units, 1993-2011129


Examining vinyl sales in an international scope reveals an even more remarkable

growth. The information system "Nielsen SoundScan", which had been started by

the market research organization The Nielsen Company in 1991, records the sales

figures of music products in the USA and Canada. Figure 10 shows the annual

sales volumes of vinyl albums measured between 1993 and 2010, as well as an

estimation for 2011, based on the first quarter. Mostly due to the increasing

popularity of the CD, the early 1990s showed a plunge in vinyl sales. In spite of the

then even faster advancing technology, the sales volume began to recover until the

turn of the millennium. After declining to its lowest point in a decade in 2006, 2008

and each of the following years showed a massive increase in vinyl record sales,

setting a new record (within the entire recorded period) each year since.

According to The Nielsen Company & Billboard's 2011 Music Industry Report, the

year 2011 ended with an increase in vinyl sales by 36 percent, and overall, vinyl

accounted for 1.2 percent of all music album sales of that year. This percentage is

modest, but the data clearly suggest that the years 2008 to 2011 have seen a new

form of vinyl hype among music consumers.

In 2011, 67 percent of all vinyl albums sold changed hands in independently

operating music stores, so-called "indie" music stores133

. Indie stores "continue to

have a stronghold on vinyl sales,"134

enjoying a growing popularity since the

introduction of the annual worldwide "Record Store Day" in 2008.

Parallel to rising vinyl sales, the period between 2010 and 2011 revealed a decline

of 5.7 percent in total CD albums sold. At the same time, digital music products

outsold physical music recordings for the first time, amounting to 50.3 percent of all

music products sold. Thus, while vinyl sales are rising in a niche of the market, the

overall market for physical sound carriers is slowly diminishing (-11.5 percent from

2010 to 2011)135

.

In the first half of 2012, the Nielsen SoundScan recorded an increase in sales of

digital albums and vinyl albums of both 14 percent136

. While most of the sales

trends of 2011 seemed to continue, online music retail gained influence. As David

Bakula of Nielsen's SVP Client Development says:

133

cf. nielsenwire (2012). 134

nielsenwire (2012). 135

cf. BusinessWire (2012). 136

cf. Scoop Marketing (2012).


"Sales trended well in the first half of the year ... While retail sales continue to face challenges related to broader market trends, digital sales gains are expected to achieve another record-breaking year. The strength in other monetized digital formats, including music streaming services, is equally encouraging."137

In 2011, online sales of physical music media, including vinyl, had grown by 17.7

percent138

.

The respective figures for the United Kingdom are even more striking: While the

sales of vinyl singles dropped by half from 2008 to 2012, the sales volume of vinyl

albums rose by more than 500 (!) percent (see table 2).

"The reason the growth is notable is that, first of all, a lot of people had written off vinyl for dead and, secondly, it compares very favourably with the declines suffered by CD. … There is every indication that this trend will continue into the future, both through reissues of classic albums and newer acts embracing the format" – Kim Bayley, director general of the UK-based Entertainment Retailers

Association (ERA).139

Table 2: Vinyl record sales in the UK in GBP140

Year Vinyl Albums Vinyl Singles

2008 £ 1.1 million £ 2.2 million





There are no reliable or exhaustive figures for sales of used vinyl records, but, just

to convey an impression, "The Music and Video Exchange in London, one of the

country's longest-running second-hand stores, estimates that they sell about one

million pieces of vinyl a year."141

The market for vinyl records has a deep divide between first and second hand

sales. This is mostly due to the comparatively high prices of new vinyl records,

137

Scoop Marketing (2012). 138

cf. BusinessWire (2012). 139

Soteriou (2013). 140

Based on Soteriou (2013). 141

Soteriou (2013).


which can amount to up to more than three times the price of the respective CD142

.

Since the time DJ Jazzy Jeff was able to buy three 7" records for 99 cents in his

youth, record prices have varied considerably. Regarding to the current

developments he says:

"the irony of the recent influx of major label reissues on vinyl is that they are so expensive they alienate those who would really be able to appreciate them in the first place. … I mean, it's $30-$40 for an LP reissue in the stores now. The working-class, struggling-through-life guy that the music speaks to has no chance of buying it."143

The situation has changed dramatically for crate diggers and collectors with a lower

income. They are "music enthusiasts, first and foremost, seeking out rarities and

limited editions. First-hand vinyl is now the preserve of well-to-do audiophiles, and it

is they who are pushing the value of the market up."144

3.7 Summary

This chapter has explored the state of vinyl records today, their use, and their

position in the market for music products.

As for the question of what made the vinyl record survive as a product long after

more advanced technologies have been introduced, one of the prime aspects is

their sound quality, which is often perceived as more authentic than that of digital

music. The sound quality, together with the tangibility and "visibleness" of a vinyl

record that set it apart from digital audio files and constitute a higher emotional

value for the consumer, were identified as the key factors for the additional value

that vinyl records have compared to other media.

A secondary factor is the versatility of vinyl records, exemplified by the use of vinyl

records and turntables as a new form of musical instrument in the DJ-scene.

Furthermore, using the theoretical model of the so-called "circuit of practices", the

psychological and behavioural processes entailing the re-adoption of vinyl records

by the consumers were illustrated in this chapter.

A special light was shed on the groups of vinyl consumers and enthusiasts who are

active on the internet. This special community was identified as a so-called "e-

tribe", a group of geographically dispersed individuals sharing the explicit

142

cf. Soteriou (2013). 143

Soteriou (2013). 144

Soteriou (2013).


appreciation of a certain product, who connect and socialize using mostly online

communication media. This "tribe" is constantly contributing to a huge accumulation

of data about vinyl records and related information on the internet, which is

essential especially for the collectors' market. In this community, information has a

high value, most likely the highest value after vinyl records themselves.

Rising prices in the market for rare and vintage records could be associated with

technical, communicational and business advances introduced by the internet and

eventually enhanced by the transition of this medium into the so-called "Web 2.0".

The sales and auction website "eBay" could be identified as the leading platform for

the sales of used records, while websites like popsike.com or collectorsfrenzy.com

were found to facilitate the formation of prices for sought-after records by providing

extensive data on past online auctions.

Moreover, it was examined that in spite of a considerable increase in sales volume,

vinyl records still only represent a niche in the global market for music related

products. This market, however, was found to exhibit a shift from retail to online

sales (e-commerce), which is expected to continue in the future according to

market researchers and respective retail organizations.

49

4 Researching the Current Status of Vinyl Records

4.1 Selection and Evaluation of Suitable Sources of Information

In order to gather additional information relevant to current marketing and sales of

vinyl records, it was necessary to survey experts on the subject. As it appeared

near impossible to fully obtain sales data from large record companies or labels

beyond the freely available Nielsen Sound Scan figures, it was decided to contact

record dealers instead. On the basis of the findings accumulated thus far in this

paper, eBay appeared to be the most suitable platform to recruit respondents for

this purpose. Not only was there an abundance of potential informants, but also a

standardized communication system in the form of eBay messages.

As for the collection of personal impressions and opinions on the topic in question,

interviews with those connected to the record or music business seemed

appropriate. Personal contacts of the author were used for this purpose.

In addition, a separately conducted software-based research was arranged. The

types of documents examined for this research were not to be limited to a specific

format – for instance scientific articles or product reviews – but rather to comprise a

broad variety of source types, in order to collect a sufficient amount of material to

analyze.

To conduct this research, parts of the SAS Text Analytics Framework by SAS

Institute Inc. were used. These software tools and research methods are explained

in more detail in the following section.

4.2 Research Methods

4.2.1 Research with SAS Text Analytics

The product group SAS Text Analytics offers several modules which allow users to

extract targeted information from unstructured bulks of documents, and scan these

results for certain predefined sentiments (in this case "positive" and "negative"), in

order to capture tendencies of opinions that the examined texts convey. This

4. Researching the Current Status of Vinyl Records 50

feature is normally used in market research to determine how a certain product and

its features are perceived by the public or by a certain target group.

In the following, the creation of a systematic model to measure sentiments in text

samples with the SAS Sentiment Analysis Studio will be illustrated.

4.2.1.1 The Sentiment Analysis Studio

First off, definitions of what words and phrases express a positive or negative

sentiment needed to be made. For each of the two examined sentiments, a list was

created with several hundred phrases (mostly adjectives) from the English

language that match the particular sentiment. The software framework is capable of

running analysis queries in more than one language at a time, but in that case, new

lists and sentiment models have to be defined for each language. Because of the

limited time frame for this research, and because the vast majority of texts on the

internet are in English, models were built in this language only.

The definitions in the aforementioned lists are of the type "classifier", as each of

them consist of a fixed character sequence, a so-called string literal. As shown in

figure 11, an individual weight can be attributed to each classifier. That way, it can

be arranged, for example, that the word "best" has a greater influence on the

average sentiment calculated for a document than the word "good", given that both

occur in a similar frequency.

In order to be able to treat each of these collections of classifiers as a single entity

in the formulas to be created later on, two so-called "intermediate entities" were

created that pointed to a respective list, namely "PositivePhrases" and

"NegativePhrases". In addition, a third intermediate entity named "Negations" was

created which contained words like "no", "not", etc. This third entity in combination

with each of the other intermediate entities would be used to classify negations of

positive phrases resulting in a negative sentiment and vice versa. Further

intermediate entities created in this model were used to define unwanted phrases,

allowing for example to exclude "vinyl flooring" while still matching "vinyl" as a

single word.


Figure 11: Positive and negative keywords in the Sentiment Analysis Studio

In the next step, a taxonomy for the product to be researched was created with the

caption "VinylRecord" (see figure 12, left side). This taxonomy contains four sub-

categories representing different features of the product (in this case the speed or

format of a vinyl record; the pseudo feature "Sales" was added to capture

information on the current sales of vinyl records in combination with the self-

explanatory intermediate entities "Increase", "Decrease" and "Percentage"). Each

of the possible feature characteristics represents a "leaf" of the taxonomy tree while

the sub-categories represent the tree's branches. Every leaf, as well as the tree's

root, consists of a list of classifiers that defines the characteristic value to be

examined, and a set of rules for every sentiment used in the model (see the tabs

shown in figure 12).


Figure 12: Definition of a positive context using boolean rules

In order to keep the definitions of the leaves flexible and retrieve partial and

approximate matches as well, so-called regular expressions were used in addition

to the string literal classifiers. That way, the same expression that matches "vinyl-

record" also matches "vinyl records" (a complete list of regular expressions used in

this model can be found in appendix A).

For every leaf so-called "predicate rules" were defined to match the characteristic

value represented by the leaf to positive and negative sentiments respectively (by

default the framework also supports the search for neutral sentiments, which was

omitted in this case due to lack of relevance). In the example shown in figure 12, a

document will be matched that contains the definition for "VinylRecord" as well as

the definition for the feature characteristic "OriginalRelease" (the leaf's name is

preceded by the name of the tree's root and every branch in between to allow the

use of the same leaf name in different branches).

Following the rule shown in figure 12, sentences are returned in which a definition

of the feature occurs not more than ten words apart from a positive phrase, given

that there is no word in between which is defined as a negation. The other rule for

positive sentiments will return sentences that contain a definition of the feature

followed by a negative phrase in a distance of ten words maximum, but with a

negation in between. Thus, in this example sentences in which original releases of

vinyl records are mentioned in a positive context will be matched. The same set of


rules was defined for negative sentiments respectively, and this was conducted for

every leaf of the taxonomy tree.

After completing this step, the model was tested against a number of manually

collected sample documents and improved and refined until an acceptable degree

of accuracy could be achieved (see an example in figure 13). Subsequently, the

rule-based model was exported and ready to be used in the Sentiment Analysis

Workbench, which is illustrated in 4.2.1.4.

Figure 13: Phrase matches in a test document in the Sentiment Analysis Studio

4.2.1.2 The Content Categorization Studio

Afterwards, the SAS Information Retrieval Studio (see 4.2.1.3) was used to

automatically gather and pre-categorize the documents which would then be run

against the rule-based model described above. To do so, the Information Retrieval

Studio needs a separate rule-based model containing categories to test the

documents against. This model had to be created with the SAS Content

Categorization Studio.


As a first step, a new project was created in the Studio, containing a tree structure

holding so-called concepts, and another one holding category definitions. The

concept tree is an exact copy of the taxonomy tree created in the Sentiment

Analysis Studio (see 4.2.1.1) and contains the same regular expressions (see

figure 14). These concepts were then used in the formulas defining the leaves of

the category tree, combined with boolean operators (e.g. AND and OR). The

operator NOT was used to exclude a set of unwanted phrases (vinyl flooring, vinyl

decals for cars, etc.) listed in the category "toIgnore".

Figure 14: A concept definition in the SAS Content Categorization Studio using regular expressions

When both the concept tree and the category tree had been set up, the category

model was tested against a set of training documents. For every document and

every category this test has two possible outcomes, "PASS" or "FAIL", meaning

that the document either is or is not part of said category. The PASS and FAIL

results represent an indicator for the quality of the rules set up for categorizing the

documents. A "well performing rule will match all of the relevant test documents

(recall) while not matching irrelevant documents (precision)."145

Through repeated

145

Tremblay, SAS® Enterprise Content Categorization: An Introduction (2010), p. 6.


testing and amendments, recall and precision of the rules created for this project

were improved until they were sufficient for the requirements of this research.

After a build of this model was performed, the project files containing the readily

compiled concepts and categories were imported into the SAS Information

Retrieval Studio.

4.2.1.3 The Information Retrieval Studio

The SAS Information Retrieval Studio offers three different interfaces for importing

documents: a web crawler, a feed crawler, and a file crawler. The web crawler

needs to be provided with one or several URLs to be used as entry points, from

which it follows every available link and copies the website behind it into a text file

in a recursive manner. The feed crawler works similarly, the only difference being

the input URLs limited to RSS feeds. The file crawler simply works itself through

directories and documents on a specified local harddrive.

In order to provide the web crawler with a selection of links as broad and up to date

as possible, the first twenty pages of Google results for the keyword "vinyl", limited

to the past month, were used as entry URLs. The feed crawler was configured to

use an RSS feed containing the search results of Google News for the same query

and the same period of time as its entry point.

The file crawler was used to scan documents that had been collected by other

software tools. To acknowledge the importance of social media in the formation of

opinion today, Twitter messages, so-called "tweets", were harvested and provided

to the file crawler. Although the influence of the social network and market leader

Facebook might be even greater than that of the micro blogging service Twitter, the

latter was more suitable as it does not consist of so much multimedia content, and

is accessible in a more convenient way, through readily available APIs. As the

tweets are stored on Twitter itself for a limited amount of time only, several services

have been established to archive those tweets. One of these services is topsy.com,

which was used in this project. Topsy's archive of tweets goes back to 1st January

2009 and can be accessed via a RESTful HTTP web service, the so-called "Otter-

API". The Otter-API returns the tweets matching the criteria specified in the query

in the so-called JavaScript Object Notation, JSON, which is a quite popular format

for storing object related information in plain text, just like XML for instance.


A small tool written in C# was used, with the friendly permission of a fellow student

who created it, to perform those API calls in a batch, collecting the first thousand

tweets of every day between 1st January 2009 and 1

st January 2013 that contained

the keyword "vinyl". The Otter-API can return a hundred tweets maximum per call,

and ten calls were performed for every day in said period in order to keep the file

size of the result in a controllable scope. The custom software tool parsed the

JSON string it received from every API call, extracted the individual tweets, and

stored them in separate .txt files in a predefined local directory. This directory was

then set as the entry point for the file crawler of the Information Retrieval Studio.

The three crawlers can run one at a time or parallel to one another. The documents

they find are sent to a proxy server, in this case the local host. The proxy server

hands over the documents to the so-called pipeline server, which processes them

and sends them to the indexing server. This process is pictured in figure 15.

The following document processors were defined on the pipeline server for this

project:

parse_html

content_categorization

export_to_files

parse_html removes all HTML tags from the document and turns it into plain text.

content_categorization tests all documents for the concepts and categories that

were imported from the Content Categorization Studio earlier (see 4.2.1.2), and

export_to_files saves the processed documents as either .xml or .txt files. In this

case XML was chosen in order to preserve the meta data detected by the server

process.

146

Source: SAS Institute Inc. (2011), p. 178.

Figure 15: The SAS Web Crawler and its export- and indexing-processes146


4.2.1.4 The Sentiment Analysis Workbench

The Sentiment Analysis Studio project that was discussed in 4.2.1.1 contains a file

with the extension .sam which holds the rule-based model for detecting sentiments

in documents. This file had been imported into a newly created project in the SAS

Sentiment Analysis Workbench, as well as the categories (.mco file) and concepts

(.concepts file) from the Content Categorization Studio project discussed in 4.2.1.2.

The Sentiment Analysis Workbench uses the models stored in these three files to

scan the documents, categorized and processed by the Information Retrieval

Studio, for the predefined sentiments. The workbench accepts .zip archives only,

so the documents need to be packed before uploading them to the workbench.

There they are stored as a so-called corpus in the project. Several corpora can be

defined for a project, and the workbench treats them like directories containing the

uploaded documents in a flat structure. Therefore, the .zip files must not contain

any subfolders. Furthermore, the workbench does not support the more up to date

ZIP64 format, which means that only archives containing not more than 65,535 files

can be uploaded. To accommodate to this condition, the collected documents were

split up and packed into archives containing about 65,000 documents each. These

archives were then uploaded to the workbench, each of them representing a new

corpus.

147

Source: SAS Institute Inc. (2010), p. 8.

Figure 16: Input sources of the Sentiment Analysis Workbench147


Figure 17 shows the result of scanning a single document with the now fully

configured workbench, using the example of a test document. The entirety of

imported documents was then processed in the same way as this test document,

and an automatic report was created from the results of this analysis, which will be

discussed on 4.3.1.

4.2.2 Research With a Survey Among Online Vinyl Record Sellers

For this survey, thirteen questions were compiled in English and translated into

German (see appendix B). A form was created with Google Spreadsheets for each

of these languages, and these forms were used to conduct the survey.

Prior to this, a list with eBay sellers had been compiled manually, restricted to

sellers mainly offering new or used vinyl records and only few CDs if at all, and

having received enough feedback from customers to allow for the assumption of

them having experience in this field. A covering letter was composed asking to

participate in the survey and sent to the members on the list together with a link to

the form on Google Spreadsheets. As the eBay messaging system was used to

send these notifications, this task was completed over the course of several weeks,

Figure 17: Sentiment analysis of a test document in the Sentiment Analysis Workbench


because said system only allows up to five messages a day that are not referring to

an actual eBay auction or item.

4.2.3 Research With an Expert Survey

The questions for this survey were composed in English as well as in German, as

native speakers of both languages were among the respondents chosen for this

more personal survey (the questions can be found in appendix C). The

respondents were contacted via email and in some cases via Facebook and asked

whether they would like to participate in this project. In the course of this

communication, some new contacts to further respondents could be established as

well.

The questions composed for these interviews were formulated rather openly and

the respondents had no obligations in how to respond to these questions. The aim

of this more personal survey was to obtain individual points of view, and perhaps

some unique comments, rather than thoroughly comparable replies.

4.3 Evaluation of the Results

4.3.1 Sentiment Analysis Results

The three crawler applications of the SAS Information Retrieval Studio were started

on 23rd

February 2013 and stopped on 26th February. By this time they had

collected 821,295 documents from the internet, 815,676 of which were Twitter

messages gathered with the custom method described in 4.2.1.3.

These documents were then uploaded to the SAS Sentiment Analysis Workbench,

and the reports created by it provided the following results:

From the total amount of documents that contained keywords or phrases compiled

in the taxonomy created in 4.2.1.1 (i.e. the documents that are left after eliminating

those that deal with contexts of "vinyl" other than records – flooring, decals, etc. –

and those that contain the word "vinyl" but no utilizable sentences about it), 71,332

documents could be classified as containing purely positive sentiments, 6,419 as

containing purely negative sentiments, 443 as containing neutral sentiments

(although no definition of neutral sentiments had been made – it remains unclear


why the workbench provides results for this type of sentiment), and 219,550

documents could not be classified at all.

Figure 18: Sentiment-distribution for the product "VinylRecord"

Figure 19: Sentiment-distribution for the feature "Sales"

The definition of "VinylRecord" from the taxonomy appeared at least once in 28,951

of the documents classified as positive and in 2,831 of the documents classified as

negative (see figure 18). Definitions of the entity "Sales" were found in 117 of the

documents classified as positive and in 49 of the documents classified as negative

(see figure 19).


In total, there were 33,593 matches for sentences mentioning vinyl records in a

positive context and 3,196 matches for sentences putting those records in a less

favourable light (see table 3, first row).

For the pseudo feature "Sales", the rules defining the entities positive context –

deviating from all other taxonomy leaves and branches – referred to the

intermediate entity "Increase" instead of "PositivePhrases", and likewise the rules

defining the negative context referred to "Decrease" instead of "NegativePhrases".

This was done in order narrow down the results to sentences that actually contain

useful information on the development of vinyl record sales. In the report delivered

by the workbench, 563 snippets and sentences were detected in which an increase

in vinyl sales was mentioned, and 37 bits of text dealing with declining vinyl sales

(see table 3, last row). Of course this is not a true representation of the actual

market for vinyl records, as for instance there is no information on the point of time

at which these texts were written and what period of time they are about, but it

provides a rough idea on how the situation presents itself.

Table 3: Summary of the survey results (ratios rounded)

Feature Positive Matches Negative Matches Ratio

VinylRecord 33,593 3,196 10.5:1

OriginalRelease 8 2 4:1

ReRelease 909 136 6.7:1

Compilation 53 1 53:1

BestOf 23 0 -

Sampler 4 2 2:1

Album 302 29 10.4:1

7Inch 53 24 2.2:1

10Inch 4 0 -

12Inch 29 18 1.6:1

33Rpm 0 0 -

45Rpm 33 6 5.5:1

78Rpm 7 1 7:1


LP 991 244 4.1:1

Single 151 19 7.9:1

EP 497 67 7.4:1

Sales 563 37 15.2:1

The most significant problem which arose with the detection of negative sentiments

in this context was that many of the negative phrases found actually occurred within

the titles of songs or albums, or even the names of bands (e.g. "dead" or

"horrible"). This lead to partially misleading analysis results, as mentions of

particular releases on vinyl containing these keywords but no statement on vinyl

records in general would appear among the matches containing a true critical

approach to this format (interestingly, this effect was much greater than that of

mentions of groups or titles containing positive words like "great", etc., which in fact

was negligible). Thus, the numbers in the column containing the results for matches

of negative mentions in table 3 are to be noted with reservations. However, as

random samples of the matches suggested, these effects are not significant

enough to distort the general bias towards positive mentions that occurs in all

observed features. Rather, if it had been possible to exclude these false matches

the bias would probably be even greater.

The entity "Sales" was found in a positive context (meaning increasing sales) 15

times more often than in a negative context (meaning declining sales). This result

appears to be in line with the sales trends discussed in 3.6. However, since all this

information was gathered online, it could also point to the shift of vinyl record

business towards the internet, as discussed in 3.5. These results can also be

explained by the fact that retailers offering vinyl records on the internet will most

likely advertise this on the internet, especially in social networks like Facebook or

Twitter (not to mention their natural presence on Google), while retailers who are

not selling their records over the internet are much less likely to do so.

The numbers in which the individual record formats were mentioned produced

expected as well as surprising results. For example, it was to be expected that 78

rpm discs are not very popular on Twitter, etc. compared to the now common vinyl

formats, and indeed there were only four matches for "10 inch" (which of course is


a format occurring in vinyl records as well (rarely), but it is much more common

among 78 rpm shellac discs) and eight matches for "78 rpm" in total. "33 rpm", the

speed of standard LPs, was mentioned not a single time. This is probably due to

this speed being a long accepted standard for which there is no need to talk about

anymore, as well "LP" being a more common description of the format this speed is

mostly used for. Another expected result was that singles would be less talked

about than LPs – or albums in general – and the analysis by the workbench

supported this. It can be explained by the fact that 45 rpm singles were more

popular at a time when LPs were still rather expensive, and as the prices declined

most people began to buy or collect LPs only.

It was surprising, however, to see that the number of mentions of the format EP in

a positive context was still lower than that of LPs, but much higher than that of

singles. EPs were very popular in France and some other countries in the 1960s

and 70s, but were generally less important than LPs and singles. Obviously, this

seems to have changed. As some randomly selected tweets classified as positive

indicated, new releases on vinyl are increasingly released as EPs and in special

editions. An example is the EP "A Poetry of Love", mentioned in 3.5, which had

been released as a "limited deluxe edition" with only a very small number being

pressed. It came as a coloured 12" record in an over-sized and almost circular

shaped cover, which can be opened like a book and contains two circular shaped

extra pages with artworks and detailed information148

. The effort put into such

148

cf. eBay (2013).

Figure 20: Feature-distribution within the product "VinylRecords"


releases hardly compares to the way EPs were released in the heyday of vinyl, but

it seems to be exactly these kinds of luxury editions that make vinyl attractive again

to music listeners today. The crawling results appear to support this theory.

Figure 20 shows the distribution of matched feature definitions (the leaves of the

taxonomy tree from the Sentiment Analysis Studio) in the documents assigned to

the category "VinylRecords" (As defined in the Content Categorization Studio.

Features with fewer results have been omitted from the figure for better readability).

This figure illustrates the striking proportion of mentions of EPs in the analyzed

documents.

Re-releases seemed to be much more important to the vinyl crowd on the internet

than original releases, as the figure shows; at least there is no significant amount of

talk and news on the latter. As shown in table 3, mentions of vinyl re-releases in a

positive context outweigh those of original releases in a positive context more than

tenfold. Furthermore, the bias towards positive mentions is bigger in re-releases

than in original releases. A possible explanation for this is that re-releases are

usually brand new products and more advertised than used records. And as new

factory-sealed products, their condition is guaranteed to be perfect, which is what

the average consumer would prefer. In addition to that, there are several record

labels specializing in re-issues that are making most of their profit with this type of

release. Some even claim to depend solely on this product division (also due to

vinyl selling for higher prices per unit than digital formats) and keep selling CDs as

a secondary business only.

In conclusion, the research conducted with the SAS software tools yielded no

results that contradict the existence of an ongoing vinyl hype. The results seemed

to strongly support this hypothesis, as not only a great number of matches for the

descriptions of the examined vinyl products was found, but among those a large

proportion of matches in a positive context.

Regarding the question of how the vinyl record relates to the internet as a modern

medium of mass communication, it can be said that the vinyl record is obviously

quite present on the internet and enjoys a certain popularity there; it has clearly

found its niche in the digital meta-world.


4.3.2 Survey Results From Online Vinyl Record Sellers

The invitations for the survey among online vinyl sellers were sent between 10th

October 2012 and 15th December 2012 to 130 eBay members in total. 24 of them

filled out and sent the survey form on Google Spreadsheets. Not every answer

given was useful in relation to the respective question, thus every percentage

mentioned in the following is not necessarily a percentage of the total 24

respondents, but of the number of respondents who gave an applicable answer to

the particular question, which means incomplete and off topic answers were

excluded. The total number a percentage is referring to will always be mentioned.

The respondents had started selling records 8.7 years ago on average. Out of the

18 respondents who made a statement about this, two were running a local record

shop in addition to their online businesses, and another two had closed their local

shops; in both cases this decision had not been related to the success of their

online business.

The majority of respondents were selling vinyl records as well as digital records.

One of them stated they were making the same profit with digital products as with

analogue products, the others were making more profit with analogue records.

45 percent (10 out of 22) of the respondents noted that they had been selling

significantly greater quantities of records over the internet than they did before

through other distribution channels, while 36 percent (8 out of 22) had only been

selling records online, and the remaining four respondents did not notice any

difference between online and offline business concerning the quantity of sales (18

percent).

62 percent (13 out of 21) of the respondents stated that they make more profit with

used records than with new ones, 33 percent (7 out of 21) were selling used

records only, and one respondent declared that profits from used and new records

were approximately equal. Another respondent wrote: "I mainly sell used records. I

looked into selling new records and there is very little margin for an independent

dealer like myself."149

Most of the respondents specified the lower price limit of their offered records as a

single-digit amount, while the upper price limit could rise up to several hundreds or

thousands of pounds. Only 5 out of 20 respondents specified an upper price limit

149

Anonymous contribution to the survey on 04.12.2012.


with less than three digits. The average price per record (calculated from a total of

21 respondents) amounted to ca. £15.22 (ca. $24.64).

58 percent (14 out of 24) of the respondents stated that their customers seldom

asked questions about the records offered, and 21 percent (5 out of 24) wrote

about receiving many enquiries by their customers, but not all of them appeared to

be reasonable: "When I do get questions they are usually something stupid or the

buyers are too lazy to read."150

8 out of 24 respondents mentioned that customers

are more and more used to looking up the information elsewhere before asking a

question, and 6 out of 24 agreed that if they receive enquiries from customers they

are usually about very specific details, like matrix numbers or the exact condition of

a record.

Concerning the question of how well vinyl albums are selling which had already

been released on CD, most of the respondents were unsure. 5 out of only 14 were

certain that vinyl issues are selling better than CD issues of the same album, and

only two out of those 14 respondents stated that it was the other way around.

However, four respondents mentioned that vinyl issues are certainly more

expensive than the respective CDs, which was usually seen as an advantage, for

instance: "Usually CDs sell more units, but the retail price for vinyl is higher &

usually more profitable,"151

while one of them saw the higher prices as prohibitive

for the buyers. Two of the respondents pointed out that currently the demand for

vinyl from the 1990s was rising, and those records are naturally rare as at that time

only very few were pressed. Another respondent stated that he "[doesn't] really

mess with cd's in the age of the torrent,"152

(note: BitTorrent is a file sharing

communications protocol) which suggests that vinyl records might be less

vulnerable to losing out to illegal music downloads than CDs.

4 out of 24 respondents (17 percent) were selling records through their own

website (alongside eBay), and 14 out of 24 (58 percent) were solely using third

party services to do so, while the remaining 6 respondents were using a hybrid

model or other channels of distribution. Three of the respondents who stated they

were running their own website said that the sales volume, the number of

customers or both had increased after a relaunch or modernization of the website.

150

Anonymous contribution to the survey on 17.10.2012. 151




For 58 percent (14 out of 24) of the respondents, eBay was the only third party

service used to sell vinyl records. discogs.com had been mentioned by 8 of the

respondents, musicstack.com by 3 of the respondents, and cdandlp.com,

gemm.com, and Amazon had each been mentioned by two respondents. One

respondent added that they were using their own "custom developed back-end

software that manages our inventory automatically across all platforms."153

Most of the respondents characterized eBay as the obvious monopolist of online

vinyl record sales, lamenting that "nothing will rival the establishment of ebay."154

As it is vital for their business to be present on this platform, eBay was often heavily

criticized by the respondents, mainly due to the high fees being charged to the

sellers. Another critical issue which at first seems less evident than the fees was

eBay's feedback system. The feedback system basically constitutes a seller's (and

also buyer's) reputation on the platform, and potential customers will most likely

check the feedback history of a seller before buying or bidding on an item. One of

the respondents took the time to explain in detail how the feedback system can be

misused to the detriment of sellers:

"The biggest marketplace opportunity is ebay, as it seems to attract the widest range of collectors from all over the world, however their feedback system is very easily manipulated by unscrupulous users. Ebay uses a 1-5 star rating system in addition to Positive, NEgative, and Neutral feedback. The star system actually determines your account standing, and affects both how your items are displayed in ebay's system, as well as potential discounts on your ebay fees. Customers can leave positive feedback, stating “everything great!” or something to that extent, but they can leave a 1 star rating at the same time, which is a backhanded, 'sneaky' way to damage a stores rating and cost them money while appearing to be satisfied with the transaction. Ebay is aware of the ease of manipulation, but has not done anything despite several years of complaints about the system. Vindictive customers or scam-artists consistently understand that once we ship them an item, they can claim it arrived with scratches, in worse condition than advertised, damaged, etc, and know that we have no choice but to offer a partial (or sometimes full is demanded), and we have no real protection from ebay. Every item we sell is inspected before shipping to ensure it meets the grade it was sold at, however we have also had records purchased, the buyer complains about the condition, and then returns the record, only to find they have returned a different version of the album than the one we sent them. This is impossible to prove to eBay, and there have been numerous instances where our item was stolen in this manner."

155

153





When examining this report, the disadvantages of online retail compared to local

retail become evident: the large geographic distance and indirect communication

between seller and (potential) customer, and also between customer and product,

facilitates deception and dishonesty on either side. For instance, sellers can

overgrade their records on purpose, or buyers who purport that a record they

bought got lost or arrived in bad shape in order to unjustly claim a full or partial

refund.

38 percent (9 out of 24) respondents were fully satisfied with the opportunities the

internet currently offers for online retail and had little or no suggestion for

improvement. 25 percent (6 out of 24) of the respondents complained about the

high fees charged by eBay and PayPal and about the pressure of having to use

eBay due to a lack of serious competition, which in some cases made them give up

or just do without a self-managed web store. In a personal email to the author that

was not originally part of the survey, one respondent left a positive comment about

eBay:

"Ebay has been an ideal resource and supplemental way to sell rare vinyl for excellent prices to a worldwide market. I also use it to build my database of customers for my Bad Vibrations rare record list/site, since each year I always lose a percentage of customers who no longer collect vinyl. …

Also, eBay is the most trusted site although I have little or no experience with other auction sites. Having the link with Paypal really makes selling easy despite their considerable fees. I don't set sale records since the discs that I list can often get much higher bids which is a pleasant surprise." – Erik

Lindgren, record collector, dealer and label owner (Arf Arf Records).156

Another respondent stated that the "biggest issue is uploading information, very

time consuming if you want give buyers the context of the record, line ups, track

listing. Not sure if a 'bank' of info to cut and paste would help?"157

It remains

uncertain if the respondent was unaware of the existing databases, or if they simply

do not meet his or her requirements, perhaps due to a lack of size, centrality, or a

homogeneous structure.

To the question whether the availability of information on the internet and the new

forms of trade and communication made possible by this medium might have

helped vinyl records to regain popularity, 70 percent (16 out of 23) respondents

156

Contribution to the survey by Erik Lindgren, record collector, dealer and label owner, on 18.12.2012.

157 Anonymous contribution to the survey on 06.12.2012.


replied affirmatively, and 22 percent (5 out of 23) did not see a connection between

these facts, although they admitted that the internet might have facilitated certain

things.

One respondent wrote: "indeed. That and youtube and google. Today its really

easy to learn about new music. You find something you like on youtube or

facebook or wherever and you can simply jump to eBay and buy a copy on

vinyl,"158

and another one added: "I think the 'retro' nostalgic aspect is important

and a chance for people devoted to their music to demonstrate that by paying

money for original records rather than the impersonal and 'non-aesthetic' nature of

downloading."159

One of the answers was a simple "no" without comment, and a

further respondent said:

"In my eyes vinyl is also popular without the internet. Internet has also spoilt things for the treasure hunting collector who knows a lot about obscure records, as all the information on value is available online. On the other hand it has helped me a lot to get rid of my unwanted or spare records." – Feddo

Renier, record collector and dealer from the Netherlands.160

The last question for the survey was formulated quite openly on purpose, and as

had been the intention, the replies turned out multifaceted and insightful. Regarding

the respondents' expectations concerning the future development of record sales

and prices, however, it can be specified that 38 percent (9 out of 24) of the

respondents were clearly expecting a rise in record prices on the years to come,

one of them even expects a "quantum leap in record prices."161

17 percent (4 out of

24) respondents were certain that record prices are going to stabilize, and only

three respondents (13 percent) were expecting a decline in record prices (this

summary might not be truly accurate, as some of the respondents' statements were

overlapping or ambiguous). Several respondents assumed that in the long run

record prices will decline significantly, once a certain generation of collectors and

music enthusiasts has vanished and later generations fail to keep the scene alive,

for instance: "I think when all the hippies die there will be a smaller market for

record from the 60s/70s area,"162

or: "Within twenty years there will only be a small

core of enthusiasts I imagine."163

158



Contribution to the survey by Feddo Renier, record collector and dealer from the Netherlands, on 26.11.2012.





Opposed to this, other respondents mentioned that original vintage records in an

acceptable or even unused condition are a dwindling resource, which will naturally

boost the prices over time: "Vinyl is a easily damaged medium, and high-quality

vinyl will always be a decreasing commodity, driving the value of the remaining

items on the marketplace higher. A $2000 beatles LP today could be a $4000

beatles LP in 10-20 years."164

These developments, however, are strongly linked to certain hypes or trends within

the scene, like Erik Lindgren affirmed: "I think collectability will vary with the genre.

Right now '60s garage/psych (which is my specialty) is very hot but I can't predict

what will happen over time. Also '70-80s punk is also very hot too."165

The word-wide recession during recent years, and especially in the USA, was

repeatedly mentioned to be a potential reason for declining record prices (with the

exception of extremely rare records which naturally attract a wealthier clientele).

One of the respondents even saw the potential of revitalizing the world's economy

in the combination of vinyl records and their presence on the internet:

"The possibility to reach a worldwide audience has enhanced the popularity of vinyl. If the record companies would see that people would buy a $10 vinyl record with a nice cover -- something potentially collectible, instead of illegal file sharing because what you get for $10 is a compact disk that is easily damaged from handing that comes in a case that is easily damaged (cracks, broken hinges). If you're lucky, the CD comes with a booklet that is difficult the get out and back into the case. To return exclusively to the vinyl format could potentially help to revive economies worldwide, thanks to the internet."

166

The following table summarizes the results of the survey:

Table 4: Summary of the survey results

Absolute Relative Attribute

2 out of 18 11% Run their own local record store

2 out of 18 11% Have given up their local record store

1 out of 24 4% Gain equal profits with digital and analogue music products

164


Contribution to the survey by Erik Lindgren, record collector and label owner, on 18.12.2012. 166



23 out of 24 96% Gain more profit with analogue music products

10 out of 22 45% Have sold more records on average since they started selling them online

8 out of 22 36% Have only ever sold records online

4 out of 22 18% Have sold the same amount of records on average with online and offline retail

13 out of 21 62% Gain more profits with used / vintage records than with new / recently released records

7 out of 21 33% Offer vintage records only

1 out of 21 5% Gain equal profits with used / vintage records than with new / recently released records

14 out of 24 58% Receive little to no questions from (potential) customers

5 out of 24 21% Receive many questions from (potential) customers

8 out of 24 33% Receive questions from (potential) customers referring to established collector websites like popsike or collectorsfrenzy

6 out of 24 25% Receive questions from (potential) customers regarding to very specific details like matrix numbers, etc.

5 out of 14 21% Say that vinyl issues sell better than the respective CDs

2 out of 14 8% Say that CDs sell better than the respective vinyl issues

4 out of 24 17% Sell records through their own website

14 out of 24 58% Sell records through a third-party service like eBay or discogs

14 out of 24 58% Only use eBay as a third-party service to sell records

6 out of 24 25% Sell records through a third-party service as well as through their own website

3 out of 8 38% Say that a relaunch or modernization of their website has improved the sales volume

9 out of 24 38% Are satisfied with the means the internet currently offers for selling records

6 out of 24 25% Say that eBay and PayPal fees are too high

16 out of 23 70% Assume the internet has helped to re-establish the popularity of vinyl records

5 out of 23 22% Don't see a connection between the internet and the repute of vinyl records

9 out of 24 38% Are expecting record prices to increase in the future

4 out of 24 17% Are expecting record prices to stabilize in the future

3 out of 24 13% Are expecting record prices to decrease in the future


4.3.3 Results of the Expert Survey

The following results not only incorporate the answers the respondents had given

for the questionnaire which had been compiled for these interviews, but also quotes

and comments from emails and messages that were exchanged over the course of

this project. In order to keep the length of this chapter in an adequate scope, only

the most important and significant results are presented, and facts mentioned by

more than one of the interviewees will be summarized. The full interviews can be

found in appendix C.

The following table lists interviewees that were recruited for the expert survey:

Table 5: Interviewees of the expert survey

Name Profession Residence

Alan Escombe Musician and songwriter (The Shake Spears, Fynn McCool)

Australia

Luke Escombe Musician, comedian and songwriter Australia

Syd Geary Musician (The Softies, The Outfit) Australia

Leo Lyons Musician (Ten Years After) UK / USA

Nick Black Radio host Australia

Joachim Spieth DJ, producer and label owner (Affin) Germany

[Anonymous] Hobby-musician and -producer Switzerland

When asked about what makes vinyl records interesting even today, the

respondents made statements similar to the findings in chapter 3.1. For instance,

Alan Escombe, Australian musician and former member of the 1960s group The

Shake Spears, said: "For music buffs be it for rock or classical the sound of vinyl

cannot be bettered. There is a warmth and quality on vinyl that as yet has not been

possible to truly duplicate on plastic. For music buffs be it for rock or classical the

sound of vinyl cannot be bettered. There is a warmth and quality on vinyl that as yet

has not been possible to truly duplicate on plastic."167

And Alan's son Luke,

currently pursuing a career as a musician and comedian, added:

"I think Vinyl records are now recognised as the ultimate format for music lovers and collectors, both the best-sounding and most romantic way to

167

Escombe, A. (2012), expert interview, see appendix.


engage with an artist's work. They are luxury items, like hard back editions of books. I think the increase in popularity of vinyl in the last decade is in direct response to the popularity of the ipod and the mp3, which are as romantic as dildos."168

Joachim Spieth, DJ, producer and label owner (Affin) from Germany, however, put it

simply: "A download has no face :-)."169

While Nick Black, a radio host from

Melbourne, Australia, mentioned that vinyl records "also have DJ applications like

spinning/scratching, so there is a creative practicality to them."170

The fact that the act of playing vinyl records works as a kind of ritual was also

brought up by the respondents, for instance by Woodstock-veteran Leo Lyons,

bassist of the blues rock group Ten Years After. He stated "The very act of placing

the record on the turntable and sitting down to listen is more of an experience. You

cannot listen to a vinyl record on headphones whilst doing the housework or

jogging or driving in the car."171

Luke Escombe even thinks "of a record player like

a kind of time machine that can transport me briefly to another era."172

With regard to the future of vinyl records, Leo Lyons said: "I don't see vinyl

replacing digital music in the mass market but I believe record companies will

release more new product on both digital media and vinyl. Vinyl is harder to bootleg

and may go some way to restoring lost profits."173

An amateur musician and

producer, who contributed anonymously to this study was of the opinion that that is

only true in the case of specialist labels. Especially in the DJ-scene, where vinyl

had been widely spread until recent years, digital music, he said, was now

prevalent: "A couple of years ago, perhaps about 2,000 to 3,000 copies of a record

were sold on vinyl in the Techno division. Nowadays units of 300-500 are

produced."174

A significant reason for this would be the diminishing supply of

appropriate equipment: "in 2010, the manufacturer Technics stopped producing the

turntable models 1200/1210, which were most popular among DJs. In the future it

will become more and more difficult to obtain spare parts or replacement units."175

Joachim Spieth, however, saw this scarcity from another point of view:

168

Escombe, L. (2012), expert interview, see appendix. 169

cf. Spieth (2012), expert interview, see appendix. 170

Black (2013), expert interview, see appendix. 171

Lyons (2012), expert interview, see appendix. 172

Escombe, L. (2012), expert interview, see appendix. 173


cf. Anonymous (2012), expert interview, see appendix. 175

cf. Anonymous (2012), expert interview, see appendix.


"Nowadays, vinyl records often symbolize 'trophies', because not every release is available on vinyl. Despite smaller quantities of sales, vinyl releases always bear a certain degree of seriousness. Everybody can release their works digitally, but the investment in pressing a record demands greater financial means. As it is already known that only small amounts of a release are available, perhaps this creates a hype or cult around the physical product."

176

Erik Lindgren, record collector and dealer and label owner (Arf Arf Records) from

the USA, was among the few respondents who spoke out positively on the CD

medium:

"Despite being a serious vinyl collector, I like the audio CD as an archival medium since the sound is (to my ears) much more accurate and closer to what the master tape sounds like than vinyl. … I grew to like the CD medium with big, informative booklets so I never went back to pressing vinyl. I'm still amazed at the resurgence of vinyl but see CD as a much more 'democratic' way to spread music since most 'normal' people don't have turntables."

177

Another advocate of digital formats, Nick Black, remarked that he usually converts

vinyl records into a digital format anyway, and only seldom listens to vinyl records

directly. Most of the remaining respondents, however, stated that they listened to

digital music mainly for convenience reasons or of necessity, for instance when

travelling. Leo Lyons, for instance, always takes his record collection with him on

his iPad, so that he can listen to it while being on tour.

When asked if and how they still acquired vinyl records, five of the respondents

said they bought none or only few records because there were very few record

stores in their vicinity, if any. Some of the respondents increased their online

purchases for this reason. As for purchasing new vinyl records, the sites decks.de

and hardwax.com were mentioned, and concerning the purchase of digital files

iTunes and Amazon were listed most often. AAC, FLAC, MP3 and MP4 were

specified as preferred digital formats by the respondents. The latter two had a lower

quality compared to other formats, but were inevitable since iTunes was the best

source for music on the internet, said Alan Escombe.

Joachim Spieth and Leo Lyons said that prior to buying a vinyl record they would

always listen to the MP3 version first. Using this procedure they would discover

new artists as well. The anonymous contributor mentioned the streaming service

176

cf. Spieth (2012), expert interview, see appendix. 177

Lindgren (2012), private email and contribution to the record seller survey on 18.12.2012, see appendix.


Spotify as being ideal for this purpose. His comment "since I started using Spotify ..

I purchased almost no digital music."178

Three of the seven respondents preferred vintage equipment for playing vinyl

records. The anonymous respondent uses them mostly because of their long life:

"… the gadgets still work faultlessly .. and I don't have to buy new equipment."179

Leo Lyons said about this matter: "There's a place for both. I think that valve amps

give a much warmer sound but in many instances modern day loudspeakers

reproduce that sound more accurately. Turntables are a matter of preference and

budget,"180

while Nick Black added: "to listen to vinyl at its optimum I think a great

deal of money needs to be invested, whereas digital with good speakers does the

trick equally as well."181

Concerning the future of vinyl records, the responses of the interviewees varied a

lot, nevertheless there were some agreements.

Alan Escombe suspected that record companies might turn away from this format

due to the higher costs of production, making vinyl stay a niche market. He missed

the good old days of vinyl records and said that "Hopefully the coming changes

may mean that digital technology is finally able to replicate the true sound of

original vinyl."182

Luke Escombe, however, was quite optimistic about the future of

music:

"There was a very uncertain period with the coming of the internet but I think there has been an adjustment now and people are making great sounding records again, and the internet has allowed genuine music lovers from all over the world to share music and establish online communities. Listening to the pop music on commercial stations is unbearably bleak, but the more awful it gets, the more people will seek out something of real quality, warmth and humanity. Vinyl will survive the way the printed book will survive - as a delicacy."

183

Syd Geary, a musician of British origin and former member of the punk groups The

Softies and The Outfit, was convinced that there will always be vinyl collectors and

178





Escombe, A. (2012), expert interview, see appendix. 183

Escombe, L. (2012), expert interview, see appendix.


did not look forward to future technology. He concluded with "The pleasure in

holding a big shiny new LP compared with holding, well digital nothing?"184

Figure 21: Summary of pros and cons from the interviews

Leo Lyons however, emphasized the value of the vinyl record as a collectible: "The

serious music fan and collector who wants quality will gravitate towards vinyl. The

artwork and physical size of the product aside from the better sound makes for a

better package."185

Despite this he did not see vinyl replacing digital music in the

mass market.

Nick Black also commended the sturdiness of the format:

"The storage of data is pretty safe too, if you don't do crazy things to your record like expose it to fire or throw them around. I trust them more than digital storage as I feel I have to have lots of memory sticks or hard drives as backups just in case anything happens. I look forward to the coming changes."186

184

Geary (2012), expert interview, see appendix. 185


Black (2013), expert interview, see appendix.

Contra Pro


Furthermore, he highlighted the fact that "Cds or downloads with their little JPeg pix

will be never be as good as an LP record cover."187

Joachim Spieth concluded: "A quantitative decline in sales can be observed in the

musical mainstream, while in several subgenres vinyl records are gaining popularity

… The embodiment through a physical record is sexy, a harddrive on the contrary

is replaceable and anonymous."188

4.4 Summary

In this chapter, the approach to the selection of suitable sources of information and

the methodology of this work were explained. The use of the SAS Text Analytics

software tools were described as well as the preparation and implementation of a

survey among record dealers and expert interviews.

The results of both the survey and the interviews were summarized and parts of

them were paraphrased to provide a better overview of the respondents' thoughts,

which will be integrated into the analysis in the following chapter. When evaluating

the results, it became apparent that the respondents' statements supported the

findings made in chapter 3.1 to 3.5.

Deviating from the original concept, the results of both surveys were partly merged,

as new contacts had been established while conducting the surveys, and thus

some persons participated in both surveys. In some cases the responses

overlapped in a way that made them relevant for both.

The SAS sentiment analysis revealed a predominantly positive image of vinyl

records on the internet. The EP format was mentioned noticeably often in a positive

context, while most other formats were mentioned in frequencies that did not differ

significantly from the respective expectations.

187


Spieth (2012), expert interview, see appendix.

78

5 Analysis of the Findings

5.1 The Image of Vinyl Records in Context of the Internet

The aim of this work was to assess the significance of vinyl records at the present

time, which is characterized by the consumption of digital media. Furthermore, the

research was supposed to answer the question whether the internet, as the leading

medium of the present age, might represent a supportive communication carrier

promoting the resurging popularity of the vinyl record, rather than just the final nail

in its coffin.

To achieve this, the core qualities which have kept a small proportion of modern

music consumers from seeing vinyl records as obsolete had to be determined. As

vinyl records are a type of sound carrier, it was almost self-evident to deal with their

tonal qualities first. When an analogue record is produced, the sound waves of the

original signal (be it music or speech) are transcribed almost one-to-one onto the

material, and unlike CDs or digital audio files the sound is not encoded in any way.

That way, nearly all frequencies of the original signal are conserved; and the

recording is technically closer to the original sound than a digitally processed one.

Whether this difference is audible to human hearing is highly disputed.

Nevertheless, a higher aural authenticity is one of the most commonly mentioned

advantages of vinyl records against other music formats. It is typical that this

perception is related to a certain nostalgia and personal affection, as modern

technologies are capable of reproducing sound just as well as vinyl, making it

obsolete in theory. Rather than in the highly controversial element of sound quality,

affinity for vinyl is often rooted in more subliminal factors.

Perhaps the most important of these factors are the size and weight of a vinyl

record. In contrast to modern gadgets for playing music which are ever getting

smaller and lighter, an LP (without cover) weighs up to 180 grams (in some cases

even 200 grams) and has a diameter more than twice as large as that of a CD. The

consumer is far more occupied with handling such an item than when using an iPod

for instance. At first, this appears to be a disadvantage. Also, a vinyl record is quite

easily damaged. The listener has to be far more cautious than when handling a CD

in order not to mar the fragile grooves. The audio track of a CD is protected by a

thick plastic pane and audio files can only be destroyed by directly damaging the

5. Analysis of the Findings 79

harddrive of the device they are stored on (apart from deliberately or accidentally

deleting them).

Playing vinyl records demands more concentration and finer manual skills than

playing digital media. For a consumer, whose motoric capabilities might be

insufficiently challenged by the handling of digital gadgets made to operate as easy

and comfortable as possible, this can be a welcome change from time to time. The

listener's attention is also more occupied than when consuming digital music due to

the fact that an LP is usually being listened to in one go. In many cases the music

on an album would be composed in a way that encourages listening to it in one go -

with the exception of having to turn around the record after playing the first side.

This, however, requires the listener to become active and use their hands to

immerse themselves in the next part of their listening experience. It can be

compared to turning a page while reading an exciting book.

Furthermore, the actions involved in playing a vinyl record do not only consume

more time than playing digital music, they turn the consumption of music into a kind

of ritual, providing at least some inner calm in today's hectic world. By using a so-

called obsolete technology, the consumer can escape the highly automated world

of computers, smartphones and other widely used gadgets of which it is

incomprehensible for the average user how they function in detail. Leisure time

activities such as building model trains or woodworking fulfil the same purpose:

relaxation and distraction from daily hassles through manual work.

The touch-experience when handling a vinyl record is limited by the vulnerability of

its surface, but this does not apply to its packaging. The cover of an LP is usually

made of cardboard, which is rather directly printed on or – as it was common in the

USA for a long time – pasted with printed paper. Sometimes there are also

embossments or affixed objects, appealing to the tactile senses of the consumer.

Touching a record cover's cardboard, or even its smell, can be compared to

touching or smelling books; allurements many avid readers cannot elude. Books,

and especially old books, have a certain attractiveness to them that transcends the

textual content. This is why many people still prefer reading printed books – also as

a kind of ritual – to reading e-books.

Apart from haptic senses, the optical sense is also involved when a listener is

handling or playing a vinyl record. It might seem absurd to emphasize the aesthetic


value of a product designed for the sense of hearing, but – due to the perception of

sound quality being mostly subjective – this is the main difference between vinyl

records and digital formats like MP3 files or online streaming. An audio file is not

visible unless the harddrive it is stored on is viewed under an electron microscope.

What a user usually sees of such a file are metadata, displayed by a graphical

interface, for instance the generated image of a song's frequency curve in some

audio editing software. A vinyl record, however, renders the musical content visible

directly. Of course, what the spectator is looking at is no conserved time in the

literal sense, but a coded piece of time from the past. Nevertheless the spectator's

mind will create an association between the record and the very period of time that

passed during its recording, causing the fascination that occurs when closely

examining such a record. Loud and calm parts of a song can be visually

distinguished without intermediary rendering software. This creates a broader and

more direct approach to the music for the listener.

The packaging of a vinyl record also carries additional aesthetic values. An LP

cover measures ca. 30x30cm and provides plenty of space for the display of art

and decorative design. Putting record covers up on the wall like pictures has

become more and more popular, and special LP frames are available for this

purpose. For some vinyl releases, the cover art has remained more famous than

the actual music on the record. The music, together with an artistically elaborate

and informative packaging, makes up a greater package of benefits than the

content of the sound carrier alone. CDs also have printed covers, but their size is

rather unsuitable for a decorative purpose. Here, the focus rather is on booklets

that make up the actual CD cover, with their contained information and illustrative

material representing the additional value of a CD as opposed to a music

download.

Interestingly, the combination of visual and tactile stimuli in vinyl records also

seems to enable sexual associations in some cases. After all, two of the

(exclusively male) respondents used the word "sexy" to describe the physical

appeal of a vinyl record compared with that of a CD or intangible digital formats;

also the word "romantic" was used several times. Whether this might be a typical

male relation to cherished objects or to music fans regardless of gender could not

be investigated in the context of this work due to lack of female interviewees.

However, as explained in chapter 6.2, persons with a liking of vinyl records are

most often male.


The comparatively long service life of vinyl records, which certainly can outlast a

human life span, can also play an important emotional role. A vinyl record is an

object that does not change by itself – even after twenty years in a box on the attic

it is in the same shape as it had been left there, in contrast to its owner. Together

with the already mentioned "conservation" of time in a vinyl record, this constitutes

a sentiment of eternity, which can not only be fascinating but also calming. This

almost "mystical" trait of vinyl records and the respective listening ritual also

emerged in the expert interviews, as for instance Luke Escombe described

turntables as a kind of time machine.

After all, the features of vinyl records in comparison to other music formats cannot

all be classified as either advantages or disadvantages. Rather, the usage of

different media for the same purpose (consumption of music) fulfils different needs

– be it flexibility, straightforwardness, constant availability, the market value of a

physical object, aesthetic aspects or creating a nostalgic atmosphere. However, to

develop such differentiated listening practices – consciously or subconsciously –

the listener has to have an above-average interest in music. The average

consumer, who consumes music for entertainment or as a pleasant background

noise only and perhaps does not even prefer a particular genre, will most likely use

technologies they already have at hand, or are cheap to acquire and easy to

handle. The dedicated music fan is more likely to contemplate in which quality and

in which (physical) form they want to consume their music. The higher the listener's

interest is in music, the more they will look into the technology they use for playing

music. It has been found that among these listeners, vinyl and modern music

formats are both widely used, with vinyl occurring disproportionately often.

Examining the alternate use or combination of analogue and digital technologies

leads to the question how the use of vinyl records and the use of the internet are

related and what consumers make of this combination. Currently, they form a

worldwide net of online communities that are usually specialized in a certain

musical genre but share a deep appreciation of vinyl formats. According to the

terminology introduced in chapter 3.3, the entirety of these special online

communities will be referred to as the "vinyl tribe" in the following.

Corresponding to the analogy used in that chapter, comparing this tribe to a "real"

or archaic tribe, the vinyl record represents the tribe's totem. It is the object of


central significance that connects the tribe members who are heterogeneous in

their demographic features and geographic location. This connection is not only

manifested in personal contact. In mind, all consumers who value the same

preferred product with a similar amount of passion and stay in the same social

realms (in this case the internet and its social sites) are members of a large

metaphysical family. Other examples would be the Mini Cooper tribe, the Harley

Davidson tribe, the tribe of fans of the royal family, or the Elvis tribe. Every product

or product group that is the subject of a cult implicitly makes its devotees a

consumer tribe. This includes derived products like decorative plates with portraits

of the royal family or Elvis-style clothing.

This common bond the tribe members experience leads to an acknowledged and

intuitively adhered social codex in which mutual trust and the supply of information

are essential. The information the internet holds about vinyl releases is in large

parts gathered and updated by the members of the vinyl tribe. Members with a

great amount of knowledge, experience, and of course with a great amount of

records in their collection, pass on their knowledge through the medium internet –

through specialized databases, blogs or forums, etc. – so that all members can

benefit from it. These members are rich in so-called cultural capital which consists

primarily of (specialized) knowledge, but also social contacts (to renowned

members of the scene) or the possession of many or particular records. The

cultural capital directly influences the reputation and respect a tribe member holds

and experiences, and thus a generous handling of the resource information

increases these values. Through the significance of cultural capital it becomes

evident why the vinyl tribe and its development depend on the internet. Apart from

its function as a medium of communication, the internet serves for the sourcing of

information first of all. It has access to the largest amount of information and can be

browsed quickly. It accelerates and facilitates acquisition of knowledge, and is the

key instrument for the introduction into and advancement within the vinyl tribe. It

has dramatically changed how listeners acquire vinyl records, search for

information on records or exchange views on records and music with one another.

For instance, eBay and similar websites, together with mail orders, are now slowly

replacing local record stores. The internet's communicative potentials and social

networking functions have not only connected vinyl enthusiasts and made them into

a vivid, worldwide community, but also given people with no prior connection to


vinyl records the opportunity to discover this music format more easily, and thus

may have helped to increase the popularity of vinyl records altogether.

Recent years have shown escalating vinyl record sales and an increase in sound

carriers purchased over the internet in general, which strongly support the

hypothesis of the aforementioned connection between the internet and the rising

popularity of vinyl records. Similar developments could be observed in the sales of

used vinyl records, which have shown a significant increase in prices for

collectibles in the same period of time. A crucial factor in these developments is the

ongoing trend of record dealers to move their business to the internet. Even

beginners mostly start to sell their records online. Local record stores are seldom

profitable and a lot of them have disappeared, while the online trade with used vinyl

is booming. eBay has become the most important centre of trade for this clientele,

because it offers the largest amount of potential buyers and a reliable, powerful

technical infrastructure. Apart from eBay, there are other websites that helped the

online trade with collectible records expand. There are several large databases with

detailed information on vinyl releases that help collectors find the right issues, etc.,

but even more important are websites that archive online auctions or sales and

thus provide a view on the development of prices. Thus, a potential buyer (or

bidder) can not only directly compare the offer in question with other current offers,

but also compare it with past ones, which might lead to a buying decision that

differs greatly from one that would (for example) have been made in a local record

shop. The availability of all this helpful information to both buyers and sellers has

not only led to an increase in prices (as offers below market value become more

and more unlikely), but has also evened out the price differences that used to be

present in the vinyl market.

The internet as a modern real-time marketplace has made the originally IT-averse

analogue market into a flourishing, worldwide market for a prestige product. As the

web crawling analysis has shown, vinyl records are very present on the internet

anyway. Internet users have far more positive comments to make about vinyl

records than negative comments, in some cases even ten or fifteen times more.

That detractors just do not care about vinyl records and enthusiasts write and post

more about their object of interest might have also increased the number of positive

findings.


Vinyl EPs seem to gain in popularity as they were mentioned quite often in the

crawled documents, the numbers sometimes being close to the results for LPs,

which was the preferred vinyl format of the previous decades.

Vinyl sales in the UK have risen significantly since ca. 2008, and this trend appears

to continue. Even though the market for physical sound carriers in general is

diminishing and digital music products are now prevailing, it cannot be denied that

vinyl is experiencing a revival; although only a small one, looking at the numbers.

In the digital culture of today, vinyl records have reached the image of a durable

and high quality product. In 2009, the complete works of the Beatles were re-

released in a digitally remastered version, available on CDs and on a USB stick189

.

In 2012, these works were again re-released in a remastered version, but this time

on vinyl190

. At first, this appears to be redundant and futile to put any financial effort

into an elaborate vinyl edition of music that has been released countless times

before, if only a few units can be expected to be sold. On the contrary, this release

is something more and more music consumers are longing for: an analogue luxury

edition of digitally ubiquitous material which attracts the customer through

promising an exquisite quality of sound, lavishly manufactured material of a high

quality and aesthetically pleasing packaging. Nowadays, the musical content is no

longer the crucial factor for a consumer's buying decision concerning physical

sound carriers, as it can be acquired much cheaper as a digital download which

omits the material and shipping costs, or even downloaded illegally and for free.

Rather, the effect of a record's packaging as a so-called eye-catcher is used to

attract buyers. An LP cover does not only provide a lot of space for artworks and

designs that are encouraging to buy, it can also hold larger posters or other fan

extras than for instance a CD cover. Most new vinyl records sold today even

contain a download voucher for the whole album. This digital backup allows the

listener to preserve the record they just bought by playing it on special occasions

only for instance, while still having access to the music, since music playback is no

longer the exclusive function of such a record.

Furthermore, the listener will be curious about the sound of a vinyl record produced

with the most modern technology that has surpassed the deficits and limitations of

its former embodiment. Through the current technical innovations vinyl records

189

cf. Kreps (2009) 190

cf. Overkott (2012)


reach a potential of quality that is completely different to that of the format's

heyday. And last but not least, the work of an artist can hardly be more appreciated

than by eternalizing it in a high class product and saving it from "digital volatility".

5.2 The Future of Vinyl Records

The first announcement of the "death" of the vinyl record came over fifty years ago.

Back then, it was the cassette tape that was freshly introduced to the market and

thought to render vinyl obsolete, due to being more simple and elegant in operation

and less prone to collecting dust191

. As present times show, this prediction did not

come true despite the atmosphere of technical advancement in the early 1960s.

It is not yet clear if this phenomenon will repeat with audio CDs, which have also

become obsolete with the invention of intangible audio formats but at the same time

lack the nostalgic appeal of vinyl records.

Unlike other analogue media, vinyl records have survived to this day as a niche

product, despite all the "superior" products and technologies. Even John Philip

Sousa (see chapter 2.1) was not right after all – recordings have not destroyed

music in any way, but have accompanied it in times of great revolutions and made

possible many of these changes and developments.

Currently, vinyl is subject to a kind of hype that significantly increases its popularity

and also sales volume. It cannot be said how long this hype will continue or

whether its peak is still to come, but it is quite likely that in the end it will not last

very long. Vinyl is technically inferior to modern music formats and its (emotional)

additional values will lose importance for the consumers, except for a small core of

true enthusiasts. The image of vinyl records as a product of high quality is not

entirely one constructed by marketing experts, as there definitely are some quality

aspects that do not apply to CDs or audio files, but nevertheless, convenient and

flexible music formats will prevail in the average consumer's listening practices in

the long run.

Concerning the prices of vinyl collectibles and rarities, it is likely that they will

continue to rise. The demand, especially from extremely wealthy collectors, is

constantly increasing while the resource is scarce and diminishing. Two different

scenarios are likely to happen in the future: in the first one, the market for rarities

will be emptied out and all existing copies will be in the possession of collectors

191

cf. Pfau (1962), p. 25 et seq.


who are not planning to sell them but rather wait for a further enhancement in

value. Vinyl trade in high price ranges would be decreasing and practically stagnate

for an indefinite period of time, possibly until a new vinyl hype begins. In the second

scenario, the demand for rare vinyl is decreasing first, and while the hype is tailing

off prices will go down as well. However, it cannot be ruled out that first another,

even bigger price bubble will occur, due to more and more people entering the

market who are not at all interested in music or collecting records but in profiting

from dealing with a limited resource.

Vinyl records are designed as a robust medium (many different materials can be

used to produce a record other than polyvinyl chloride – for instance different

metals, or even chocolate192

), and unlike modern methods of saving (aural)

information it is not threatened by the so-called digital obsolescence, which means

that certain media can no longer be read due to media failure and technological

change. No coded information can be read anymore once the respective

codification is lost. For example, the content of the discs of the 1986 BBC

Domesday Project was almost lost as the hardware that was specially designed to

read these discs at the time was no longer available193

. In vinyl records, however,

the information is directly engraved into the material and can thus be read by

optical or mechanical scanning194

. It was for this reason, that in the 1970s it was

decided that the two Voyager space probes, that were launched in order to carry

information on mankind and its culture into the infinity of space, should be carrying

this information on two records. Science writer Timothy Ferris had the task to

compile the musical content to be added to the discs, and his committee had

quickly discarded magnetic tapes in favour of LP-shaped records. Just recently he

confirmed that he would decide the same way today and that records were the

most reliable technology available. The two Voyager LPs are made from copper

and coated in gold for protection, and in theory they will outlast for the next billion

years195

– when audio CDs or DVDs, iPods and Spotify, just like mankind, will no

longer be there.

192

cf. Alonso (2013). 193

See: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/domesday/. 194

See: http://rosettaproject.org/. 195

cf. Rutenberg (2012).

87

6 Conclusion

The aim of this paper was to assess the current status of vinyl records in context of

the internet and to discuss their current image in contrast to today's ubiquitous

digital technology. A central question in this assignment was whether a hype

around vinyl records is taking place and boosting the seemingly obsolete format's

popularity. This hype was proved to be existent, although it does not lead to a

domination of the sound carrier market by vinyl records. Apart from being a side

effect of a general "retro" trend, this hype is mostly caused by vinyl records being

perceived now as a product of high quality and exclusiveness, rather than obsolete

and outdated. Nevertheless, despite skyrocketing sales numbers, vinyl will stay a

niche product, now holding about one percent market share in the diminishing

market of physical sound carriers.

On the internet, however, a whole new community of vinyl enthusiasts has formed,

differing greatly from its offline counterparts in size, connectedness and diversity.

The significance of vinyl records on the internet thus exceeds the aforementioned

rediscovery as a product of high quality, in the sense that they constitute a

worldwide shared community identity among their devotees. These community

members use and maintain shared resources of information on vinyl records and

practice a social handling of information in general. The internet has made possible

these developments through the facilitation and flexibility of communication across

geographic barriers, the potentials of social networks, and the provision of

extensive infrastructure in the form of informational databases and auction and

sales websites among others. In conclusion, there is a critical connection between

the features of the internet and the change of the image of vinyl records.

Further and more in-depth research on this topic would be interesting, for instance,

in the field of market research as well as from a sociological point of view. As vinyl

records are sound carriers and thus carriers of cultural contents, they not only

serve as an example for studying the emotional connection people have with

objects and products, but also for researching the relationship between cultural

content and materiality and its dependence on artefacts, and for examining the

socio-ontological role of records and similar objects.

As it turns out, the old "platters" hold much more than just engraved waves of

sound.

88

Appendix A

1 Concepts Used in the SAS Content Categorization Studio

Title Regular Expressions VinylRecord [Vv]inyl[\s\-][Rr]ecord[s]?, vinylRecord

[Vv]inyl[\s\-][Dd]isc[s]?, vinylRecord

[Pp]honographic[\s\-][Rr]ecord[s]?, vinylRecord

[Vv]inyls, vinylRecord

[Oo]n [Vv]inyl, vinylRecord

[Mm]ono[\s\-][Rr]ecord[s]?, vinylRecord

[Ss]tereo[\s\-][Rr]ecord[s]?, vinylRecord

[Qq]uadrophonic[\s\-][Rr]ecord[s]?, vinylRecord

[Aa]coustical[\s\-][Rr]ecording[s]?, vinylRecord

[Ee]lectrical[\s\-][Rr]ecording[s]?, vinylRecord

[Aa]nalogue[\s\-][Rr]ecording[s]?, vinylRecord

10Inch 10[\s\-]*[Ii]nch[\s\-][Rr]ecord[s]?, 10Inch

10[\s\-]*[Ii]nch[\s\-][Ss]single[s]?, 10Inch

10[\s\-]*[Ii]nch[\s\-][Dd]isc[s]?, 10Inch

10[\s\-]*[Ii]nch[\s\-][Vv]inyl[s]?, 10Inch

10[\s\-]*”[\s\-][Rr]ecord[s]?, 10Inch

10[\s\-]*”[\s\-][Ss]single[s]?, 10Inch

10[\s\-]*”[\s\-][Dd]isc[s]?, 10Inch

10[\s\-]*”[\s\-][Vv]inyl[s]?, 10Inch




12[\s\-]*”[\s\-][Rr]ecord[s]?, 12Inch

12[\s\-]*”[\s\-][Dd]isc[s]?, 12Inch

12[\s\-]*”[\s\-][Vv]inyl[s]?, 12Inch


7[\s\-]*[Ii]nch[\s\-][Ss]single[s]?, 7Inch



7[\s\-]*”[\s\-][Rr]ecord[s]?, 7Inch

7[\s\-]*”[\s\-][Ss]single[s]?, 7Inch

7[\s\-]*”[\s\-][Dd]isc[s]?, 7Inch

7[\s\-]*”[\s\-][Vv]inyl[s]?, 7Inch

33Rpm 33[RPMrpm], 33Rpm

33[\s\-][RPMrpm], 33Rpm

331/3[\s\-][RPMrpm], 33Rpm

33[\s\-]1/3[\s\-][RPMrpm], 33Rpm

33s, 33Rpm

33's, 33Rpm



45s, 45Rpm

45's, 45Rpm



78s, 78Rpm

78's, 78Rpm

[Ss]hellac[\s\-][Rr]ecord[s]?, 78Rpm

[Gg]ramophone[\s\-][Rr]ecord[s]?, 78Rpm

BestOf [Bb]est[\s\-][Oo]f[^f], BestOf

[Bb]estof, BestOf

Compilation compilation, Compilation

Appendix A 89

Title Regular Expressions Sampler VA, Sampler

V/A, Sampler

[Vv]arious[\s\-][Aa]rtists, Sampler

OriginalRelease [Oo]riginal[\s\-][Rr]elease[s]?, OriginalRelease

[Oo]riginal[\s\-][Ii]ssue[s]?, OriginalRelease

[Ff]irst[\s\-][Ii]ssue[s]?, OriginalRelease

[Ff]irst[\s\-][Pp]ress[ings]?, OriginalRelease

[Oo]riginal[\s\-][Pp]ress[ings]?, OriginalRelease

1st[\s\-][Pp]ress[ings]?, OriginalRelease

1st[\s\-][Ii]ssue[s]?, OriginalRelease

ReRelease [Rr]e[\s\-][Rr]elease[s]?, ReRelease

[Rr]erelease[s]?, ReRelease

[Rr]e[\s\-][Ii]ssue[s]?, ReRelease

[Rr]eissue[s]?, ReRelease

[Rr]e[\s\-][Pp]ress, ReRelease

[Rr]epress, ReRelease

[Rr]epro, ReRelease

[Ll]imited[\s\-][Ee]dition[s]?, ReRelease

[Ll]td[\.\s\-][Ee]dition[s]?, ReRelease

180[gram], ReRelease

180[\s\-][gram], ReRelease

[Bb]rand[\s\-][Nn]ew, ReRelease

[Uu]nplayed, ReRelease

Album [Vv]inyl[\s\-][Aa]lbum[s]?, Album

EP EP, EP

[Ee]xtended[\s\-][Pp]lay, EP

LP LP, LP

[Ll]ong[\s\-][Pp]lay, LP

ToIgnore [Vv]inyl[\s\-_][Ff]loor[s]?, ToIgnore

[Vv]inyl[\s\-_][Tt]ile[s]?, ToIgnore

[Vv]inyl[\s\-_][Ss]heet[s]?, ToIgnore

[Vv]inyl[\s\-_][Nn]ail[s]?, ToIgnore

[Vv]inyl[\s\-_][Ww]rap[ings]?, ToIgnore

[Vv]inyl[\s\-_][Ss]ticker[s]?, ToIgnore

[Vv]inyl[\s\-_][Ww]all[s]?, ToIgnore

[Vv]inyl[\s\-_][Ww]ood[s]?, ToIgnore

[Ww]ood[\s\-_][Vv]inyl, ToIgnore

45s[\s\-_][Cc]ard[\s\-_][Gg]ame, ToIgnore

GPSMAP[\s\-_]78s, ToIgnore

[Rr]ule[\s\-_][Oo]f[\s\-_]78s, ToIgnore

Appendix A 90

2 Categories Used in the SAS Content Categorization Studio

Top

VinylRecords

(OR,”[VinylRecord]”,(PAR,”records”,”music”))

LargeRecords

Album

(AND,_tmac:”@Top/VinylRecords”,”[Album]”,(NOT,”[ToIgnore]”))

LP

(AND,_tmac:”@Top/VinylRecords”,(OR,”[12Inch]”,”[33Rpm]”,”[LP]”),(NOT,”[ToIgnore]”))

NewRecords

ReRelease

(AND,_tmac:”@Top/VinylRecords”,(AND,”[ReRelease]”,(NOT,”[ToIgnore]”)))

BestOf

(AND,_tmac:”@Top/VinylRecords”,”[BestOf]”,(NOT,”[ToIgnore]”))

Compilation

(AND,_tmac:”@Top/VinylRecords”,”[Compilation]”,(NOT,”[ToIgnore]”))

Sampler

(AND,_tmac:”@Top/VinylRecords”,”[Sampler]”,(NOT,”[ToIgnore]”))

OldRecords

OriginalRelease

(AND,_tmac:”@Top/VinylRecords”,”[OriginalRelease]”,(NOT,”[ToIgnore]”))

SmallRecords

Single

(AND,_tmac:”@Top/VinylRecords”,(OR,”[45Rpm]”,”[7Inch]”),(NOT,”[ToIgnore]”))

EP

(AND,_tmac:”@Top/VinylRecords”,”[EP]”,(NOT,”[ToIgnore]”))

ShellacRecords

(AND,(OR,”[78Rpm]”,”[10Inch]”),(NOT,”[ToIgnore]”))

ToIgnore

(OR,”[ToIgnore]”)

Appendix A 91

3 Rule Model Used in the SAS Sentiment Analysis Studio

VinylRecord

REGEX [Vv]inyl[\s\-][Rr]ecord[s]?

REGEX [Vv]inyl[\s\-][Dd]isc[s]?

REGEX [Pp]honographic[\s\-][Rr]ecord[s]?

REGEX [Oo]n [Vv]inyl

REGEX [Mm]ono[\s\-][Rr]ecord[s]?

REGEX [Ss]tereo[\s\-][Rr]ecord[s]?

REGEX [Qq]uadrophonic[\s\-][Rr]ecord[s]?

REGEX [Aa]coustical[\s\-][Rr]ecording[s]?

REGEX [Ee]lectrical[\s\-][Rr]ecording[s]?

REGEX [Aa]nalogue[\s\-][Rr]ecording[s]?

PREDICATE_RULE (UNLESS, “_def{Unwanted}”, (DIST_2, “_a{vinyl}”, “_w”))

PREDICATE_RULE (UNLESS, “_def{Unwanted}”, (DIST_2, “_a{vinyls}”, “_w”))

Positive

PREDICATE_RULE

(UNLESS, “_def{Negations}”, (DIST_5, “_b{_def{VinylRecord}}”,

“_a{_def{PositivePhrases}}”))

PREDICATE_RULE

(DIST_5, “_b{_def{VinylRecord}}”, “_a{_def{Negations} _def{NegativePhrases}}”)

Negative

PREDICATE_RULE

(UNLESS, “_def{Negations}”, (DIST_5, “_b{_def{VinylRecord}}”,

“_a{_def{NegativePhrases}}”))

PREDICATE_RULE

(DIST_5, “_b{_def{VinylRecord}}”, “_a{_def{Negations} _def{PositivePhrases}}”)

RecordProperties

OriginalRelease

REGEX [Oo]riginal[\s\-][Rr]elease[s]?

REGEX [Oo]riginal[\s\-][Ii]ssue[s]?

REGEX [Ff]irst[\s\-][Ii]ssue[s]?

REGEX [Ff]irst[\s\-][Pp]ress[ings]?

REGEX [Oo]riginal[\s\-][Pp]ress[ings]?

REGEX 1st[\s\-][Pp]ress[ings]?

REGEX 1st[\s\-][Ii]ssue[s]?

Positive

PREDICATE_RULE

(AND, “_def{VinylRecord}”, (UNLESS, “_def{Negations}”, (DIST_10,

“_b{_def{VinylRecordRecordPropertiesOriginalRelease}}”,

“_a{_def{PositivePhrases}}”)))

PREDICATE_RULE

(AND, “_def{VinylRecord}”, (DIST_10,

“_b{_def{VinylRecordRecordPropertiesOriginalRelease}}”, “_a{_def{Negations}

_def{NegativePhrases}}”))

Negative

PREDICATE_RULE

Appendix A 92


“_b{_def{VinylRecordRecordPropertiesOriginalRelease}}”,

“_a{_def{NegativePhrases}}”)))

PREDICATE_RULE


“_b{_def{VinylRecordRecordPropertiesOriginalRelease}}”, “_a{_def{Negations}

_def{PositivePhrases}}”))

ReRelease

REGEX [Rr]e[\s\-][Rr]elease[s]?

REGEX [Rr]erelease[s]?

REGEX [Rr]e[\s\-][Ii]ssue[s]?

REGEX [Rr]eissue[s]?

REGEX [Rr]e[\s\-][Pp]ress[ings]?

REGEX [Rr]epress

REGEX [Rr]epro

REGEX [Ll]imited[\s\-][Ee]dition[s]?

REGEX [Ll]td[\.\s\-][Ee]dition[s]?

REGEX 180[gram]

REGEX 180[\s\-][gram]

REGEX [Bb]rand[\s\-][Nn]ew

REGEX [Uu]nplayed

Positive

PREDICATE_RULE


“_b{_def{VinylRecordRecordPropertiesReRelease}}”,


PREDICATE_RULE


“_b{_def{VinylRecordRecordPropertiesReRelease}}”, “_a{_def{Negations}


Negative

PREDICATE_RULE


“_b{_def{VinylRecordRecordPropertiesReRelease}}”,


PREDICATE_RULE


“_b{_def{VinylRecordRecordPropertiesReRelease}}”, “_a{_def{Negations}


Compilation

CLASSIFIER Compilation

CLASSIFIER compilation

CLASSIFIER Compilations

CLASSIFIER compilations

Positive

PREDICATE_RULE


“_b{_def{VinylRecordRecordPropertiesCompilation}}”,


PREDICATE_RULE


“_b{_def{VinylRecordRecordPropertiesCompilation}}”, “_a{_def{Negations}

Appendix A 93


Negative

PREDICATE_RULE


“_b{_def{VinylRecordRecordPropertiesCompilation}}”,


PREDICATE_RULE


“_b{_def{VinylRecordRecordPropertiesCompilation}}”, “_a{_def{Negations}


BestOf

REGEX [Bb]est[\s\-][Oo]f[^f]

REGEX [Bb]estof

Positive

PREDICATE_RULE


“_b{_def{VinylRecordRecordPropertiesBestOf}}”, “_a{_def{PositivePhrases}}”)))

PREDICATE_RULE


“_b{_def{VinylRecordRecordPropertiesBestOf}}”, “_a{_def{Negations}


Negative

PREDICATE_RULE


“_b{_def{VinylRecordRecordPropertiesBestOf}}”, “_a{_def{NegativePhrases}}”)))

PREDICATE_RULE


“_b{_def{VinylRecordRecordPropertiesBestOf}}”, “_a{_def{Negations}


Sampler

CLASSIFIER VA

CLASSIFIER V/A

REGEX [Vv]arious[\s\-][Aa]rtists

Positive

PREDICATE_RULE


“_b{_def{VinylRecordRecordPropertiesSampler}}”, “_a{_def{PositivePhrases}}”)))

PREDICATE_RULE


“_b{_def{VinylRecordRecordPropertiesSampler}}”, “_a{_def{Negations}


Negative

PREDICATE_RULE


“_b{_def{VinylRecordRecordPropertiesSampler}}”, “_a{_def{NegativePhrases}}”)))

PREDICATE_RULE

Appendix A 94


“_b{_def{VinylRecordRecordPropertiesSampler}}”, “_a{_def{Negations}


Album

REGEX [Vv]inyl[\s\-][Aa]lbum[s]?

Positive

PREDICATE_RULE


“_b{_def{VinylRecordRecordPropertiesAlbum}}”, “_a{_def{PositivePhrases}}”)))

PREDICATE_RULE


“_b{_def{VinylRecordRecordPropertiesAlbum}}”, “_a{_def{Negations}


Negative

PREDICATE_RULE


“_b{_def{VinylRecordRecordPropertiesAlbum}}”, “_a{_def{NegativePhrases}}”)))

PREDICATE_RULE


“_b{_def{VinylRecordRecordPropertiesAlbum}}”, “_a{_def{Negations}


Formats

7Inch

REGEX 7[\s\-]*[Ii]nch[\s\-][Rr]ecord[s]?

REGEX 7[\s\-]*[Ii]nch[\s\-][Ss]single[s]?

REGEX 7[\s\-]*[Ii]nch[\s\-][Dd]isc[s]?

REGEX 7[\s\-]*[Ii]nch[\s\-][Vv]inyl[s]?

REGEX 7[\s\-]*”[\s\-][Rr]ecord[s]?

REGEX 7[\s\-]*”[\s\-][Ss]single[s]?

REGEX 7[\s\-]*”[\s\-][Dd]isc[s]?

REGEX 7[\s\-]*”[\s\-][Vv]inyl[s]?

Positive

PREDICATE_RULE


“_b{_def{VinylRecordFormats7Inch}}”, “_a{_def{PositivePhrases}}”)))

PREDICATE_RULE

(AND, “_def{VinylRecord}”, (DIST_10, “_b{_def{VinylRecordFormats7Inch}}”,

“_a{_def{Negations} _def{NegativePhrases}}”))

Negative

PREDICATE_RULE


“_b{_def{VinylRecordFormats7Inch}}”, “_a{_def{NegativePhrases}}”)))

PREDICATE_RULE


“_a{_def{Negations} _def{PositivePhrases}}”))

Appendix A 95

10Inch


REGEX 10[\s\-]*[Ii]nch[\s\-][Ss]single[s]?




REGEX 10[\s\-]*”[\s\-][Ss]single[s]?

REGEX 10[\s\-]*”[\s\-][Dd]isc[s]?


Positive

PREDICATE_RULE



PREDICATE_RULE



Negative

PREDICATE_RULE



PREDICATE_RULE



12Inch





REGEX 12[\s\-]*”[\s\-][Dd]isc[s]?


Positive

PREDICATE_RULE



PREDICATE_RULE



Negative

PREDICATE_RULE



PREDICATE_RULE



Speeds

Appendix A 96

33Rpm

REGEX 33[RPMrpm]

REGEX 33[\s\-][RPMrpm]

REGEX 331/3[\s\-][RPMrpm]

REGEX 33[\s\-]1/3[\s\-][RPMrpm]

CLASSIFIER 33s

CLASSIFIER 33's

Positive

PREDICATE_RULE


“_b{_def{VinylRecordSpeeds33Rpm}}”, “_a{_def{PositivePhrases}}”)))

PREDICATE_RULE

(AND, “_def{VinylRecord}”, (DIST_10, “_b{_def{VinylRecordSpeeds33Rpm}}”,


Negative

PREDICATE_RULE


“_b{_def{VinylRecordSpeeds33Rpm}}”, “_a{_def{NegativePhrases}}”)))

PREDICATE_RULE



45Rpm

REGEX 45[RPMrpm]


CLASSIFIER 45s

CLASSIFIER 45's

Positive

PREDICATE_RULE



PREDICATE_RULE



Negative

PREDICATE_RULE



PREDICATE_RULE



78Rpm

REGEX 78[RPMrpm]


REGEX [Ss]hellac[\s\-][Rr]ecord[s]?

REGEX [Gg]ramophone[\s\-][Rr]ecord[s]?

CLASSIFIER 78s

CLASSIFIER 78's

Appendix A 97

Positive

PREDICATE_RULE



PREDICATE_RULE



Negative

PREDICATE_RULE



PREDICATE_RULE



RecordTypes

LP

CONCEPT _def{VinylRecord} _def{VinylRecordSpeeds33Rpm}

CONCEPT _def{VinylRecordSpeeds33Rpm} _def{VinylRecord}

CONCEPT _def{VinylRecord} _def{VinylRecordFormats12Inch}

CONCEPT _def{VinylRecordFormats12Inch} _def{VinylRecord}

CLASSIFIER LP

CLASSIFIER [Ll]ong[\s\-][Pp]lay

Positive

PREDICATE_RULE


“_b{_def{VinylRecordRecordTypesLP}}”, “_a{_def{PositivePhrases}}”)))

PREDICATE_RULE

(AND, “_def{VinylRecord}”, (DIST_10, “_b{_def{VinylRecordRecordTypesLP}}”,


Negative

PREDICATE_RULE


“_b{_def{VinylRecordRecordTypesLP}}”, “_a{_def{NegativePhrases}}”)))

PREDICATE_RULE

(AND, “_def{VinylRecord}”, (DIST_10, “_b{_def{VinylRecordRecordTypesLP}}”,


Single

CONCEPT _def{VinylRecord} _def{VinylRecordSpeeds45Rpm}

CONCEPT _def{VinylRecordSpeeds45Rpm} _def{VinylRecord}

CONCEPT _def{VinylRecord} _def{VinylRecordFormats7Inch}

CONCEPT _def{VinylRecordFormats7Inch} _def{VinylRecord}

CONCEPT _def{VinylRecord} single

Positive

PREDICATE_RULE


Appendix A 98

“_b{_def{VinylRecordRecordTypesSingle}}”, “_a{_def{PositivePhrases}}”)))

PREDICATE_RULE

(AND, “_def{VinylRecord}”, (DIST_10, “_b{_def{VinylRecordRecordTypesSingle}}”,


Negative

PREDICATE_RULE


“_b{_def{VinylRecordRecordTypesSingle}}”, “_a{_def{NegativePhrases}}”)))

PREDICATE_RULE

(AND, “_def{VinylRecord}”, (DIST_10, “_b{_def{VinylRecordRecordTypesSingle}}”,


EP

REGEX [Ee]xtended[\s\-][Pp]lay

CLASSIFIER EP

CLASSIFIER EPs

Positive

PREDICATE_RULE


“_b{_def{VinylRecordRecordTypesEP}}”, “_a{_def{PositivePhrases}}”)))

PREDICATE_RULE

(AND, “_def{VinylRecord}”, (DIST_10, “_b{_def{VinylRecordRecordTypesEP}}”,


Negative

PREDICATE_RULE


“_b{_def{VinylRecordRecordTypesEP}}”, “_a{_def{NegativePhrases}}”)))

PREDICATE_RULE

(AND, “_def{VinylRecord}”, (DIST_10, “_b{_def{VinylRecordRecordTypesEP}}”,


Sales

CLASSIFIER vinyl sales

CLASSIFIER vinyl record sales

CLASSIFIER sales of vinyl records

Positive

PREDICATE_RULE

(DIST_10, “_m{_def{VinylRecord}}”, (ORD, “_d{_def{VinylRecordSales}}”,

“_b{_def{Increase}}”, “_a{_def{Percentage}}”))

PREDICATE_RULE


“_b{_def{Increase}}”))

PREDICATE_RULE

(DIST_10, “_m{_def{VinylRecord}}”, (ORD, “_d{sales}”, “_b{_def{Increase}}”,

“_a{_def{Percentage}}”))

PREDICATE_RULE

(DIST_10, “_m{_def{VinylRecord}}”, (ORD, “_d{sales}”, “_b{_def{Increase}}”))

Appendix A 99

PREDICATE_RULE

(DIST_10, “_m{_def{VinylRecordSales}}”, “_b{_def{Increase}}”)

PREDICATE_RULE

(DIST_10, “_m{_def{VinylRecordSales}}”, “_b{_def{PositivePhrases}}”)

PREDICATE_RULE

(DIST_10, “_m{_def{VinylRecordRecordTypesLP}}”, (ORD,

“_d{_def{VinylRecordSales}}”, “_b{_def{Increase}}”, “_a{_def{Percentage}}”))

PREDICATE_RULE

(DIST_10, “_m{_def{VinylRecordRecordTypesLP}}”, (ORD,

“_d{_def{VinylRecordSales}}”, “_b{_def{Increase}}”))

PREDICATE_RULE

(DIST_10, “_m{_def{VinylRecordRecordTypesLP}}”, (ORD, “_d{sales}”,


PREDICATE_RULE

(DIST_10, “_m{_def{VinylRecordRecordTypesLP}}”, (ORD, “_d{sales}”,


PREDICATE_RULE

(DIST_10, “_m{_def{VinylRecordRecordTypesSingle}}”, (ORD,


PREDICATE_RULE

(DIST_10, “_m{_def{VinylRecordRecordTypesSingle}}”, (ORD,


PREDICATE_RULE

(DIST_10, “_m{_def{VinylRecordRecordTypesSingle}}”, (ORD, “_d{sales}”,


PREDICATE_RULE

(DIST_10, “_m{_def{VinylRecordRecordTypesSingle}}”, (ORD, “_d{sales}”,


PREDICATE_RULE

(DIST_10, “_m{_def{VinylRecordRecordTypesEP}}”, (ORD,


PREDICATE_RULE

(DIST_10, “_m{_def{VinylRecordRecordTypesEP}}”, (ORD,


PREDICATE_RULE

(DIST_10, “_m{_def{VinylRecordRecordTypesEP}}”, (ORD, “_d{sales}”,


PREDICATE_RULE

(DIST_10, “_m{_def{VinylRecordRecordTypesEP}}”, (ORD, “_d{sales}”,


Negative

PREDICATE_RULE


“_b{_def{Decrease}}”, “_a{_def{Percentage}}”))

PREDICATE_RULE


“_b{_def{Decrease}}”))

PREDICATE_RULE

(DIST_10, “_m{_def{VinylRecord}}”, (ORD, “_d{sales}”, “_b{_def{Decrease}}”,

“_a{_def{Percentage}}”))

Appendix A 100

PREDICATE_RULE

(DIST_10, “_m{_def{VinylRecord}}”, (ORD, “_d{sales}”, “_b{_def{Decrease}}”))

PREDICATE_RULE

(DIST_10, “_m{_def{VinylRecordSales}}”, “_b{_def{Decrease}}”)

PREDICATE_RULE

(DIST_10, “_m{_def{VinylRecordSales}}”, “_b{_def{NegativePhrases}}”)

101

Appendix B

1 Questionnaire Used for the Survey Among Sellers

1. When did you start selling records via the internet? Do you also or still run a local shop? 2. On average, do you sell more analogue or digital records? 3. Did you sell a lot more vinyl records since you started selling them online than before? 4. Do you make more profit with new or with used vinyl records? 5. In what price range are the vinyl records you offer? (median or highest price would be helpful, but a rough guess will do as well) 6. Do many of your customers ask questions about records they want to buy or do they get the information elsewhere? 7. How well do vinyl releases of albums that were initially released on CD sell compared to the respective CDs? 8. Do you manage your selling website or webshop yourself or through a service provider? 9. In case you manage it yourself: Has your website or webshop been essentially modernized or relaunched in recent years? If so, how did this affect sales and the number of customers? 10. In case you use a service provider: On how many different platforms (eg. ebay, gemm, etc.) do you sell your records? 11. Are you satisfied with the opportunities for selling records that the internet currently offers you? Can you think of improvements, especially concerning trading or selling vinyl records? 12. Do you think that the increased availability made possible or easier by the internet (e.g. mailorder or searching for information on certain records) has enhanced the popularity of vinyl records again? 13. What is your personal estimation of the future price and value development of vintage vinyl records? Are the prices for rarities going to rise further or is the hype going to decrease and records be sold at knock-down prices? (think as far into the future as you like, maybe even several decades)

Appendix B 102

2 Results of the Seller-Survey From Google Spreadsheets

Timestamp 1. When did you start selling records via the internet? Do you also or still run a local shop?

12.10.2012 17:07:05 1999 / yes

14.10.2012 21:43:34 1996. No shop.

16.10.2012 19:52:54 I started selling records online in the summer of 2009, when I wanted to sell off several of the big ticket items I had in my record store. I do not have a local shop anymore, but due to problems of partnerships I choose, not because of lack of sales.

16.10.2012 20:24:20 1999 Yes, I still own a record shop.

17.10.2012 20:23:45 Around 9-10 years ago we first started selling LPs online. We have had a retail location in the past, but no longer do. We operate online and by appointment.

17.10.2012 22:07:56 I started as a full dealer about 11 year ago - No I do not have or have ever had a shop

18.10.2012 00:37:35 I started selling in 2006

22.10.2012 18:27:00 ca 10 Jahre Website, seit 2 Jahren auch Ebay und Ladengeschäft

23.10.2012 16:40:56 Started selling online on my own web site roughly around 1996. We also have a high street shop which I have had for four years.

25.10.2012 17:42:21 1998 yes

14.11.2012 15:32:30 Summer 2008. No record shop, Ebay only.

26.11.2012 15:11:37 2005. I do not run or have run a local shop

26.11.2012 18:02:07 2002, no shop

29.11.2012 13:39:52 I started selling records on the internet, primarily on eBay with a few sales done one Amazon.com about 5 years ago. I do not run a local shop, though I am considering doing so.

29.11.2012 18:43:49 1999.. no shop but we sell all over the world from our website

30.11.2012 04:05:37 2005

01.12.2012 00:15:59 About 2 1/2 years ago and no record shop but sell at car boot weekly

03.12.2012 14:28:50 2005, online sales only

04.12.2012 17:12:51 I started selling in 1998 on eBay. I only sold a few here and there. Then in about 2009 I ramped up the number of records that I sell. I do not have a store and never did. However, I do conduct record sales out of my garage a few times a year where I blow out LPs that I deem are unfit for eBay.

06.12.2012 08:37:13 2006, no

06.12.2012 10:09:42 In September this year. I don't run a shop.

06.12.2012 17:44:20 right around the turn of the century

10.12.2012 20:23:50 Started in 2009, no local shop

18.12.2012 05:53:31 Started selling on eBay probably 10 years ago. Prior to that I always put out record lists since the mid '70s which I continue to still do. Never ran a brick and mortar record shop. http://www.arfarfrecords.com/bad

Appendix B 103

Timestamp 2. On average, do you sell more analogue or digital records?

12.10.2012 17:07:05 analog

14.10.2012 21:43:34 Analogue.

16.10.2012 19:52:54 Analog.

16.10.2012 20:24:20 Analogue.

17.10.2012 20:23:45 We don't sell anything digital, outside of the odd CD here and there.

17.10.2012 22:07:56 I almost never sell digital records less than 1 % everything else is analogue starting from the 1890's

18.10.2012 00:37:35 All records are analogue. (?) - If you mean records containing music that was recorded digitally, then it will be analogue - digital recording didn't become widespread until the mid-80's and the majority of vinyl I sell pre-dates that.

22.10.2012 18:27:00 analog

23.10.2012 16:40:56 Whats a digital record?? We sell mainly vinyl records and a very few cd's. No downloads at all.

25.10.2012 17:42:21 analogue

14.11.2012 15:32:30 Analog, vinyl records exclusively.

26.11.2012 15:11:37 analogue

26.11.2012 18:02:07 analogue

29.11.2012 13:39:52 Analogue records.

29.11.2012 18:43:49 om.. there aren't any digital records, are there?

30.11.2012 04:05:37 analogue

01.12.2012 00:15:59 Analogue

03.12.2012 14:28:50 Analogue

04.12.2012 17:12:51 by far analogue over digital

06.12.2012 08:37:13 equal in sales

06.12.2012 10:09:42 All analogue - don't think I have any digital!

06.12.2012 17:44:20 analog, lps.

10.12.2012 20:23:50 Specialized on records (analogue)

18.12.2012 05:53:31 I sell collectable vinyl from the '60s with a focus on garage and psychedelic 45s. Since 1990, I've also run the Arf Arf CD label which specializes in high-quality archival quality CD packages and have about 7 dozen reissues out, most of which have substantive booklets. This was always my master plan since the music is easy to find online but the booklet is worth the $14 list price. http://www.arfarfrecords.com

Appendix B 104

Timestamp 3. Did you sell a lot more vinyl records since you started selling them online than before?

12.10.2012 17:07:05 yes

14.10.2012 21:43:34 Yes.

16.10.2012 19:52:54 Yes, it's a bigger market when millions of people are being reached.

16.10.2012 20:24:20 Yes

17.10.2012 20:23:45 We sold many more LP's / vinyl online than our retail location, which is why it no longer exists.

17.10.2012 22:07:56 I only sell on line

18.10.2012 00:37:35 I didn't sell vinyl before I started selling online.

22.10.2012 18:27:00 nein, etwa gleichgeblieben

23.10.2012 16:40:56 No, not to start with, but I started selling at the very beggining of online e-trade so most buyers were still buyer in the traditional methods and slowly internet sales grew along with internet users and now the internet sales far out weigh other methods.

25.10.2012 17:42:21 yes

14.11.2012 15:32:30 Yes

26.11.2012 15:11:37 no. only ever sold them on-line

26.11.2012 18:02:07 I never sold records offline. I feel am more a collector then a seller. I sell in order to buy other rare records.

29.11.2012 13:39:52 I only sell online.

29.11.2012 18:43:49 No, all of our sales have come online.

30.11.2012 04:05:37 yes

01.12.2012 00:15:59 Started selling online and offline at same time so cannot compare

03.12.2012 14:28:50 never sold elsewhere

04.12.2012 17:12:51 It appears that online record selling is indeed growing. Good selling records like Led Zeppelin or Pink Floyd continue to command higher prices and there are more and more records that once were too common to justify putting on eBay that are now fetching $8-$15

06.12.2012 08:37:13 about the same

06.12.2012 10:09:42 Yes, I didn't sell them before.

06.12.2012 17:44:20 yes

10.12.2012 20:23:50 Yes

18.12.2012 05:53:31 I have a mailing list of approximately 400 customers, many of whom purchase rare vinyl that's priced between $10 and $300, with a few expensive pieces selling up to $900 on the latest list. What I do is set sale records on my list, and then will periodically post records on eBay with a reasonable minimum bid. Often I will be surprised at how much a record will sell for on eBay. But more often than not, my minimum bid is what the record realistically sells for. I've noticed that some people use my prices as the “going price,” so in some ways I might be the “Alan Greenspan” of the pricing world for obscure '60s rock hehehe!

Appendix B 105

Timestamp 4. Do you make more profit with new or with used vinyl records?

12.10.2012 17:07:05 used

14.10.2012 21:43:34 Used.

16.10.2012 19:52:54 Used.

16.10.2012 20:24:20 Used vinyls.

17.10.2012 20:23:45 Used. New vinyl is expensive for both consumer and the store, and with companies like Amazon offering new vinyl at slightly higher prices than we have to pay for it, we can't really compete strongly.

17.10.2012 22:07:56 This is a hard question to answer - if it's an old record from the late 50's to present (only if orriginal) for the mort part sealed records will ALWAYS command a higher price (unless it's a reissue)

18.10.2012 00:37:35 All my records are technically “used”, but many of them are “mint unplayed” but all have been pre-owned. I would like to get into selling new vinyl but I haven't found a way to make any money doing it.

22.10.2012 18:27:00 handele nur mit Second-Hand Tonträgern

23.10.2012 16:40:56 We only sell used vinyl and the profit is reasonable ;-)

25.10.2012 17:42:21 used

14.11.2012 15:32:30 Used records only.

26.11.2012 15:11:37 used

26.11.2012 18:02:07 I don't sell new records, only used.

29.11.2012 13:39:52 If the new record is original issue, as opposed to a re-issue, you can make more profit, but not always.

29.11.2012 18:43:49 used.

30.11.2012 04:05:37 used

01.12.2012 00:15:59 Yes profit on both but obviously very variable

03.12.2012 14:28:50 used

04.12.2012 17:12:51 I mainly sell used records. I looked into selling new records and there is very little margin for an independent dealer like myself

06.12.2012 08:37:13 used

06.12.2012 10:09:42 I only sell used records from my collection.

06.12.2012 17:44:20 depends. new because we move more of them. some used vinyl is worth cash, but we sell less.

10.12.2012 20:23:50 Used

18.12.2012 05:53:31 I only sell vintage (used or unplayed) vinyl. I do not carry new vinyl except for a few items that I've personally been involved with licensing to a label that presses vinyl. The last vinyl disc that I pressed was in 1993, which was a pair of 45 singles. So I make profit from used collectable vinyl and very often put some of the profit back into building my personal collection.

Appendix B 106

Timestamp 5. In what price range are the vinyl records you offer? (median or highest price would be helpful, but a rough guess will do as well)

12.10.2012 17:07:05 $3 - $500 or more but most in the $3 - $25 range

14.10.2012 21:43:34 $3 to $1000. Median price is probably around $15.

16.10.2012 19:52:54 About an average of $5 ($3 to $10).

16.10.2012 20:24:20 £15 GBP

17.10.2012 20:23:45 $5-$2000+

17.10.2012 22:07:56 I sell record for as low as $7.99 and up to several thousand dollars - it all depends of what it is (demand) and condition

18.10.2012 00:37:35 I sell inclusive of postage and packing, so it is a little skewed, but my 7” singles start at £3.99 and LP's start at £5.99 - anything below that would not be profitable. My average sale hovers around the £10 mark. I have had some high price sales also, a couple over £1000 and two at £800 (all for 7” singles), and many over £100

22.10.2012 18:27:00 € 3.- bis € 20.-, bei Raritäten auch höher

23.10.2012 16:40:56 We sell the full range from £1 each at the high street shop to £500+ online. Most records we sell are priced between £7 & £15.

25.10.2012 17:42:21 7 - 10 dollars

14.11.2012 15:32:30 I start the auctions very low, 5.99. Rare ones I'll start higher..

26.11.2012 15:11:37 starting price £0.99 for all. Bids have risen to £680 on one occassion

26.11.2012 18:02:07 5-100 euros median 20 euros

29.11.2012 13:39:52 Lowest price: $1 Highest $640 Average $10

29.11.2012 18:43:49 average about $6, anywhere from $1 on up to several hundred dollars.

30.11.2012 04:05:37 Average price is $40

01.12.2012 00:15:59 All price ranges from 50p to £1,500 but generally about £5-£8

03.12.2012 14:28:50 $6.- $600.

04.12.2012 17:12:51 Most of my records are in the $15-$30 price range. I have sold records for as high as $1000, but those are hard to come by.

06.12.2012 08:37:13 $20 and up to $400

06.12.2012 10:09:42 Some have sold for £10, most around £20, but I have sold some for £90, £47, £30.

06.12.2012 17:44:20 $16-$32

10.12.2012 20:23:50 median would say € 10

18.12.2012 05:53:31 Roughly in the $10 to $300 price range. Many of the more expensive items sell well and I try to be realistic about the prices that I list them at since I have much experience pricing records. Also customers trust my prices and I'm known in the industry for being fair.

Appendix B 107

Timestamp 6. Do many of your customers ask questions about records they want to buy or do they get the information elsewhere?

12.10.2012 17:07:05 some of both

14.10.2012 21:43:34 They get the information elsewhere.

16.10.2012 19:52:54 I used to get a lot of questions about “what songs of on this album?” and so on, but that has stopped since there's so many sites out there with that info (discogs, rateyourmusic, allmusic, etc). I do get a lot questions regarding condition, details of pressing (matrix #'s, reissues, etc).

16.10.2012 20:24:20 No

17.10.2012 20:23:45 We try to have detailed listings, however some customers do request more information from us, such as track listings, personnel, etc.

17.10.2012 22:07:56 I get a very small amount of questions - in my listing I use several pictures for each reccord and try to give as much information as far as pressings quality. I usually try to under-grade in both the records and or covers - trying to give the bidder a better deal. When I do get questions they are usually something stupid or the buyers are too lazy to read.

18.10.2012 00:37:35 I try and make my listings informative but I do get a lot of questions which is all part of the service - people ask for extra photos, or for matrix numbers scratched on the dead wax, or more details about the condition. Another regular question is for track listings on LP's as I rarely bother to type out the track listing as it takes forever.

22.10.2012 18:27:00 nein

23.10.2012 16:40:56 Most know what they want already but some ask for specific details.

25.10.2012 17:42:21 2 or 3

14.11.2012 15:32:30 Both I'm sure. Many ask me questions (what matrix # is stamped on the dead wax? does the label say 63rd Street? Which tracks are on this record? etc) Some even want me to participate in surveys!

26.11.2012 15:11:37 very few

26.11.2012 18:02:07 Not so much, they get their information elsewhere mostly. When they ask questions they ask questions about the condition. I add sounclips to my auctions so people can listen for themselves.

29.11.2012 13:39:52 Most customer get the information elsewhere. They only ask questions regarding the specific item for sale. For example, they might want details about the condition of the vinyl or whether a poster is included. Sometimes they want to know about the matrix number printed in the runoff area of the record. This can reveal whether a record is a first pressing or tell which engineer mastered the record.

29.11.2012 18:43:49 both

30.11.2012 04:05:37 Yes many, I receive and answer approx 25 emails per week regarding Lps I have for sale.

01.12.2012 00:15:59 Usually they can get all they need from many vinyl sites

03.12.2012 14:28:50 items are advertisesed well to eliminate most questions

04.12.2012 17:12:51 I provide a lot of detail in the descriptions and I believe that helps me be successing in selling online. I get very few questions.

06.12.2012 08:37:13 most ask directly

06.12.2012 10:09:42 I receive very few questions, I guess people know what they want.

06.12.2012 17:44:20 i answer about a dozen questions a day re: records

10.12.2012 20:23:50 There are questions every day

18.12.2012 05:53:31 My lists usually have accurate descriptions along with citing where they can hear the songs on various CD and LP reissues. Many customers trust my descriptions so I try not to talk up a bad record. The customer base that I sell to is usually quite informed about the music. To a person who is not familiar with collecting rare vinyl, my lists probably come off obsessive/compulsive which amuses me to no end. I'm sure some people think I'm totally crazy! I like that ... and there's probably a bit of truth to what they might say.

Appendix B 108

Timestamp 7. How well do vinyl releases of albums that were initially released on CD sell compared to the respective CDs?

12.10.2012 17:07:05 Depends on what the listener wants, convenience or quality. I can't say as I have not listened to one, but my gut feeling is the vinyl would sound better because of the lower rpm.

14.10.2012 21:43:34 I don't know.

16.10.2012 19:52:54 Depends on the artist. Some bands of certain genres have a bigger fan base of vinyl collectors (metal, punk, indie, etc). But when it comes to modern pop artists, it seems their collectors are happy with an mp3 or cd.

16.10.2012 20:24:20 Less.

17.10.2012 20:23:45 We don't really sell CD's, so it is hard to compare, but we do see a great many people preferring to buy items issued on Vinyl rather than CD. I think more and more as we go along MP3/digital download will do much more damage to the CD market, and help expand demand for Vinyl. CD's are a comparable quality for the vast majority of listeners, whereas Vinyl has noticeably different sound qualities, and a more compelling packaging/presentation in most cases.

17.10.2012 22:07:56 I only selll vinyl no cd's - I see on difference in the total bids on earlier lp and also had cd's issued at that same time. However in more recent years - I guess the last five - the vinyl issues are quite limited and after their original availabity the will demand the price much higher than the average cd.

18.10.2012 00:37:35 I don't really bother with CD's much so I can't really answer that one.

22.10.2012 18:27:00 keine Erfahrung mit dem Thema

23.10.2012 16:40:56 Usually extremely well but this is because of their limited availabilty & nothing to do with quality or the market for them.

25.10.2012 17:42:21 I don't carry New release vinyl

14.11.2012 15:32:30 I only sell vintage records so I can't answer this one.

26.11.2012 15:11:37 vinyl sells better

26.11.2012 18:02:07 I don't know, I only sell old records that were initially released on vinyl.

29.11.2012 13:39:52 I suspect they don't sell as well because the prices are very high. For example, the 3 LP set of 'Celebration Day' by Led Zeppelin is $47 compared to less than $20 for CD.

29.11.2012 18:43:49 vinyl usually superior in sound quality and mastering.

30.11.2012 04:05:37 Usually CDs sell more units, but the retail price for vinyl is higher & usually more profitable

01.12.2012 00:15:59 I can't really answer that as most of my stock is 60's -70's and not many releases post date CD releases

03.12.2012 14:28:50 just as well if not better for us

04.12.2012 17:12:51 I'm not really sure. I would say that albums from the early 1990s are in very high demand due to very low production in the US

06.12.2012 08:37:13 vinyl sells better since generally when the album was more accepted for purchase on cd. Collectors will go back and search for these as a rarity. Especially vinyl pressed in the 90;s

06.12.2012 10:09:42 I couldn't answer that one I'm afraid, I'm just selling a collection, not a retailer with an eye on these kinds of figures.

06.12.2012 17:44:20 not sure, don't really mess with cd's in the age of the torrent

10.12.2012 20:23:50 you can´t compare this, it´s the warmer sound of a Vinyl what audiophils and collectors prefer

18.12.2012 05:53:31 I think in some cases the vinyl that I've licensed to various labels may have done better than my CD reissues. But despite being a serious vinyl collector, I like the audio CD as an archival medium since the sound is (to my ears) much more accurate and closer to what the master tape sounds like than vinyl. I never thought the [new] vinyl resurgence would last but it has and apparently continues to sell well. One of my good collector pals runs Sundazed Records and vinyl is keeping them in the black.

Appendix B 109

Timestamp 8. Do you manage your selling website or webshop yourself or through a service provider?

12.10.2012 17:07:05 myself

14.10.2012 21:43:34 Service provider.

16.10.2012 19:52:54 I use ebay only at the moment.

16.10.2012 20:24:20 Myself.

17.10.2012 20:23:45 We have our own website, as well as accounts with ebay, musicstack.com, discogs.com, cd&lp.com. We have our own custom developed back-end software that manages our inventory automatically across all platforms.

17.10.2012 22:07:56 I do all the inventory and listing myself - However I sell only via Ebay

18.10.2012 00:37:35 Well, it's through EKM, they host it, manage all the money side, but I am lucky to have a top website designer for a son so he designed it and I add stock as and when I want.

22.10.2012 18:27:00 den Inhalt/die Datenbank verwalte ich selbst, die Website wurde von einem Dienstleister gestaltet

23.10.2012 16:40:56 Myself. I'm too smart ;-)

25.10.2012 17:42:21 Ebay only

14.11.2012 15:32:30 Only sell on Ebay, no Ebay store, auctions only.

26.11.2012 15:11:37 sevice provider

26.11.2012 18:02:07 I sell only through ebay or discogs. So through a serviceprovider I guess.

29.11.2012 13:39:52 My selling website is automatically populated my eBay listings. I prepare the eBay listings.

29.11.2012 18:43:49 through a provider, but we do a lot ourselves.

30.11.2012 04:05:37 I sell through ebay

01.12.2012 00:15:59 Yes myself on ebay, amazon & discogs I have a blog but I don't sell from there

03.12.2012 14:28:50 ebay

04.12.2012 17:12:51 I use eBay and I manage the eBay store myself

06.12.2012 08:37:13 ebay

06.12.2012 10:09:42 Again, I only sell through ebay, which I guess is a service provider.

06.12.2012 17:44:20 that's my job, yes.

10.12.2012 20:23:50 At the moment we´re selling only on ebay

18.12.2012 05:53:31 I have an assistant who does all of my web needs. As for my Arf Arf CD reissue label, I have one primary distributor (Allegro/Nail) in the US and one in Europe (Clear Spot). Both of them make Arf Arf CDs readily available online with such sites as Amazon, etc.

Appendix B 110

Timestamp 9. In case you manage it yourself: Has your website or webshop been essentially modernized or relaunched in recent years? If so, how did this affect sales and the number of customers?

12.10.2012 17:07:05 somewhat, but I think that Organic Search is more important. Not all Search engines return accurate information & the junk needs to be moved to the bottom of the results.

14.10.2012 21:43:34

16.10.2012 19:52:54 n/a

16.10.2012 20:24:20 It affects sales.

17.10.2012 20:23:45 Our website has been in process of a redesign over the last year. Sales are increasing, but the site is not perfect yet either.

17.10.2012 22:07:56 -

18.10.2012 00:37:35 I always feel guilty that my website has remained pretty much unchanged since it was launched. I have no plans for any great changes.

22.10.2012 18:27:00 nein, die Tendenz geht weg von der eigenen Website zu z.B Ebay

23.10.2012 16:40:56 Not recently, maybe 10 years ago & yes it did drive more customers there at the time.

25.10.2012 17:42:21

14.11.2012 15:32:30 Ebay modenizes sometimes, don't notice any difference in sales.

26.11.2012 15:11:37

26.11.2012 18:02:07 I don't manage it myself.

29.11.2012 13:39:52 The website appears to have been modernized. There had been a larger selection of templates previously, Templates allow you to change the look of the site. Now there are only a small number of color schemes. Once you click on an item in the site, you navigate to eBay, so it's hard to determine the affect on sales.

29.11.2012 18:43:49 yes.. we launched a new version in august. so far, better sales and more customers, but not remarkably so.

30.11.2012 04:05:37 NA

01.12.2012 00:15:59 N/A

03.12.2012 14:28:50

04.12.2012 17:12:51 n/a

06.12.2012 08:37:13

06.12.2012 10:09:42 N/A

06.12.2012 17:44:20 launching our own site right now....

10.12.2012 20:23:50 see above

18.12.2012 05:53:31 The Arf Arf site and my Bad Vibrations associated site has remained pretty much the same for the past 10 years. I do need to upgrade the sound samples since we're still using the antiquated “Real Audio” which is a dinosaur these days. But again most of our sales are done through our distributors who keep their technology current.

Appendix B 111

Timestamp 10. In case you use a service provider: On how many different platforms (eg. ebay, gemm, etc.) do you sell your records?

12.10.2012 17:07:05 Boogiebobs Records, Amazon, Google Products, eBay

14.10.2012 21:43:34 ebay & discogs

16.10.2012 19:52:54 just 1, ebay.

16.10.2012 20:24:20 Just eBay.

17.10.2012 20:23:45 See question 8

17.10.2012 22:07:56 I only use Ebay and I only sell via auction - never Buy it Now (or fixed price sales) - Sights like Gemm and fixed price sights - no auction

18.10.2012 00:37:35 I have dabbled with other selling platforms, namely Ebid, Discogs and a couple of other smaller ones that I can't recall. Literally a couple of sales in 6 years, I don't waste my time with them. Ebay is brilliant.

22.10.2012 18:27:00 nur ebay

23.10.2012 16:40:56 Mainly ebay but sometimes Musicstack & Gemm.

25.10.2012 17:42:21 ebay

14.11.2012 15:32:30 Ebay only.

26.11.2012 15:11:37 ebay only

26.11.2012 18:02:07 2: ebay and discogs

29.11.2012 13:39:52 n/a

29.11.2012 18:43:49 6-7 sources. including amazon, ebay, cdlp, musicstack, gemm, discogs is a big one.

30.11.2012 04:05:37 Just ebay

01.12.2012 00:15:59 3 X EBAY - AMAZON - DISCOGS (only just started on discogs)

03.12.2012 14:28:50 ebay

04.12.2012 17:12:51 I mostly sell on eBay, but I started using www.discogs.com in the past year

06.12.2012 08:37:13 ebay only

06.12.2012 10:09:42 Just ebay.

06.12.2012 17:44:20 ebay/discogs/ coming soon, our own site.

10.12.2012 20:23:50 only ebay

18.12.2012 05:53:31 I only use eBay for collectable vinyl. I do not get involved selling Arf Arf CDs on eBay, Gemm, etc and let the distributors do their magic. Ebay has been an ideal resource and supplemental way to sell rare vinyl for excellent prices to a worldwide market. I also use it to build my database of customers for my Bad Vibrations rare record list/site, since each year I always lose a percentage of customers who no longer collect vinyl. Or their wives have told them NO MORE RECORDS OR ELSE I”M KICKING YOU OUT OF THE HOUSE!!! (you are an exception Sarah! and 99% of my customer base is male).

Appendix B 112

Timestamp 11. Are you satisfied with the opportunities for selling records that the internet currently offers you? Can you think of improvements, especially concerning trading or selling vinyl records?

12.10.2012 17:07:05 More accurate search results, less fees from the Corporate Selling Venues

14.10.2012 21:43:34 It would be nice if there was an site that was exclusively for records, had high traffic, and used the auction format, because eBay is very expensive for sellers while the other sites are all for set-price sales.

16.10.2012 19:52:54 I'm slightly dissatisfied and satisfied at the same time, neutral I guess. Records online sell for more than half as less than what the record price guides say they're worth. Sometimes this works opposite, but rarely. I am satisfied that I can sell 100's of records in a week that I wouldn't sell with a storefront, that's for sure.

16.10.2012 20:24:20 No, apart from eBay, there's no other real alternatives sites.

17.10.2012 20:23:45 The biggest marketplace opportunity is ebay, as it seems to attract the widest range of collectors from all over the world, however their feedback system is very easily manipulated by unscrupulous users. Ebay uses a 1-5 star rating system in addition to Positive, NEgative, and Neutral feedback. The star system actually determines your account standing, and affects both how your items are displayed in ebay's system, as well as potential discounts on your ebay fees. Customers can leave positive feedback, stating “everything great!” or something to that extent, but they can leave a 1 star rating at the same time, which is a backhanded, 'sneaky' way to damage a stores rating and cost them money while appearing to be satisfied with the transaction. Ebay is aware of the ease of manipulation, but has not done anything despite several years of complaints about the system. Vindictive customers or scam-artists consistently understand that once we ship them an item, they can claim it arrived with scratches, in worse condition than advertised, damaged, etc, and know that we have no choice but to offer a partial (or sometimes full is demanded), and we have no real protection from ebay. Every item we sell is inspected before shipping to ensure it meets the grade it was sold at, however we have also had records purchased, the buyer complains about the condition, and then returns the record, only to find they have returned a different version of the album than the one we sent them. This is impossible to prove to eBay, and there have been numerous instances where our item was stolen in this manner.

17.10.2012 22:07:56 If I do trading it is usually with other dealer who deal in types of muisc that I don't sell or know very little about. Ebay is ok but their fees are to high with PayPal added about 15% of winning bid, The net has opened up markets for types of records that I would be unable sell any other way since it is world wide exposure.

18.10.2012 00:37:35 No, I think there's plenty of choice out there, you just have to look. I could probably make a go of using Discogs if I could find the time to build up an account.

22.10.2012 18:27:00 Absatzmöglichkeiten im Internet sind o.k.

23.10.2012 16:40:56 Could do with a music only auction site but nothing will rival the establishment of ebay.

25.10.2012 17:42:21 yes

14.11.2012 15:32:30 Yes I am satisfied but I can think of improvements.

26.11.2012 15:11:37 yes

26.11.2012 18:02:07 Yes, I am satisfied. I have a feeling that I am taking advantage from it as i have been doing it for 10 years so I know how to do it.

29.11.2012 13:39:52 There is a great international demand for vinyl records. The post office should help accommodate this with flat-rate mailing boxes designed specifically for mailing records. I have suggested this in their survey.

29.11.2012 18:43:49 I'm fairly satisfied with the sources I can use.

30.11.2012 04:05:37 No it's all okay at the moment ..it will definitely get better in the future as more people learn about on-line shopping. It will become more competitive then, but easier for people like myself who have a head start on the selling. That will be

Appendix B 113

Timestamp 11. Are you satisfied with the opportunities for selling records that the internet currently offers you? Can you think of improvements, especially concerning trading or selling vinyl records?

the big payoff.

01.12.2012 00:15:59 No I think they are well covered with various options available If anything the market appears to be getting more flooded and prices driven down as with all media products

03.12.2012 14:28:50 would perfer to have own website eventually

04.12.2012 17:12:51 I am very satisfied. I just wish that eBay would not have such high fees. If they lowered the fees I would offer more (lower priced records)

06.12.2012 08:37:13 improvements are soley based on the knowledge of the individual selling the vinyl . If you have experinece and drive it can be very profitable

06.12.2012 10:09:42 This biggest issue is uploading information, very time consuming if you want give buyers the context of the record, line ups, track listing. Not sure if a 'bank' of info to cut and paste would help?

06.12.2012 17:44:20 yeah, we're satisfied.

10.12.2012 20:23:50 In my opinion the possibilities are not bad, but several things could be improved

18.12.2012 05:53:31 I think eBay is the best since it opens up the records that I sell to an International market. Also, eBay is the most trusted site although I have little or no experience with other auction sites. Having the link with Paypal really makes selling easy despite their considerable fees. I don't set sale records since the discs that I list can often get much higher bids which is a pleasant surprise. Of course the descriptions and sound samples help sell a disc so I always put a lot of time into making those effective.

Appendix B 114

Timestamp 12. Do you think that the increased availability made possible or easier by the internet (e.g. mailorder or searching for information on certain records) has enhanced the popularity of vinyl records again?

12.10.2012 17:07:05 yes

14.10.2012 21:43:34 It has probably helped somewhat.

16.10.2012 19:52:54 I think the recession in the USA has ruined everything in the past 5 years, so I really can't tell. Checking online record sales' history (popsike.com), you'll see that records that once sold for $200 in 2004 and now selling for $30. So this question is hard to answer. I would say “yes” to the question, if not for the recession's interference.

16.10.2012 20:24:20 Sure.

17.10.2012 20:23:45 Yes. We have many customers that are from countries that could not have purchased the items when they were released, and are now building their vinyl collection. Also, many younger buyers that were not around when the album was released are looking to collect the vinyl version of their favorites classic artists records.

17.10.2012 22:07:56 Yes - I feel records will never really die - they have a different sound quality which can be charged by the type (and cost) of the cartridge and stylus that you are using. CD's don't give you that option - they have a warmer sound but the depth of presence is missing even on very expensive (audiophile) or Radio Station quality players

18.10.2012 00:37:35 Undoubtedly.

22.10.2012 18:27:00 wird in kleinem Rahmen konstant bleiben

23.10.2012 16:40:56 No. I think the decline of the cd has helped along with the realizeasion that vinyl gives a better sound which can not be reproduced by electronic(compressed) music formats.

25.10.2012 17:42:21 possibly

14.11.2012 15:32:30 There are many record fans who never 'graduated' to digital formats, many titles that are only available on vinyl, many people going back to vinyl because it's cool and hip, etc etc. Easier access through the internet makes all these types happy, so, the answer is yes.

26.11.2012 15:11:37 internet has made it easier. I do not think it has enhanced the popularity of vinyl

26.11.2012 18:02:07 I don't know. In my eyes vinyl is also popular without the internet. Internet has also spoilt things for the treasure hunting collector who knows a lot about obscure records, as all the information on value is available online. On the other hand it has helped me a lot to get rid of my unwanted or spare records.

29.11.2012 13:39:52 Yes. The possibility to reach a worldwide audience has enhanced the popularity of vinyl. If the record companies would see that people would buy a $10 vinyl record with a nice cover -- something potentially collectible, instead of illegal file sharing because what you get for $10 is a compact disk that is easily damaged from handing that comes in a case that is easily damaged (cracks, broken hinges). If you're lucky, the CD comes with a booklet that is difficult the get out and back into the case. To return exclusively to the vinyl format could potentially help to revive economies worldwide, thanks to the internet.

29.11.2012 18:43:49 Yes.

30.11.2012 04:05:37 Yes ..as above & will keep getting better as time goes by.

01.12.2012 00:15:59 Yes I think the fact that it is easier to search and browse has definately helped, and as there is not a lot of new interesting music being made people are returning to tried and tested genres of yester years, particularly punk and goth

03.12.2012 14:28:50 yes

04.12.2012 17:12:51 indeed. That and youtube and google. Today its really easy to learn about new music. You find something you like on youtube or facebook or wherever and you can simply jump to eBay and buy a copy on vinyl

06.12.2012 08:37:13 yes definately

Appendix B 115

Timestamp 12. Do you think that the increased availability made possible or easier by the internet (e.g. mailorder or searching for information on certain records) has enhanced the popularity of vinyl records again?

06.12.2012 10:09:42 I'm not sure about the roots of the re-emergence of vinyl popularity, but it is certainly increased recently. I think the 'retro' nostalgic aspect is important and a chance for people devoted to their music to demonstrate that by paying money for original records rather than the impersonal and 'non-aesthetic' nature of downloading.

06.12.2012 17:44:20 discogs helps alot. tracklistings in dj sets helps too.

10.12.2012 20:23:50 No, I don´t think that´s the reason

18.12.2012 05:53:31 Good question! I would have to say yes which is my gut reaction. I suspect that finding vinyl online has made “our” hobby more active saleswise with people searching on the web for specific items.

Appendix B 116

Timestamp 13. What is your personal estimation of the future price and value development of vintage vinyl records? Are the prices for rarities going to rise further or is the hype going to decrease and records be sold at knock-down prices? (think as far into the future as you like, maybe even several decades)

12.10.2012 17:07:05 I don't know as the price will increase of decrease, but feel that vinyl as a format will be around forever - it just flat out sounds better

14.10.2012 21:43:34 When compared to other collectibles of similar rarity, vintage records are under-priced and haven't reached their potential value. They would probably already be going for higher prices if not for the world-wide recession. Once the world economy stabilizes, I expect a quantum leap in record prices.

16.10.2012 19:52:54 Again, depends on the artists, genres, the next “big craze”. Music trends change every 20 years. Right now 50's music (doo wop, rockabilly, elvis) is dead... but I think in 6 years that may change, depending on where the next trend goes. Rare soul, obscure psychedelic rock, and garage rock seems to never lose it's appeal. I would think that, in the future, the value of rare records will not drop, but they won't skyrocket either...it all depends on who wants it and how much money they wanna spend.

16.10.2012 20:24:20 I think will decrease in the years to come.

17.10.2012 20:23:45 As with most collectible items, value should continue to increase. Vinyl is a easily damaged medium, and high-quality vinyl will always be a decreasing commodity, driving the value of the remaining items on the marketplace higher. A $2000 beatles LP today could be a $4000 beatles LP in 10-20 years.

17.10.2012 22:07:56 The cost of general records is generally going down - what was considered rare for a local records (east coast) or (west coast) has with the Internet may them all avaible to the the whole world. So in most cases the prices have dropped or at an even general price. Great rarities are another issue - in many cases promotional or 1st pressing can bring better than average prices than the general run of the mill or later pressings.. Most things like music run in phases one minute it is in demand and the next is isn't - like when Michael Jackson died - the prices for all of his records (even the very common ones) when through the roof - a month later prices were back to normal. Hipe is always a factor for many years many fairly common) classical records on US pressing by RCA Victor, Mercury and London (blue back covers) were at an all time high may at several hundred dollars - this bubble burst for the most part about 4 years ago - so now alot of the same records in the same pressing will sell for $10 to $25. It's hard to predict what will happen in the future - in general the high prices for premium records and gown down from 6 years ago which has to do with the world ecomony - but rich people who have money will ALWAYS have money - it all depends on their personal tastes. The up side is that there are more turntable available for the past few years that have been since the 80's so it looks like there is a future

18.10.2012 00:37:35 I think there will be steady increases for at least the next 20 years or so, then we may see a slow decline in values as many of the hard-core vinyl junkies die off. Look at the market for 78rpm records now, it's almost dead except for very specialist areas. I have about 4000 78rpm records in a personal collection, I reckon they are worth in total about £400 - if I could find anyone to buy them.

22.10.2012 18:27:00 ich denke das ganze geht noch 10 Jahre gut, danach wird das ganze langsam abebben, da sich kaum jüngere Leute sich für physische Tonträger interessieren

23.10.2012 16:40:56 Nice question. Who knows for sure? I'd like to think they will continue to rise. Certainly shorter term (up to around 30 years) the prices will continue to rise or hold out. After this would depend on the younger generations view of the music on the records. Will the Beatles/Stones/Zeppelin/Floyd etc continue to be

Appendix B 117


influnces on the music of that time? If they are then prices can only rise, if music(of this type) is not as relevant then the prices will crash.

25.10.2012 17:42:21 future prices will remain about the same or higher. some lesser known artists from the 50s , 60s and 70s will decrease in value as the decades pass and older listeners die

14.11.2012 15:32:30 My area is vintage records. There is no formula as to what will increase in value/price or otherwise. Tastes change, styles come and go (one reason records are more popular now is because popular music nowadays is godawful). In general the price of vintage records will go up as they become more and more scarce. I'm sure you are familiar with Popsike.com. That site would be an invaluable source for your research. Also Collectorsfrenzy.com. Good luck

26.11.2012 15:11:37 rarest records will continue to attract high prices. less rare ones will become harder to sell. this trend began 3 -4 years ago

26.11.2012 18:02:07 I think the value of obscure unknown records will decrease and the value of common artists (Beatles, Pink Floyd, but even also pink island or vertigo labels) will increase. I think when all the hippies die there will be a smaller market for record from the 60s/70s area. On the other hand, in this age of mp3's there is a demand for an actual product, something concrete that people can have in their hands. So that's I think vinyl will remain popular.

29.11.2012 13:39:52 The value of vinyl records in the future depends on how much future generations are interested in the music of past generations. For example, I find that music from the '30s, and '40s is not nearly as popular as music from the '50s through the '80s. The Beatles and The Rolling Stones may always be popular -- Jerry Vale, not so much.

29.11.2012 18:43:49 Hype will increase, prices will go up (we hope!)

30.11.2012 04:05:37 All valuable/rare records will stay valuable.. but the values will usually waiver depending on the demand for the title. e.g. “Masters Apprentices” first LP in 2005 was fetching (in Excellent condition of-course) between $350.00au & $650.00au ..now still going for a healthy $200 to $500. (depending on how it's sold (on-line or retails store) But that 60's Genre is not quite as popular now as it was 6 years ago ..but I'll put money on it becoming quite popular again soon enough. The problem with that theory is that those particular records ARE extremely rare & you would never find enough of them to continually make regular money from them. More common (cheaper) titles are the bread & butter & they Do go for “Knock-down” prices already. Record dealing is a difficult & very competitive business.

01.12.2012 00:15:59 I think the really rare items will continue to rise and be highly collectible, but further down the range more will become heavily discounted as it starts to be re-released or the old copies come back into circulation.

03.12.2012 14:28:50 In general, prices will level out for rarities. Records that were mass produced may fall off but not drastactally. How many young people getting involved right now and music trends will have an impact.

04.12.2012 17:12:51 I think they will continue to rise for a few more years. However, it is only a matter of time before more people are listing lps on eBay and thus creating more supply to drop the price. As of now and the near future, they are somewhat scare.

06.12.2012 08:37:13 its never a hype easiest way to see for example every time you turn on the television just about every movie has a scene showing vinyl is someones household. The popularity is always there and the durability is much stronger than cd. Cd will degrade over time not vinyl

06.12.2012 10:09:42 I think at some point this popularity will decrease again and that I am managing to sell my records on some 'crest of a wave'. I think some core records will

Appendix B 118


remain valuable [Beatles, MBV, etc.] but that generally the value will go down as people lose interest. Within twenty years there will only be a small core of enthusiasts I imagine. My own two children love music [I'm selling my collection to buy them musical instruments] but have no interest in vinyl. I would have kept the records to pass them on to them if they had an interest!

06.12.2012 17:44:20 i think we've already seen the hype decrease and the price go down, we're on the other side of that wave now, i think price is only going to go up as production/availabilty goes down.

10.12.2012 20:23:50 rare records got rarer and more expensive, but music is timeless and as long as there are music lovers, Vinyl will never die ;)

18.12.2012 05:53:31 I think collect-ability will vary with the genre. Right now '60s garage/psych (which is my specialty) is very hot but I can't predict what will happen over time. Also '70-80s punk is also very hot too. My personal buying habit is to obtain things that I like and believe in musically (also second-guessing what my customer base will musically like which is usually what I like too, rather than purchasing discs for pure speculation. But I will be a realist and do not think that many of the average records will continue to keep their value in a generation or two. It might be prudent to think about selling my personal collection (which contains appx 5000 LPs and 10,000 singles all from the '60s). But I have no intention to do that since I still get great joy out of collecting and playing these vintage artifacts from a bygone era.

Appendix B 119

3 Condensed Survey Results

Timestamp start selling

years ago

local shop selling more

sold more online than

offline

more profit with

used or new

12.10.2012 17:07:05 1999 13 yes analogue yes used

14.10.2012 21:43:34 1996 16 no analogue yes used

16.10.2012 19:52:54 2009 3 not anymore analogue yes used

16.10.2012 20:24:20 1999 Yes, I still own a record shop.

13 analogue yes used

17.10.2012 20:23:45 2002 10 not anymore analogue yes used

17.10.2012 22:07:56 2001 11 no analogue no / online only

18.10.2012 00:37:35 2006 6 analogue no / online only used only

22.10.2012 18:27:00 2002 10 analogue no / same used only

23.10.2012 16:40:56 1996 16 yes analogue no / same used only

25.10.2012 17:42:21 1998 yes

14 analogue yes used

14.11.2012 15:32:30 2008 4 no analogue yes used only

26.11.2012 15:11:37 2005 7 no analogue no / online only used

26.11.2012 18:02:07 2002 10 no analogue no / online only used only

29.11.2012 13:39:52 2007 5 no, planning to analogue no / online only


30.11.2012 04:05:37 2005 7 analogue yes used

01.12.2012 00:15:59 2009 3 no / car boot sale

analogue no / same both same


04.12.2012 17:12:51 1998 14 no / garage sale

analogue used

06.12.2012 08:37:13 2006 6 no equal in sales

no / same used

06.12.2012 10:09:42 2012 0,25 no analogue no / online only used only

06.12.2012 17:44:20 2000 12 analogue yes

10.12.2012 20:23:50 2009 3 no analogue yes used

18.12.2012 05:53:31 2002 10 no / record lists analogue used only

Durchschnitt 8,66

Appendix B 120

Timestamp price range median price

median euros

customer questions

sale vinyl/CD

12.10.2012 17:07:05 $3 - $500+ $25 19,00 both depends, convenience or quality

14.10.2012 21:43:34 $3 - $1000 $15 11,40 elsewhere

16.10.2012 19:52:54 $3 - $10 $5 3,80 both, tending elsewhere

depends on the artist

16.10.2012 20:24:20 £15 18,45 elsewhere less vinyl

17.10.2012 20:23:45 $5 - $2000+ both assuming more vinyl

17.10.2012 22:07:56 $8 - several thousand

little higher vinyl price due to limitation

18.10.2012 00:37:35 £4 - £1000 £10 12,30 a lot

22.10.2012 18:27:00 €3 - €20+ 11,50 no

23.10.2012 16:40:56 £1 - £500+ £7 - £15 13,53 little, tending elsewhere

higher vinyl price due to limitation

25.10.2012 17:42:21 $7 - $10 6,46 little

14.11.2012 15:32:30 $6 - 4,56 both

26.11.2012 15:11:37 £0.99 - £680 little more vinyl

26.11.2012 18:02:07 €5 - €100 €20 20,00 litte, tending elsewhere

29.11.2012 13:39:52 $1 - $640 $10 7,60 litte, tending elsewhere

less vinyl due to higher prices

29.11.2012 18:43:49 $1 - several hundred

$6 4,56 both more vinyl

30.11.2012 04:05:37 $40 30,40 a lot more CDs sold, but more profit with vinyl due to higher price

01.12.2012 00:15:59 £0.50 - £1,500

£5-£8 8,00 elsewhere

03.12.2012 14:28:50 $6 - $600 elsewhere same

04.12.2012 17:12:51 $15 - $30 17,09 little 1990s

06.12.2012 08:37:13 $20 - $400 15,2 a lot more vinyl / 1990s

06.12.2012 10:09:42 £10 - £90 £20 24,6 little

06.12.2012 17:44:20 $16 - $32 18,23 a lot

10.12.2012 20:23:50 €10 €10 10 a lot

18.12.2012 05:53:31 $10 - $300 117,76 little more vinyl

Durchschnitt 18,72

Appendix B 121

Timestamp own website or provider

relaunch / effect on

sales

provider / how many

online marketing opportunities

12.10.2012 17:07:05 myself somewhat / Organic Search is more important

ebay, Boogiebobs Records, Amazon, Google Products

better search results / less fees

14.10.2012 21:43:34 service provider

ebay, discogs a site exclusively for records, high traffic, auction format / ebay too expensive


ebay only neutral /lower prices online / but more sales

16.10.2012 20:24:20 myself it affects sales ebay only no alternative to ebay

17.10.2012 20:23:45 own website & providers

redesign last year / sales are increasing

ebay, musicstack.com, discogs.com, cd&lp.com / own custom developed back-end software

ebay biggest marketplace / a lot of customer manipulation, no protection


ebay only / auction only

ebay and paypal too expensive / new market for records that wouldnt sell

18.10.2012 00:37:35 provider EKM / own design and management

no plans for any great changes

Ebid, Discogs / for 6 years ebay only

plenty of choice / no improvements

22.10.2012 18:27:00 provider / own management

ebay only ok

23.10.2012 16:40:56 myself 10 years ago / more customers at the time.

mainly ebay / Musicstack, Gemm.

Could do with a music only auction site but nothing will rival the establishment of ebay.


ebay only yes


no difference ebay only / auction only

yes, can think of improvements


ebay only yes


ebay, discogs yes

29.11.2012 13:39:52 own website & provider

ebay only flat-rate mailing boxes designed specifically for mailing records


better sales and more customers, but not remarkably so.

6-7 sources. including amazon, ebay, cdlp, musicstack, gemm, discogs is a big one.

fairly satisfied


ebay only okay / will definitely get better in the future


ebay, amazon, discogs

plenty of choice / no improvements

Appendix B 122

Timestamp own website or provider

relaunch / effect on

sales

provider / how many

online marketing opportunities


ebay want own website


ebay, discogs very satisfied / lower ebay fees


ebay only knowledge and experience needed


ebay only uploading information is time consuming / central database needed

06.12.2012 17:44:20 myself just launched ebay, discogs yes


ebay only not bad / several things could be improved


ebay only ebay + paypal best despite considerable fees

Appendix B 123

Timestamp internet enhanced popularity

personal estimation of the future

12.10.2012 17:07:05 yes don't know about the price / vinyl will be there forever

14.10.2012 21:43:34 probably somewhat

still under-priced (recession) / I expect a quantum leap in record prices

16.10.2012 19:52:54 yes / negative effect of recession

depends on artist/genre / value will not drop, but won't skyrocket either

16.10.2012 20:24:20 yes will decrease in the years to come

17.10.2012 20:23:45 yes / geographic location, age of customers

value should continue to increase / decreasing commodity

17.10.2012 22:07:56 yes general cost going down / cost of rarities higher / demand varies (death of Michael Jackson) / hypes, bubble bursts / prices down due to recession, but rich people will ALWAYS have to money (depends on their taste) / more turntables available than in the 80s, there is a future

18.10.2012 00:37:35 yes steady increases for at least the next 20 years or so / then we may see a slow decline in values as many of the hard-core vinyl junkies die off / Look at the market for 78rpm records now, it's almost dead except for very specialist areas

22.10.2012 18:27:00 will stay in a niche / constant

will be stable for another 10 years / then decrease because young people have no interest in physical records

23.10.2012 16:40:56 no / main reason is the decline of the CD

will continue to rise / up to around 30 years the prices will continue to rise or hold out / If beatles/stones/led zeppelin/etc are still popular, then prices can only rise, if music(of this type) is not as relevant then the prices will crash

25.10.2012 17:42:21 possibly future prices will remain about the same or higher / some lesser known artists from the 50s , 60s and 70s will decrease in value as the decades pass and older listeners die

14.11.2012 15:32:30 yes / many different types

Tastes change, styles come and go / In general the price of vintage records will go up as they become more and more scarce

26.11.2012 15:11:37 easier, but no effect on popularity

rarest records will continue to attract high prices / less rare ones will become harder to sell / this trend began 3 -4 years ago

26.11.2012 18:02:07 helps selling / no effect on popularity / ruins it for the treasure hunting collector

value of obscure unknown records will decrease and the value of common artists (Beatles, Pink Floyd, but even also pink island or vertigo labels) will increase / when all the hippies die there will be a smaller market for record from the 60s/70s area / vinyl will remain popular, something concrete compared to mp3

29.11.2012 13:39:52 yes depends on popularity of past music

29.11.2012 18:43:49 yes Hype will increase, prices will go up (we hope!)

30.11.2012 04:05:37 yes / will keep getting better

All valuable/rare records will stay valuable / The problem with that theory is that those particular records ARE extremely rare & you would never find enough of them to continually make regular money from them. More common (cheaper) titles are the bread & butter & they Do go for “Knock-down” prices already. Record dealing is a difficult & very competitive business.

01.12.2012 00:15:59 yes / easier to search

really rare items will continue to rise and be highly collectible / further down the range more will become heavily discounted (re-released, old copies come back into circulation)

Appendix B 124

Timestamp internet enhanced popularity

personal estimation of the future

03.12.2012 14:28:50 yes prices will level out for rarities / mass produced records may fall off but not drastictally / How many young people getting involved right now and music trends will have an impact

04.12.2012 17:12:51 yes / google, youtube, facebook, ebay

rise for a few more years / more people are listing lps on eBay / drop the price / now and the near future, they are somewhat scare

06.12.2012 08:37:13 yes The popularity is always there and the durability is much stronger than cd. Cd will degrade over time not vinyl

06.12.2012 10:09:42 popularity will decrease again / some core records will remain valuable / generally the value will go down as people lose interest / Within twenty years there will only be a small core of enthusiasts I imagine

06.12.2012 17:44:20 yes / discogs, tracklistings in dj sets

price is only going to go up as production/availabilty goes down.

10.12.2012 20:23:50 no rare records got rarer and more expensive

18.12.2012 05:53:31 yes I think collect-ability will vary with the genre / '60s garage/psychis very hot / '70-80s punk is also very hot too

125

Appendix C

1 Questionnaire Used for the Expert Interviews

1. How, in your opinion, has the public image of vinyl records changed in recent years? Do you see a connection between this and the proceeding digitalization of the world or the advance of the internet? 2. Do you own more vinyl records than CDs or vice versa? Which format (LP, 7”, 10”, etc.) dominates your stock of records? 3. Do you still listen to music from vinyl records frequently or do you rather use digital media? 4. How do you rate digital sound quality compared to that of vinyl records (assume a high-quality record in as-new condition)? 5. Do you still collect vinyl records today? Do you rather visit your local record shop or do you browse the internet to find and/or buy records? 6. Do you buy or listen to newly produced vinyl records, too, or do you favour the digital versions of new releases? If the latter applies to you, which digital format do you prefer? 7. Do you prefer original equipment from the actual vinyl-heyday (e.g. turntables, amplifiers, etc.) or modern devices with the newest technology? 8. What is your most valued possesion in your collection? (could be the rarest record, the most expensive one, or one you associate special memories with) 9. How do you see the future of vinyl records in a more and more digitalized world? Do you miss the good old times or do you look forward to the coming changes?

Appendix C 126

2 The Expert Interviews

Interview via email on 23.08.2012 with

Alan Escombe, musician and songwriter („The Shake Spears”, „Fynn McCool”)

1. How, in your opinion, has the public image of vinyl records changed in recent years? Do

you see a connection between this and the proceeding digitalization of the world or the advance of the internet?

I think these are seen in different categories according to age and taste in music. For today's youth Vinyl is seen as a tool for producing dance music only. That is by “scratching” or any other gimmick of “sound-bites” a modern day DJ would want to use to construct “mixes”. For those who consider music as a “pleasant” background noise or for simple musical tastes but not of any particular significance, digital CD's are acceptable - although good studio musical quality is still strived for by record producers in an effort to duplicate the quality of sound that vinyl produces. Obviously the high cost of producing vinyl records led to the development of much cheaper production costs of a CD which only became possible with the advance of computer technology and the perfection of digitalization. Obviously the digitalization of music also made it possible to send, sell, buy and listen to music via the internet which was and is not possible via the means of a vinyl record. For music buffs be it for rock or classical the sound of vinyl cannot be bettered. There is a warmth and quality on vinyl that as yet has not been possible to truly duplicate on plastic. For those who fully appreciate this fact there has been an ever increasing return to vinyl in recent years.

2. Do you still listen to music from vinyl records frequently or do you rather use digital media?

No. I use digital media simply for convenience, not because I prefer it. 3. How do you rate digital sound quality compared to that of vinyl records (assume a high-

quality record in as-new condition)?

Digital is lacking in quality of tone and “warmth”. Vinyl is far superior. 4. Do you still collect vinyl records today? Do you rather visit your local record shop or do you

browse the internet to find and/or buy records?

No. Unfortunately due to the ease of obtaining music via the internet the effect has been for record stores to close in many rural areas.Buying vinyl from “collectors” via the internet can be a risky business as often the records are scratched or in general poor condition,and over-priced.

5. Would you rather visit your local record shop or do you browse the internet to find and/or

buy records?

- keine Antwort - 6. Do you buy or listen to newly produced vinyl records, too, or do you favour the digital

versions of new releases? If the latter applies to you, which digitales format do you prefer?

I haven't researched to find outlets for newly produced vinyl records so unfortunately don't know if music by my preferred artists is also always available on vinyl via internet purchase.In my case,there are no record stores anywhere in this or even the nearest towns which sell vinyl. Digital format (?). I don't know if this means MP3 or MP4/ I prefer MP4 but unfortunatley best source of music in this area via internet is iTunes,and therefore only format available -poor quality MP3.

Appendix C 127

7. Do you prefer original equipment from the actual vinyl-heyday (e.g. turntables, amplifiers, etc.) or modern devices with the newest technology?

Yes. Prefer original equipment. 8. What is, for you personally, the greatest preciosity in your record collection?(Does this

mean “favourite / most precious /best sounding?)

My Hendrix,Zappa and Eagles collections. 9. How do you see the future of vinyl records in a more and more digitalized world? Do you

miss the good old times or do you look forward to the coming changes?

Not too good for the production of vinyl as costs will keep rising as I believe it is already a “specialist” small market and commercially companies will find the cost of producing records even at a high sale price will not be at all profitable.I certainly miss the good times. Hopefully the coming changes may mean that digital technology is finally able to replicate the true sound of original vinyl.

Appendix C 128


Luke Escombe, musician, comedian and songwriter www.lukeescombe.com



I think Vinyl records are now recognised as the ultimate format for music lovers and collectors, both the best-sounding and most romantic way to engage with an artist's work. They are luxury items, like hard back editions of books. I think the increase in popularity of vinyl in the last decade is in direct response to the popularity of the ipod and the mp3, which are as romantic as dildos.


I live in a small apartment with little room for a record player or vinyl collection. I hope I can get one in my next house. Digital media does make music more convenient - although this is not always a good thing. I don't listen to music on my phone or ipod but I do enjoy the ease of finding new music on sites like npr.org and spotify, and I still listen to albums on CD in my car. Loud, while navigating traffic

3. How do you rate digital sound quality compared to that of vinyl records (assume a high-

quality record in as-new condition)

Vinyl appeals to more of our senses than digital, so we get a lot more information about the music we're listening to and a much richer emotional response results. I'm convinved that the act of slipping a vinyl record out of its sleeve releases certain pheromones, the sound of it crackling and popping, whispering softly on the turntable gives us a sense of comfort and warmth. The smell of the ink and glue and wax moves us, we luxuriate in the artwork. There is nothing sexy about digital. It can be sonically perfect, but that is not what moves us

4. Do you still collect vinyl records today?

Nope, where would it end? 5. Would you rather visit your local record shop or do you browse the internet to find and/or

buy records?

I like both. 6. Do you buy or listen to newly produced vinyl records, too, or do you favour the digital

versions of new releases? If the latter applies to you, which digitales format do you prefer?

I like that many websites and record labels releasing work online have now turned against mp3 in favour of full CD audio quality formats like FLACC

7. Do you prefer original equipment from the actual vinyl-heyday (e.g. turntables, amplifiers,

etc.) or modern devices with the newest technology?

I'm into the romance of vintage gear. I think of a record player like a kind of time machine that can transport me briefly to another era

8. What is, your the most precious record preciosity in your record collection?

The albums my Dad made in the 60's and 70's. Thanks to the internet he was able to track them down. Those are priceless family treasures.

9. How do you see the future of vinyl records in a more and more digitalized world? Do you


I'm optimistic about the future of music. There was a very uncertain period with the coming of the internet but I think there has been an adjustment now and people are making great sounding records again, and the internet has allowed genuine music lovers from all over the

Appendix C 129

world to share music and establish online communities. Listening to the pop music on commercial stations is unbearably bleak, but the more awful it gets, the more people will seek out something of real quality, warmth and humanity. Vinyl will survive the way the printed book will survive - as a delicacy

Appendix C 130


Syd Geary, musician („The Softies”, „The Outfit”)



Vinyl has gone up in peoples perception because of it's rarity. But the quality of what one can buy in second hand dealers shops can be quite poor. I don't think there is any connection

2. Do you own more vinyl records than CDs or vice versa? Which format (LP, 7”, 10”, etc.)

dominates your stock of records?

Yes both... What about cassettes tapes? 3. Do you still listen to music from vinyl records frequently or do you rather use digital media?

I still listen to vinyl 4. How do you rate digital sound quality compared to that of vinyl records (assume a high-


Digital sound lack heart soul and warmth 5. Do you still collect vinyl records today? Do you rather visit your local record shop or do you


No, where I live there isn't an outlet. 6. Do you buy or listen to newly produced vinyl records too, or do you favour the digital

versions of new releases? If the latter applies to you, which digital format do you prefer?

CD 7. Do you prefer original equipment from the actual vinyl-heyday (e.g. turntables, amplifiers,


Yes I Prefer 8. What is your most valued possession in your collection? (could be the rarest record, the

most expensive one, or one you associate special memories with)

Sgt Peppers Heart Club Band. I bought 2 copies on its release one is mono and one is stereo



I believe there will still be collectors and I don't look forward to future technology. The please sure in holding a big shiny new LP compared with holding, well digital nothing?

Appendix C 131


Leo Lyons, musician („Ten Years After”) www.tenyearsafternow.com



I think that generally there is an interest in all things retro including vinyl records. Young people are becoming aware of vinyl through the Indy market. They still buy/download mostly mp3s but at gigs buy the vinyl singles. Digtalized music is okay and works well for listening on Ipod and in the car but something is missing. Aside from a better sound quality most music fans like to read about the record and appreciate the artwork.



About the same. LP 12” 3. Do you still listen to music from vinyl records frequently or do you rather use digital media?

I listen to both but because of travelling I listen mostly to digital media. 4. How do you rate digital sound quality compared to that of vinyl records (assume a high-


Vinyl sound quality is much better. It’s not so compressed and there is more clarity and depth to the music. Someone said that listening to a vinyl record was like standing in front of a band rather that a set of hi-fi speakers.

5. Do you still collect vinyl records today? Do you rather visit your local record shop or do you


I buy some vinyl. I look in mostly in stores. 6. Do you buy or listen to newly produced vinyl records too, or do you favour the digital


Yes I buy newly produced vinyl records. I always check out music first on mp3s before I decide to buy the vinyl. I am prepared to put up with the poorer quality of digital sound for the convenience of having music when I travel. I store my record collection on Ipad.

7. Do you prefer original equipment from the actual vinyl-heyday (e.g. turntables, amplifiers,


There’s a place for both. I think that valve amps give a much warmer sound but in many instances modern day loudspeakers reproduce that sound more accurately. Turntables are a matter of preference and budget.

8. What is your most valued possession in your collection? (could be the rarest record, the


All the old and new vinyl records I have played on or produced. 9. How do you see the future of vinyl records in a more and more digitalized world? Do you


I don’t see vinyl replacing digital music in the mass market but I believe record companies will release more new product on both digital media and vinyl. Vinyl is harder to bootleg and may go some way to restoring lost profits.

Appendix C 132

A record is something more collectable. The serious music fan and collector who wants quality will gravitate towards vinyl. The artwork and physical size of the product aside from the better sound makes for a better package. The very act of placing the record on the turntable and sitting down to listen is more of an experience. You cannot listen to a vinyl record on headphones whilst doing the housework or jogging or driving in the car.

Appendix C 133

Intrerview via email on 05.01.2013 with

Nick Black, radio host www.southernfm.com.au/tag/purple-haze/



I think it has changed in the fact that it is another one of those retro cool things to do, bit of a fashion statement even, like wearing those old style 1940s/50s hats. They also have DJ applications like spinning/scratching, so there is a creative practicality to them. They make a classic artefact too, like a classic design. No I don't see a connection.



Probably own more vinyl as i've been buying these for a longer amount of time, but almost have as many CDs. I have mostly 12 inch albums.


Only listen to vinyl very rarely & usually then to transfer to a digital format. 4. How do you rate digital sound quality compared to that of vinyl records (assume a high-


I can't really hear a distinction myself, they say analogue is “warmer” but I don't really know about that, to listen to vinyl at its optimum I think a great deal of money needs to be invested, whereas digital with good speakers does the trick equally as well. I am not a hi fidelity nut!

5. Do you still collect vinyl records today? Do you rather visit your local record shop or do you


Seldomly I might visit a record shop if I'm around one, usually in another place far from home, record shops are pretty niche & not many around. I much prefer on-line shopping if i”m going to buy a vinyl track, don't really browse for the sake of browsing.

6. Do you buy or listen to newly produced vinyl records too, or do you favour the digital


I don't buy new vinyl, new releases are usually CD or download for me. 7. Do you prefer original equipment from the actual vinyl-heyday (e.g. turntables, amplifiers,


Modern devices. 8. What is your most valued possession in your collection? (could be the rarest record, the


Don't especially have one but there are ones like original Nirvana 60s LPs & Barbarella soundtrack, also CD box sets I highly value too.



I think vinyl will retain its niche, I think that it has some good points, whereas I don't see people going crazy for cassettes or VHS or those sorts of things. I think its a sturdy format that especially house/club DJ's have kept alive because its fashionable & you can scratch & slide & play backwards etc, they are a great & classic looking artefact as the covers are large & the good covers can allow room for some great visual ideas, whereas Cds or downloads with their little JPeg pix will be never be as good as an LP record cover. The storage of data is pretty safe too, if you don't do crazy things to your record like expose it to

Appendix C 134

fire or throw them around. I trust them more than digital storage as I feel I have to have lots of memory sticks or hard drives as backups just in case anything happens. I look forward to the coming changes.

Appendix C 135


Hobby-musician and -producer (anonymous)

1. Wie hat sich Ihrer Meinung nach das Image der Schallplatte in den letzten Jahren

verändert? Sehen Sie einen Zusammenhang mit der fortschreitenden Digitalisierung der Welt, bzw. der Ausbreitung des Internets?

Ich denke das Image von Schallplatten ist nach wie vorher sehr gut. Vinyl ist zwar schon lange kein Massenprodukt mehr, aber als Nischenprodukt wird es sicherlich auf absehbare Zeit noch eine Rolle spielen (Long-tail, etc.). In letzter Zeit habe ich sogar wieder den Eindruck, dass eher wieder mehr Veröffentlichungen als Vinyl angeboten werden – auch von eher kommerzielleren Künstlern (wenngleich natürlich gegenüber früheren Jahren insgesamt weniger Stückzahlen hergestellt werden). Die Musikindustrie steht sinkenden Verkaufszahlen gegenüber – im digitalen Bereich kaufen ja gerade jüngere Leute kaum Musik, sondern illegale Kopien/Downloads sind eher die Regel. Vinyl ist ein Liebhaberprodukt und gerade über Dinge wie Sondereditionen (z.B. Re-Mastered, aufwändige Cover, umfangreiche Booklets, etc.) ist hier daher noch Geld zu verdienen.

2. Besitzen Sie selbst mehr Schallplatten oder CDs? Welches Format überwiegt unter Ihren

Schallplatten (LP, 45rpm, 78rpm, usw.)?

Ich besitze ca. 300 CDs und etwa 200 Schallplatten. Bei den Schallplatten sind es etwa je zur Hälfte Alben und Maxi-EPs (hauptsächlich elektronische Musik). Vom Format her sind die Alben in der Regel 33rpm, Maxis in etwa im gleichen Verhältnis 33 und 45 rpm.

3. Hören Sie selbst noch regelmäßig Musik von Schallplatten oder doch eher von digitalen

Medien?

Ich höre noch regelmäßig Schallplatten. Da ich jetzt aber seit einigen Monaten Spotify nutze, hat der Anteil digitaler Medien zugenommen. Spotify finde ich vor allem interessant um neue Sachen zu entdecken und mal in Stücke „ganz” reinhören zu können – Snippets bei iTunes sind da eher problematisch, da man nicht immer einen guten Eindruck von einem Gesamtstück bekommt. „Herausragende” Sachen kaufe ich mir dann mitunter zusätzlich auf Vinyl.

4. Was halten Sie generell von digitaler Tonqualität im Vergleich zur Schallplatte

(ausgegangen von einer qualitativ hochwertigen und unbenutzten Platte)?

Generell halte ich digitale und analoge Tonträger für qualitativ gleichwertig. Ich nutze aber generell keine MP3s mit niedriger Bitrate, da mir dann die Soundqualität zu schlecht ist (überwiegend mp3 mit 192 kbit/s oder AAC). Außerdem nutze ich zum Musikhören über den Rechner eine externe Soundkarte und hochwertige Lautsprecher. Bei den in Laptops standardmäßig verbauten Lautsprechern ist mir der Klang bzw. das Frequenzspektrum zu schlecht.

5. Sammeln bzw. kaufen Sie heute noch Schallplatten? Gehen Sie dazu in einen Plattenladen

oder suchen Sie auch im Internet danach?

Ich kaufe nach wie vor Schallplatten, aber nicht mehr so häufig. Generell aber praktisch nur im Internet (z.B. decks.de oder hardwax.com) – das liegt aber hauptsächlich auch daran, dass es in meiner Wohngegend keinen vernünftigen Plattenladen gibt.

6. Kaufen Sie auch neu erschienene Schallplatten oder greifen Sie bei aktuellen

Veröffentlichungen direkt zur digitalen Version? Welche digitalen Formate bevorzugen Sie, sollte letzteres zutreffen?

Ab und zu kaufe ich ältere Second-Hand-Platten. Größtenteils sind es aber neu veröffentlichte Platten. Bei digitalen Einkäufen nutze ich primär iTunes und Amazon. Seit ich Spotify nutze habe ich aber kaum noch digitale Musik gekauft.

7. Bevorzugen Sie Original-Geräte (z.B. Plattenspieler, Verstärker, etc.) aus der Glanzzeit der

Schallplatte oder die neuste Technik?

Appendix C 136

Mein Plattenspieler, Lautsprecher, etc. sind alles ältere Geräte (15-20 Jahre). Das hat aber einfach nur den Grund, dass die Sachen alle noch tadellos funktionieren und ich somit keinen Bedarf an neuen Geräten habe. In Bezug das Hören von digitalen Formaten nutze ich moderne, hochwertige Geräte – vor allem auch weil ich dieses Equipment gleichzeitig zum Musik machen nutze und man dann eben vernünftige Boxen, Soundkarte benötigt.

8. Was ist für Sie persönlich das größte „Schätzchen” in Ihrer Plattensammlung?

- keine Antwort -

9. Wie sehen Sie die Zukunft der Schallplatte in einer immer mehr digitalisierten Welt? Trauern

Sie den alten Zeiten nach oder warten Sie mit Spannung auf die neusten Entwicklungen?

Bis vor einigen Jahren war im DJ-Bereich die Nutzung von Vinyl noch stärker verbreitet. In den letzten 4-5 Jahren sind immer mehr auf digitale Systeme umgestiegen, z.B. CDs, Systeme wie Serato oder auch das direkte auflegen mit digitalen Files (z.B. Native Instruments Traktor). Hier findet auch eine starke Vermischung von DJ-Set und Live-Set statt. Es werden oft nicht mehr klassisch zwei Tracks ineinander gemischt, sondern man spielt mit mehr Decks und nutzt auch kürzere Samples bzw. Stems (separate Beats, Basslines, etc.) um sie mit anderen Tracks zu kombinieren. Vor ein paar Jahren wurden im Technobereich von beliebten Tracks vielleicht noch 2‘000-3‘000 Schallplatten verkauft. Heute werden eher Stückzahlen von 300-500 hergestellt. Es sind eben eher noch Liebhaberlabels die auf Vinyl setzen. Ein Großteil läuft aber auch in diesem Bereich nur noch digital. Zum Beispiel hat Technics 2010 die Produktion der bei DJs am weitesten verbreiteten Modelle 1200/1210 eingestellt. Es wird also in Zukunft immer schwieriger Ersatzgeräte/-teile zu bekommen. Ich finde das persönlich etwas schade, da ich das haptische Gefühl, Große Cover etc. von Platten mag, aufhalten kann man diese Entwicklung aber nicht. Bei mir ist die Nutzung momentan wie gesagt noch sehr ausgewogen, wobei bei neueren Sachen doch digital immer wichtiger wird.

Appendix C 137


Joachim Spieth, DJ, producer and label owner („Affin”) www.joachimspieth.de

1. Wie hat sich Ihrer Meinung nach das Image der Schallplatte in den letzten Jahren

verändert? Sehen Sie einen Zusammenhang mit der fortschreitenden Digitalisierung der Welt, bzw. der Ausbreitung des Internets?

Eher gespalten. Einige sehen das Medium als überholt, andere betonen das körperliche am Medium Vinyl. Ein Download hat halt kein Gesicht :-)

2. Besitzen Sie selbst mehr Schallplatten oder CDs? Welches Format überwiegt unter Ihren

Schallplatten (LP, 45rpm, 78rpm, usw.)?

Ich besitze mehr Schallplatten, zumeist 12”s / EP's . 3. Hören Sie selbst noch regelmäßig Musik von Schallplatten oder doch eher von digitalen

Medien?

Ich besitze viele Tracks auf beiden Medien, höre aber oft digital. 4. Was halten Sie generell von digitaler Tonqualität im Vergleich zur Schallplatte

(ausgegangen von einer qualitativ hochwertigen und unbenutzten Platte)?

Wenn es sich um Wave Files handelt besteht da eine Vergleichbarkeit im Sound. 5. Sammeln bzw. kaufen Sie heute noch Schallplatten? Gehen Sie dazu in einen Plattenladen

oder suchen Sie auch im Internet danach?

Ja. Zumeist im Onlineshop. Plattenläden gibt es leider nicht mehr flächendeckend. Ich sammle Platten und wähle sehr genau aus, was gekauft wird. Mit Files experimentiere ich viel mehr, lerne mehr neue Acts digital kennen. Wirklich langlebiges wird zusätzlich als Platte gekauft (teilweise)

6. Kaufen Sie auch neu erschienene Schallplatten oder greifen Sie bei aktuellen

Veröffentlichungen direkt zur digitalen Version? Welche digitalen Formate bevorzugen Sie, sollte letzteres zutreffen?

s. oben 7. Bevorzugen Sie Original-Geräte (z.B. Plattenspieler, Verstärker, etc.) aus der Glanzzeit der

Schallplatte oder die neuste Technik?

Sowohl als auch

8. Was ist für Sie persönlich das größte „Schätzchen” in Ihrer Plattensammlung?

- keine Antwort -

9. Wie sehen Sie die Zukunft der Schallplatte in einer immer mehr digitalisierten Welt? Trauern

Sie den alten Zeiten nach oder warten Sie mit Spannung auf die neusten Entwicklungen?

Diese Fragetechnik ordnet die Schallplatte den “alten Zeiten” zu. In den letzten Jahren sind 2 Entwicklungen zu erkennen, was die Platte betrifft: Ein mengenmäßiger Rückgang der Absatzmenge im Mainstream Bereich, während die Platte in verschiedenen musikalischen Subgenres an Beliebtheit hinzugewinnt. Platten stellen dieser Tage oftmals “Trophäen” dar, weil nicht jeder Release auch auf Vinyl zu haben ist. Auch bei geringeren Absatzmengen geht von Vinyl Releases immer noch ein gefühltes gewisses Maß an Ernsthaftigkeit aus. Digital veröffentlichen kann im Zweifel jeder, die Investition eine Platte zu pressen bindet hingegen mehr finanzielle Mittel. Und weil schon bekannt ist, dass wenig verkauft werden kann, ergibt sich hierdurch möglicherweise ein Hype oder Kult um das physische Produkt. Die Verkörperung durch den Tonträger ist sexy, die Festplatte hingegen austauschbar und anonym.

Appendix C 138

Private email on 19.12.2012 from

Erik Lindgren, record collector and label owner (“Arf Arf Records”)

www.arfarfrecords.com

Hi Sarah, Glad to be of assistance and feel free to quote me directly if you'd like. You might want to run the Sundazed quote by Bob Irwin, who runs the company. He's a real good pal of mine and tell him I sent you. Bob's direct email is [...] and perhaps he might also want to participate in the survey. You can tell him I said that it was fun. What I meant by losing customers is that some people, due to family situations or finances or whatever, just stop collecting rare vinyl. For them it might be a passing fad or hobby, or they just lose interest and may even sell their collection. I remember selling around $4000 worth of rare vinyl to a person in Russia and never heard back from them after the transaction. Posting select records on eBay builds my customer base who are actively looking to purchase collectables. I don't know the book “Wax Trash & Vinyl Treasures,” but I think every serious vinyl enthusiast has their own book that they could write. Unlike many collectors, I'm not really interested in a lot of the new garage/psych bands since, to me, it's paying more of an homage to the original era since it's no longer 1967. I applaud those musicians but my interest is really as an archivist. There was so much eclectic and diverse music produced in the '60s that I never at a loss finding new discoveries. Plus my record collector circle of friends is more like a forum and we are always turning each other onto more cool vintage discoveries. … I started Arf Arf Records in 1980 and pressed up about 3 dozen vinyl releases on 45s and LPs. All of these releases contained contemporary music and often was a showcase for my recording studio. It was a fun to do, but I decided to morph Arf Arf into a high-quality CD reissue in 1991 and just put out music from a bygone era specializing in '60s garage/psych and Outsider music. I grew to like the CD medium with big, informative booklets so I never went back to pressing vinyl. I'm still amazed at the resurgence of vinyl but see CD as a much more “democratic” way to spread music since most “normal” people don't have turntables (and yes, I have 4 working turntables at my farm). My personal collection contains ca 5000 LPs and 10,000 singles, most of which are '60s garage/psych (with a preponderance of small label collectable vinyl). My singles are organized not just by alphabetical order, but by parts of the country! It's by no means a giant collection, but is pretty intense since I've been collecting for more than four decades. Funny ... the way I got into obscure music was a friend at prep school turned me onto the Small Faces-Ogden's Nut Gone Flake LP in 1969 which was a flop here in the states. Then in 1972 a dealer in Harvard Square sold me a beat copy of the first 13th Floor Elevators LP for $4 and I realized that there was great music out there that wasn't necessarily commercially successful. After that, I really became a serious record collector and have never looked back. It's a great hobby and one that give me much pleasure, inspiration, and above all fun! Luckily I've been able to find good doubles of discs for my annual Bad Vibrations list, so can build up my collection and buy MORE 45s & LPs! Hope this helps. Thanks again and glad to hear that you are also bitten by the vinyl bug. Cheers, Erik

139

Bibliography

Alonso, Bogar (15th May 2013) Many Shades Of Play: Records Made From More Than Just Vinyl. Downloaded on 28th December 2013 from the creators project: http://thecreatorsproject.vice.com/blog/many-shades-of-play-records-made-from-more-than-just-vinyl

Attali, Jacques (1985) Noise: The Political Economy of Music. (translator: Brian Massumi) Manchester University Press ND.

Auslander, Philip (2001) Looking at Records. TDR: The Drama Review, volume 45, pp. 77-83.

Bali, S. P. (2005) Consumer Electronics. Pearson Education India.

Bierley, Paul E. (2006) The Incredible Band of John Philip Sousa. University of Illinois Press.

Breznikar, Klemen (5th January 2012) Hans Pokora interview about Record Collector Dreams & beyond. Downloaded on 31st October 2012 from psychedelicbaby.blogspot.com: http://psychedelicbaby.blogspot.com/2012/01/hans-pokora-interview-about-record.html

Broman, David and Söderlindh, Stefan (2009) How the Internet Facilitates the Activity within a Consumer Culture: A Study of the Online Vinyl Record Network. Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Humanities and Social Sciences, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Business Studies.

BusinessWire (5th January 2012) The Nielsen Company & Billboard's 2011 Music Industry Report. Downloaded on 5th January 2013 from businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20120105005547/en/Nielsen-Company-Billboard%E2%80%99s-2011-Music-Industry-Report

Cova, Bernard and Cova, Véronique (January 2001) Tribal Marketing: The Tribalisation of Society and its Impact on the Conduct of Marketing. European Journal of Marketing, volume 36, special editon: Societal Marketing in 2002 and Beyond, pp. 595-620.

Del Colliano, Jerry (17th December 2012) Exactly Why Vinyl Isn't The Future of Audiophilia. Downloaded on 4th January 2013 from hometheaterreview.com: http://hometheaterreview.com/exactly-why-vinyl-isnt-the-future-of-audiophilia/

designboom.com (18th June 2010) Jeff Mills' Collaboration With Yuri Suzuki: Digital-Analog Hybrid Disc. Downloaded on 5th February 2013 von designboom.com: http://www.designboom.com/technology/jeff-mills-collaboration-with-yuri-suzuki-digital-analog-hybrid-disc/

Discogs (2nd November 2012) Downloaded on 2nd November 2012 from discogs.com: http://www.discogs.com/

eBay (2nd March 2013) Vibravoid A Poetry Of Love Sky Saxon ( Limited Deluxe 1st Edition) MEGA RARE OOP. Downloaded on 2nd March 2013 from ebay.com: http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=251224439844

Eisenberg, Evan (1985) The Recording Angel: Music, Records And Culture From Aristotle To Zappa (2005, 2nd edition). Yale University Press.

Faulkner, Philip and Runde, Jochen (2009) On the Identity of Technological Objects and User Innovations in Function. Academy of Management Review, volume 34, issue 3, pp. 442-462.

Bibliography 140

Featherstone, Mike (1991) Consumer Culture and Postmodernism (2007, 2nd edition). London: SAGE Publications Ltd.

FL-electronic (29th April 2008) CD-Haltbarkeit. Downloaded on 28. Dezember 2012 from fl-electronic.de: http://www.fl-electronic.de/cd-recording/cd-haltbarkeit.html

Glaser, Mark (31st August 2006) SpiralFrog Misses the Point of Digital Music. (MediaShift) Downloaded on 10th December 2012 from Public Broadcasting Service: http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2006/08/spiralfrog-misses-the-point-of-digital-music243.html

Gunrem, Michael E. (29th April 2012) The 78rpm Record Home Page - Label Pictures: Disque Pantophone. Downloaded on 30th December 2012 from 78rpmrecord.com: http://78rpmrecord.com/labelshow.cfm?whichLabel=4339

Haffner, Herbert (2011) »His Master's Voice« Die Geschichte der Schallplatte. Parthas Verlag Berlin.

Heise Zeitschriften Verlag (27th June 2012) Spotify für Musik-Labels zweitgrößte Einnahmequelle nach iTunes. Downloaded on 29th October 2012 from heise.de: http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/Spotify-fuer-Musik-Labels-zweitgroesste-Einnahmequelle-nach-iTunes-1626666.html

Janowitz, Klaus (2008) Rezension zu: Cova, Bernard, Kozinets, Robert V., Shankar, Avi: “Consumer Tribes” (2007).

Kernfeld, Barry (2011) Pop Song Piracy: Disobedient Music Distribution since 1929. University of Chicago Press.

Kozinets, Robert V. (1999) E-Tribalized Marketing? The Strategic Implications of Virtual Communities of Consumption. European Management Journal, volume 17, issue 3, pp. 252-264.

Kreps, Daniel (4th November 2009) The Beatles' Remastered Albums Come to Special-Edition USB Drive. Downloaded on 24th January 2013 from rollingstone.com: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/the-beatles-remastered-albums-come-to-special-edition-usb-drive-20091104

Maffesoli, Michael (1996) The Time of the Tribes: The Decline of Individualism in Mass Society. London: SAGE Publications Ltd.

Maffesoli, Michael (2004) The Return of the Tragic in Postmodern Societies. New Literary History, volume 35, issue 1, pp. 133-149.

Magaudda, Paolo (2011) When materiality 'bites back': Digital music consumption practices in the age of dematerialization. Journal of Consumer Culture, volume 11, issue 1, pp. 15-36.

magnus.de (2nd June 2012) 6 Musik-Streamingdienste im Test. Downloaded on 29th October 2012 from audio.de: http://www.audio.de/vergleichstest/6-musik-streamingdienste-im-test-1308466.html

manager magazin (18th July 2012) Megaupload-Verfahren - Kim Schmitz bleibt weiter in Neuseeland. Downloaded on 27th October 2012 from manager-magazin.de: http://www.manager-magazin.de/unternehmen/it/0,2828,845049,00.html

McLean, Rachel, Oliver, Paul G. and Wainwright, David W. (2010) The myths of empowerment through information communication technologies: An exploration of the music industries and fan bases. Management Decision, volume 48, issue 9, pp. 1365-1377.

Bibliography 141

Millard, Andre (1995) America on Record - A History of Recorded Sound (2005, 2nd edition). New York: Cambridge University Press.

Mitchell, Cleo and Imrie, Brian C. (2011) Consumer tribes: membership, consumption and building loyalty. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, volume 23, issue 1, pp. 39-56.

netzwelt (22nd April 2007) Flash-Speicher: Hart im Nehmen. Downloaded on 28th December 2012 from netzwelt.de: http://www.netzwelt.de/news/75456_2-haltbarkeit-speichermedien-daten-richtig-liegen.html

netzwelt (22nd April 2007) Haltbarkeit von Speichermedien: Wo Daten richtig liegen. Downloaded on 28th December 2012 from netzwelt.de: http://www.netzwelt.de/news/75456-haltbarkeit-speichermedien-daten-richtig-liegen.html

nielsenwire (11th May 2011) Cue the Music: Driven by Digital, Music Sales up in 2011. Downloaded on 4th January 2013 from blog.nielsen.com: http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/consumer/cue-the-music-driven-by-digital-music-sales-up-in-2011/

nielsenwire (18th April 2012) Record Store Day, Vinyl Sales a Bright Spot for Indies. Downloaded on 4th January 2013 from blog.nielsen.com: http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/consumer/record-store-day-vinyl-sales-a-bright-spot-for-indies/

Overkott, Jürgen (16th November 2012) Beatles kehren zurück - auf Vinyl. Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (WAZ).

Ox-Fanzine (January 2006) Vinyl - Ein Tonträger zwischen Anachronismus und Kultobjekt. Downloaded on 31st October 2012 from Ox-Fanzine / Ausgabe #63 (December 2005/January 2006): http://www.ox-fanzine.de/web/print/pdf/s/212/itv/1665/interviews.212.html

Patokos, Tassos (2008) A New Era for the Music Industry: How New Technologies and the Internet Affect the Way Music is Valued and have an Impact on Output Quality. PANOECONOMICUS, volume 2, pp. 233-248.

Pfau, Ernst (14th February 1962) Stribt die Schallplatte?. hobby Nr. 5/62, pp. 24-31.

Pinter, Dave (10th June 2010) The Vinyl and CD Release on One Disc From Jeff Mills. Downloaded on 5th February 2013 from psfk.com: http://www.psfk.com/2010/06/the-vinyl-and-cd-release-on-one-disc-from-jeff-mills.html

Pokora, Hans (2000) 1001 RECORD COLLECTOR DREAMS: Folk; Psychedelic; Progressive; Garage; Beat; Rock. POKURA.

Popsike.com (2nd July 2009) popsike.com - The Sloths - Makin' Love 45 Garage Rock Impression 104. Downloaded on 30th December 2012 from popsike.com: http://www.popsike.com/The-Sloths-Makin-Love-45-Garage-Rock-Impression-104/270415065680.html

Popsike.com (20th June 2011) popsike.com - The Sloths-Makin' Love-Rare Garage Rock-pic sleeve HEAR. Downloaded on 30th December 2012 from popsike.com: http://www.popsike.com/The-SlothsMakin-LoveRare-Garage-Rockpic-sleeve-HEAR/130531395508.html

Popsike.com (29th October 2012) popsike.com - rare records auction results. Downloaded on 29th October 2012 from popsike.com:

Bibliography 142

http://www.popsike.com/php/quicksearch.php?searchtext=caravan&thumbs=&currsel=7&sortord=dprice&x=0&y=0

Popsike.com (28th February 2013) popsike.com - rare records auction results. Downloaded on 28th February 2013 from popsike.com: http://www.popsike.com/php/quicksearch.php?pagenum=1&searchtext=sky+saxon+vibravoid&incldescr=&sortord=dprice&thumbs=&currsel=

qehs.net (no date) Revolutions in sound recording. Downloaded on 23rd December 2012 from http://w1.qehs.net/moodle/mod/resource/view.php?id=8430.

rateyourmusic.com (22nd December 2011) Statistics of RYM. Downloaded on 2nd November 2012 from rateyourmusic.com: http://rateyourmusic.com/board_message?message_id=868876&find=3748607&x=m#msg3748607

Rathje, Ulf and Wettengel, Michael (1999) Digitale Datenbestände von Behörden und Einrichtungen der DDR im Bundesarchiv. Historische Sozialforschung, volume 24, issue 4, pp. 70-101.

Rutenberg, Jürgen von (31st December 2012) Raumsonde Voyager 1: Die Erde ist eine Scheibe. (ZEIT Online) Downloaded on 6th January 2013 from zeit.de: http://www.zeit.de/2013/01/Voyager-1-Schallplatte-Menschheit/komplettansicht

SAS Institute Inc. (2010) SAS® Sentiment Analysis Workbench 1.1: Administrator's Guide. SAS® Publishing.

SAS Institute Inc. (2011) SAS® Information Retrieval Studio 1.3: Administrator's Guide. SAS® Publishing.

Scoop Marketing (5th July 2012) The Nielsen Company & Billboard 2012 Mid-Year U.S. Music Industry Report. Downloaded on 5th January 2013 from scoopmarketing.com: http://www.scoopmarketing.com/2012/07/the-nielsen-company-billboard-2012-mid-year-u-s-music-industry-report/

Searle, John R. (March 2006) Social Ontology: Some Basic Principles. Anthropological Theory, volume 6, issue 1, pp. 51-71.

Sen, Abhijit (2010) Music in the Digital Age: Musicians and Fans Around the World “Come Together” on the Net. Global Media Journal, volume 9, issue 16.

Shuker, Roy (2010) Wax Trash and Vinyl Treasures: Record Collecting as a Social Practise. Surrey: Ashgate.

Sinfield, Peter (9th December 2008) The Bat Guano Museum of Art - Barry Godber (British, 1946-1970). Downloaded on 30th December 2012 from batguano.com: http://www.batguano.com/bgma/godber.html

Soteriou, Helen (22nd January 2013) Crate digging and the resurgence of vinyl. Downloaded on 5th February 2013 from bbc.co.uk: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-21010240

SPIEGEL ONLINE (11th September 2012) Kambodscha schiebt Pirate-Bay-Mitgründer ab. Downloaded on 27th October 2012 from spiegel.de: http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/web/pirate-bay-mitbegruender-aus-kambodscha-abgeschoben-a-855076.html

SPIEGEL ONLINE (1st November 2012) Megaupload-Nachfolger soll 2013 starten. Downloaded on 1st November 2012 from spiegel.de:

Bibliography 143

http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/web/kim-dotcom-plant-neuen-filehoster-als-megaupload-nachfolger-a-864635.html

Styvén, Maria Ek (2010) The need to touch: Exploring the link between music involvement and tangibility preference. Journal of Business Research, volume 63, pp. 1088-1094.

Supranowitz, Chris (2nd May 2005) rochester.edu. (University of Rochester) Downloaded on 5th December 2012 from http://www.optics.rochester.edu/workgroups/cml/opt307/spr05/chris/.

Tremblay, Bob (2010) SAS® Enterprise Content Categorization: An Introduction. SAS® Publishing.

Tremblay, Bob (2010) SAS® Enterprise Content Categorization: An Introduction Course Notes. Cary, NC, USA: SAS Institute Inc.

wikipedia.org (4th August 2011) Digital Vinyl System. Downloaded on 5th February 2013 from wikipedia.org: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_Vinyl_System

Picture Credits

Front cover

http://media.beta.photobucket.com/user/FalseInnocence/media/Binary.png

http://www.hdwallpapersarena.com/vinyl-hd-wallpapers.html

Vinyl-Icons used in figures

http://www.nickdc.co.uk/Vinyl

Figure 5

http://78rpmrecord.com/labelshow.cfm?whichLabel=4339

144

Declaration in Lieu of Oath

I hereby declare that I produced the submitted paper with no assistance from any

other party and without the use of any unauthorized aids and, in particular, that I

have marked as quotations all passages, which are reproduced verbatim or

nearby-verbatim from publications. Also, I declare that the submitted print

version of this thesis is identical with its digital version. Further, I declare that this

thesis has never been submitted before to any other examination board in either its

present form or in any other similar version. I herewith agree that this thesis may be

published. I herewith consent that this thesis may be uploaded to the server of

external contractors for the purpose of submitting it to the contractors’ plagiarism

detection systems. Uploading this thesis for the purpose of submitting it to

plagiarism detection systems is not a form of publication.