Vinyl
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In August, Travis Scott fans on Reddit sprang into action. “$5 VINYL GO!” one user wrote in r/travisscott (234,000 members). The call-to-arms post came with a photo of a discount code that made buying the rapper’s double-LP Utopia — once $50 — about as costly as a gallon of milk in New York City. That price point proved irresistible: “This gon be my first vinyl why tf not,” one devotee responded. “Travis … gonna be selling 100k [in] his 4th week,” another added.
That fan wasn’t far off: Scott sold 88,500 vinyl copies of Utopia — 161,000 album-equivalent units overall — in the U.S. through his web-store in his fourth week atop the Billboard 200 albums chart, according to Luminate. Between the July 28 release of Utopia and Sept. 7, fans have snapped up more than 331,000 double LPs.
Vinyl album sales have been growing for 17 straight years, and in 2022 they accounted for $1.2 billion in revenue in the U.S., according to the RIAA. As the format has become more popular, a growing number of stars have moved to capture fan demand by releasing LPs of their own, often leading to eye-popping first-week numbers. What made Scott’s record rollout unusual was that some Utopia vinyl was available for $5 — both through bundle deals, where fans could get a record at that low price if they bought more than $120 worth of merchandise, and some stand-alone copies via discount codes.
At that price, many in the industry believe the rapper was not making a profit. One manager who spoke on the condition of anonymity says he was recently quoted around $7 a unit to manufacture an order of double vinyl. In a senior executive’s experience, “it costs $4 to make a single LP if it’s super bare-bones and you’re making a high quantity,” and more for a double LP. Throw in mechanical royalties, typically paid out on records at a rate of 12 cents per song, and it’s hard to imagine that a $5 double-record could make any money.
Even if Scott were selling some records at a loss, he’s not losing money overall: The rapper is famous for moving mountains of merch, some of which goes for a good deal more than $50. But the ability to offer up some records at $5 — $4.99 is the lowest price an album can be sold at and still count towards the Billboard 200 — shows the extent to which stars with fervent fan bases and formidable merch operations operate in a different world than most artists. And since an album’s streaming numbers usually dip as listener enthusiasm begins to wane after debut week, it’s possible that more artists might start to mark down records to help bolster demand and chart placement.
Luminate only receives data on total record sales, not the number of Utopia LPs sold at different price points. Scott’s label partner, Epic Records, directed questions about the rollout to the rapper’s manager, David Stromberg. Stromberg declined to comment on the record about vinyl pricing or sales strategy.
Executives say that selling some copies of Utopia at a 90% discount makes sense in certain circumstances. “We’ve lost money on individual album sales for chart position,” notes one marketer at a rival major label. A star could “spend $200,000 on ads and hope they convert [into streams],” the marketer continues. Alternatively, he suggests, “sell discounted albums, you lose money on those, figure it out on the back end, and hope the chart visibility helps with the overall story.”
“It’s a marketing exercise: In a genre [hip-hop] where streams dominate, be the only one to have a huge physical number,” adds another senior label executive not involved with Scott’s rollout. The price cut leads to a “sales bump and fan engagement.”
Sure enough, many rappers have ignored the vinyl wave. Steve Harkins, vp of sales and marketing at the distributor Ingram Entertainment, told Billboard earlier this year that “labels have said they’ve had challenges convincing artists and management to release their titles physically in some cases,” leading to a shortage of new albums on vinyl from rappers.
There are exceptions to this rule: Tyler, the Creator, has sold more than 360,000 LPs from across his catalog already this year, according to Luminate, while Kendrick Lamar has sold close to 270,000. But Luminate data show that at more than half a dozen rap albums that earned more than 500,000 album-equivalent units in 2022 had no vinyl component, including a pair of Drake releases, Lil Durk’s 7220, and Polo G’s Hall of Fame.
In August, Stromberg explained to Billboard that rap faces “inherent disadvantages” when it comes to “manufacturing physical music product.” “Due to the fluid nature of rap collaboration, leak culture and last-minute changes, vinyl lead time always far exceeds album delivery dates for rap,” he continued. “Pop artists are usually able to turn in their albums five to six months early and manufacture a significant amount of vinyl with a robust retail plan in place. Vinyl often ends up accounting for well over 50% of these pop artists’ first-week totals, whereas hip-hop is judged entirely on streaming.”
Key components of the Utopia rollout, Stromberg added, were “manufactur[ing] our own vinyl” and crafting “an e-com plan to leverage day-and-date physical music for the first time in modern mainstream rap.” So far, so good: Utopia recently passed Taylor Swift‘s Midnights (around 318,000 copies) to become the second biggest-selling vinyl album of 2023, behind only another Swift release, Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) (roughly 368,000).
And the big discount on Utopia helped some first-time vinyl buyers pull the trigger, according to their Reddit comments. “I am such a cheap ass,” one fan wrote on r/travisscott, “… but I actually bought a vinyl today because you can’t even get crappy vinyls for $5 nowadays. What a steal.”
“I don’t even buy vinyls,” another fan responded. “But $5 is $5.”
Greatest hits albums were once a key facet of the record business — a way for labels to repackage existing copyrights, for artists to make a statement about a body of commercial success and for consumers to get all their favorite hits by an artist in one collection.
The development of streaming hobbled that format. If a fan can create a playlist of all their favorite songs, why would they need to buy an album of those hits?
Best-of albums, though, are quietly hitting back — especially in the country format. MCA Nashville released Josh Turner’s Greatest Hits on Sept. 8, and Valory has Thomas Rhett’s 20 Number Ones scheduled for Sept. 29. Encore Music Group likewise issued Ricochet’s Then & Now on Aug. 18, with rerecordings of its four top 20 singles from the 1990s among the package’s 16 tracks.
“It’s kind of a milestone moment for me,” Turner says.
Indeed, in the old-school music business, hits albums carried a certain status. In their original, purest form, they signified that an artist had accrued enough successful individual titles that they could fill both sides of a vinyl release with familiar music. They sometimes expanded a fan base, too, as consumers who hadn’t necessarily kept tabs on a specific act suddenly recognized their accomplishments more fully.
“The greatest-hits aggregate, whether it’s physical or even just a digital collection, is kind of a marketing banner for the body of work,” says Fisher Entertainment Consulting founder Pete Fisher.
If the hits package has a throwback vibe, that’s appropriate since nostalgic vinyl is the format that’s most likely driving its return. Fans who want to hear the hits from the turntable at home can’t mix and match the songs for a 12-inch disc as they could on Spotify. The disc needs to be manufactured in a fixed order, and the best-of package offers real value.
“We’ve been selling a lot of vinyl on the road at my shows, so that’s a good sign to show that people really want the physical product,” Turner says. “Everybody’s familiar with the digital stuff now. Sometimes it’s kind of cool to just unplug and go to the record.”
There’s an irony to the development. Producers have been known to add programmed needle scratches to digital music to give it a ’60s or ’70s atmosphere. Avoiding those pops and crackles were one of the supposed benefits of shifting to CDs. The digital disc’s rise pretty much ended a 30-year reign for 12-inch pressings around the early 1990s. Now the sonic imperfections add a new dimension to several generations of music.
“Vinyls are making a comeback, and [they’re] making a comeback among the younger generation,” says Ricochet founder Heath Wright. “It’s the thing now.”
That shift is opening up new possibilities for most of the music from the last three decades as it appears on a warmer, less brittle configuration.
“It’ll be the first time I’ve heard Ricochet music on vinyl,” Wright says, anticipating the release of the band’s material on black and yellow plastic.
Plenty of recent hits projects marked the first time the songs were available in the format. Among the best-of collections unveiled in the last two years are Heads Carolina, Tails California: The Best of Jo Dee Messina, Luke Bryan’s #1’s Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 and a Justin Moore Greatest Hits originally offered in translucent red vinyl at Walmart. Much of Dolly Parton’s Diamonds & Rhinestones: The Greatest Hits Collection — including “Jolene,” “9 to 5” and “Coat of Many Colors” — was initially issued on vinyl back in the day.
But vinyl isn’t the only point. Digital service providers have created their own playlists dedicated to specific artists. However, that same act may prefer a different set of songs as a career overview, and the makeup of those titles on a hits compilation aren’t subject to revisions by DSP managers.
“It’s a nice way to roll up an era and curate the hits from a label-centric perspective for all time,” 615 Leverage + Strategy partner John Zarling says. “Apple constantly updates their Essentials playlists and prominently features those for every artist of note. But if you think about 10, 20 years removed, are those playlists going to properly document a specific era for an artist?”
Hits projects also give the act’s team a chance to elevate a song that was overlooked publicly. “Desperado,” for example, was never a charting single for The Eagles or Linda Ronstadt, but it rose in significance after being featured on both acts’ best-of compilations.
“Think about the songs that might have been important,” says Zarling, “but were never big chart successes, that because they were placed on greatest-hits records, it became a part of that artist’s repertoire.”
Plenty of artists who would have qualified for best-of albums in a previous era have never issued one during the last 20 years. That includes Brad Paisley, Cole Swindell, Taylor Swift, Chris Stapleton and Miranda Lambert. As the hits album hits back, a template has been established that makes a best-of compilation a good bet again.
In addition to making a statement about the act, it’s also a good way to enhance the experience with fans. Turner and Rhett are both offering special packages that combine hits albums with other merchandise. Rhett’s 20 Number Ones can be purchased in two different collectible versions, including one with an autographed box set with a booklet for $125. Turner’s Greatest Hits is available in several configurations, including signed copies and/or Turner-branded clothing for up to $185.
“That’s a trend that’s not going to go away,” Fisher suggests. “The entertainment industry as a whole is just continuing to try and find very high-touch experiences and high-quality products for that premium consumer. There’s profit opportunities with the superfan, and I don’t think they’re disappointed to pay that way. It’s a way they vote in support of their favorite artists.”
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Tyler, the Creator’s Call Me If You Get Lost finds its way back to No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart (dated Sept. 9), as the album vaults 76-1 following a new vinyl release of the set. It’s the album’s third week at No. 1 in as many years, following one-week visits to the top in 2022 and 2021.
The album’s return is owed to the Aug. 25 release of the first vinyl pressing of the deluxe edition of the album, dubbed Call Me If You Get Lost: The Estate Sale. The deluxe edition was originally issued via streamers and digital retailers in March 2023. The triple-LP set was pressed on blue-colored vinyl. In total in the U.S. in the week ending Aug. 31, all retail versions of the album combined – old and new – sold just over 29,000 copies (up 1,397%), according to Luminate. Vinyl sales comprised nearly all of that sum.
Call Me If You Get Lost previously hit No. 1 for one week in 2022 (April 30-dated chart) after the original album’s release on vinyl, and for one week in 2021 (July 10, its debut frame).
In total in the U.S. through the week ending Aug. 31, Call Me If You Get Lost has sold 328,000 copies on vinyl across its multiple vinyl editions.
Elsewhere in the top 10 of the latest Top Album Sales chart, Zach Bryan’s self-titled set launches at No. 3, and The Turnpike Troubadours’ A Cat In the Rain debuts at No. 5.
Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart ranks the top-selling albums of the week based only on traditional album sales. The chart’s history dates back to May 25, 1991, the first week Billboard began tabulating charts with electronically monitored piece count information from SoundScan, now Luminate. Pure album sales were the sole measurement utilized by the Billboard 200 albums chart through the list dated Dec. 6, 2014, after which that chart switched to a methodology that blends album sales with track equivalent album units and streaming equivalent album units. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both Twitter and Instagram.
Travis Scott’s chart-topping Utopia falls to No. 2 after four weeks at No. 1 (selling 29,000 copies; down 68%), while Bryan’s self-titled album bows at No. 3 with 17,000 sold (all from digital downloads, as it has yet to be released on any physical format). NewJeans’ former No. 1 2nd EP ‘Get Up’ rises 7-4 with 13,000 (down 17%), while The Turnpike Troubadours’ A Cat in the Rain starts at No. 5 with nearly 13,000 sold.
Taylor Swift’s former leader Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) rises 8-6 (nearly 13,000; down 19%), NCT DREAM’s ISTJ: The 3rd Album falls 6-7 (12,500; down 49%), and J-Hope’s Jack in the Box falls 2-8 (12,000; down 74%). Swift’s former No. 1 Midnights climbs 11-9 (10,000; down 12%), and JIHYO’s Zone (The 1st Mini Album) falls 4-10 (10,000; down 73%).
In the week ending Aug. 31, there were 1.666 million albums sold in the U.S. (down 12.6% compared to the previous week). Of that sum, physical albums (CDs, vinyl LPs, cassettes, etc.) comprised 1.333 million (down 15.3%) and digital albums comprised 334,000 (up 0.1%).
There were 552,000 CD albums sold in the week ending Aug. 31 (down 18.9% week-over-week) and 773,000 vinyl albums sold (up 12.6%). Year-to-date CD album sales stand at 23.283 million (up 1.8% compared to the same time frame a year ago) and year-to-date vinyl album sales total 31.147 million (up 20.4%).
Overall year-to-date album sales total 67.201 million (up 6.9% compared to the same year-to-date time frame a year ago). Year-to-date physical album sales stand at 54.788 million (up 11.6%) and digital album sales total 12.414 million (down 10%).
Ingram Entertainment, the second largest U.S. music wholesaler, has begun telling its accounts that it will begin shutting down its music operation, with plans to close by the end of this year, sources tell Billboard. Sources suggest that Ingram’s music operation generates about $200 million a year in revenue. Beyond music, there are indications that the […]
LONDON — Located around 65 miles outside London, Bicester in leafy Oxfordshire is far removed from the bustling world of rock and roll. Despite its lack of star power, the historic market town is nevertheless set to play a key role in the British record industry as home to the United Kingdom’s biggest distribution warehouse for physical music and home entertainment.
Due to begin trading today (Aug. 29), the new 25,000-square meter facility is being opened by Swiss-based Utopia Music as part of a £100 million ($125 million) long-term deal with international logistics company DP World. With handling capacity of up to 250,000 units per day, operators say the state-of-the-art warehouse will distribute over 30 million CDs, vinyl records and Blu-ray discs a year across the United Kingdom and export markets on behalf of clients, including Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and [PIAS].
For Utopia Music, the opening of the Bicester site provides a much-needed boost after a troubled 12 months that has seen the company undergo multiple rounds of job cuts, executive departures, office closures, legal action over a stalled acquisition deal and the offloading of three of its businesses — Absolute Label Services, U.S.-based music database platform ROSTR and U.K.-based publisher Sentric.
For the wider music industry, the new warehouse facility acts as further proof of the continued demand for physical music formats, driven by the ongoing vinyl boom.
Last year, vinyl sales climbed 2.9% to 5.5 million units in the United Kingdom, marking the 15th consecutive year of growth, according to labels trade body BPI. In contrast, CD sales fell 19% year-on-year to 11.6 million units in 2022, though the format still accounted for more than two-thirds (67%) of all physical music purchases. Total revenue from physical music sales stood at £280 million ($352 million) in the United Kingdom last year — down 3.8% versus 2021 but up £9 million ($11 million) on 2020’s total, according to trade organization the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA).
The latest year-to-date figures from BPI, meanwhile, show slight growth across the U.K. physical music market in 2023 compared to last year, while vinyl sales are up by around 15% versus the first 33 weeks of 2022 in volume terms. The trade body says that physical music revenues are on track to record double-digit percentage growth in 2023.
“A lot of people were too quick to write off physical and maybe now realize there is still a large and viable business here,” says Utopia Music vp of distribution Drew Hill on the eve of the new facility opening.
Fintech firm Utopia Music has owned a large stake in the U.K. physical music distribution business since January 2022, when it acquired Proper Music Group, the United Kingdom’s biggest independent physical music distributor, for an undisclosed sum. Eight months later, Utopia bought up the assets of Cinram Novum — which provides warehouse, fulfillment and distribution services to music labels and home entertainment companies — and renamed it Utopia Distribution Services (UDS).
Drew Hill
Utopia Music
Over the summer, stock has been transported from UDS’ previous warehouse in Aylesbury to the new Bicester site, which will handle 70% of all U.K. physical music sales, as well as 35% of domestic physical video (DVD and Blu-ray discs) sales each year, according to Utopia. Proper Music Group, which trades as a standalone entity within the Utopia group and provides distribution to over 5,000 indie labels and service companies, will continue to operate from its existing warehouse in Dartford.
Hill says the multi-million-pound investment that UDS is making in physical music will help ensure the survival of CD and vinyl formats for future generations. “Lots of other distributors have either gone to the wall or they have been massively underfunded. The physical music business is still a quarter of a billion-pound industry, and it really needed someone to come in and upgrade the infrastructure to be able to support that,” he says.
Utopia Music co-founder and interim CEO Mattias Hjelmstedt says the Bicester facility “marks a new beginning for the U.K.’s physical distribution market.”
The continuing shift away from physical formats toward streaming does, however, present considerable challenges to any company operating in the physical market. In 2022, Proper Music Group recorded revenue of £30.1 million ($38 million) for the nine-month period ending Dec. 31, down from £42 million ($53 million) in the prior 12-month accounting period, according to its latest financial records. The company says lower sales and increased operating costs were behind the £1.9 million ($2.4 million) net loss it posted last year.
In response to inflationary pressures, Proper raised its prices for the first time in over 15 years in late 2022, with UDS also increasing prices on what Cinram Novum was previously charging clients. Hill declines to reveal how much prices have increased but is confident that the measures taken will help Proper return to profitability in 2024, while the new Bicester facility will enable UDS to grow its client base through increased capacity and a greater focus on direct-to-consumer sales.
By tapping into DP World’s global network, which spans 75 countries on six continents, UDS will also be looking to grow physical music exports outside the United Kingdom. It also, says Hill, has long-term plans to replicate its centralized distribution model overseas, possibly in North America or Europe.
Commenting on Utopia’s well-publicized recent difficulties, Hill says support from the Swiss-based tech firm has been “unwavering” and both Proper and UDS have been “ring-fenced” from the cuts Utopia has implemented elsewhere over the past year.
“[CEO] Mattias [Hjelmstedt] has talked internally about how physical distribution is the engine room of Utopia. We provide a funnel through which it can present and sell its other products and services,” says Hill, who has worked for Proper for more than 15 years.
Hill adds that he has no concerns about the financial stability of Utopia and points to the growing popularity of vinyl, deluxe boxsets and special edition releases among music fans as a thriving growth area for the physical music business.
“Over time, maybe we will start to shift fewer units, but they will be units of higher value,” he says. “As long as you create a beautiful package with valuable content in it, people will always want to buy it.”
1989 (Taylor’s Version) is the gift that keeps on giving. Taylor Swift revealed another limited edition vinyl colorway via Instagram on Monday (Aug. 21), this time a soft aquamarine green color. Similar to the yellow “Sunrise Boulevard” vinyl she announced last week, Swift’s newest vinyl will be available to pre-order for just 48 hours on Swift’s […]
Celebrations are in order for Lady Gaga, as her debut album The Fame, turned 15 years old on Saturday (Aug. 19). To celebrate the occasion, the pop star — who formally launched her pop career with the record and became one of the genre’s most formidable forces following its arrival in 2008 — released a […]
Taylor Swift is just months away from unveiling her 1989 (Taylor’s Version) album, and the star is getting fans excited with a new vinyl release. A yellow “Sunrise Boulevard” vinyl is available to pre-order for just 48 hours on Swift’s website here. In addition to the vinyl, the purchase includes collectible album jacket and sleeves, […]
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Collecting vinyl is only half of the fun. Once you build up your knowledge, you can have fun testing out more advanced record players and setting up a crisp listening experience using the best speakers, of course. With record players having a major comeback, models have evolved and modernized, allowing you to enjoy listening to popular artists today or classics from the past.
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Whether you’re an experienced record collector who knows how to safely clean vinyl, are a beginner starting your record-playing journey or are just looking for gifts for music lovers, there are a few things every record collector should have in their arsenal.
From unique pieces of home decor to vinyl storing essentials, we rounded up some accessories every vinyl collector should own.
Keep reading to stock up on the picks below.
Amazon
YuanDian Light Up “Now Playing” Vinyl Record Stand
$29.99
Looking to show off your records? You can spotlight whatever you’re listening to with Yuan Dian’s Light-Up Vinyl Record Stand. This stand can not only be mounted to your wall, but has a light-up ability to shine a light on the latest tunes you’re spinning for the day.
Amazon
MAWEW Record Player Stand
$29.99 $32.99 9% OFF
Even if you’re new to owning vinyl, your guests don’t have to know that, and this record player stand can assist in giving off the vibe that you know what you’re doing. The top portion allows you to keep your record player in a safe spot that also puts it on display. Underneath are slots for storing your vinyl, while the side comes with a hook to hang your over-ear headphones or tote bags — it’s up to you!
Amazon
Neoteck Digital Turntable Stylus Force Scale
$13.99 $15.59 10% OFF
Part of keeping your vinyls in pristine shape is making sure your record player needle’s force isn’t too heavy. That’s where a turntable stylus force scale comes in, like this one from Amazon — which is also at its lowest price yet in the last 30 days. How it works is you lay the device on a still record, then turn the turntable on and wait until the device zeros out. Place the needle on the center dot and read the grams on the display.
Amazon
EVEO Premium Vinyl Record Cleaner Kit
$21.97 $26.97 19% OFF
Keep your turntable and records in tip-top shape using EVEO’s 4-in-1 cleaning kit. Within it you’ll find everything you may need, including a velvet brush and cleaning fluid specifically for albums, a hands-free turntable needle gel cleaner and a duster brush.
James
The Abbey Fixed Blade
$69
Getting a package filled with new vinyls can be exciting, but since they’re made from delicate materials you need to be gentle when opening packages. This fixed blade was originally designed with opening vinyl in mind as it uses a thin blade that won’t knick or slice the actual record. It also versatile and can be used to open letters, boxes and more.
Walmart
Big Fudge 12” Outer Sleeves for Vinyl Records
$14.99
Buy Now 1
These outer sleeves may seem like a basic accessory to own, but they’ll go a long way in protecting the quality of your records. Included is 25 sleeves made from a high-density polypropylene that will stand up to water damage while keeping out dust and dirt that could scratch or ruin records.
Amazon
Pyle Phono Turntable Preamplifier
$18.99 $22.99 17% OFF
For less than $20, Pyle’s Phono Turntable Preamplifier will help boost your turntable’s signal if it’s not already built into it. What this does enhance the sound quality and overall better your listening experience. Even if your turntable has one built-in, if you want better quality, then an external one like this will only sharpen the sound.
Amazon
Victrola Vintage Vinyl Record Storage and Carrying Case
$50.51 $69.99 28% OFF
Want to take your vinyl with you on the go? Add this carrying case to your cart and worry less about scratching or damaging records. It can hold up to 30 records and is made from a heavy duty vinyl material that’ll protect your precious collection from bumps and tumbles thanks to its edge guards and lock system.
Best Buy
Sony – Core Series 5″ 3-Way Bookshelf Speakers
$199.99
Some record players require separate speakers in order to hear your vinyls played in the best possible quality. Sony’s bookshelf speakers are compact making them apartment dweller-friendly while the three-way sound system condenses it into one source rather than investing in multiple sound systems. The speakers also come with 53Hz to 50kHz frequency response for a wider range of sound.
Walmart
Udreamer Record Player Turntable
$59.99 $99.99 40% off% OFF
And, of course, if you collect vinyl, make sure you have a record player turntable to play spin it on. Udreamer’s model is currently 40% off and comes in a convenient briefcase for portability. It supports three playback speeds and can play three different record sizes: 7 inches, 10 inches and 12 inches. You won’t need speakers either as it has built-in ones and Bluetooth capabilities, which allows you to connect your phone and stream music.
For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best record players and turntables, portable CD players and the best celebrity headphones.
Owning and operating a record store was never the career plan for Ashli Todd. Sure, her father Nick ran Spillers Records in Cardiff, Wales, for decades, and she grew up helping out at the shop to earn spending money (it was either that, she explains, or “clean up s–t in the chicken shed”). But Todd insists that taking over was “never discussed as a succession situation,” nor did the part-time employee ever sit around the store thinking of ways to run it differently.
So in the late ‘00s, when Nick Todd – facing skyrocketing rent, a divorce and the ongoing nosedive of physical music sales – decided to retire and sell the store, she didn’t for a second consider taking it over. But after several deals with interested parties fell through and her father made moves to shutter the shop permanently, something in her head clicked: This couldn’t happen to a living piece of music history.
Founded in 1894 by Henry Spiller in Cardiff’s Queen’s Arcade, Spillers’ claim to fame is that it’s the oldest record store in the world (other stores may lay similar claims, but Spillers stands out in that it can prove it’s been continuously selling records since the 19th century). If you think vinyl is retro, consider this — when this store opened, vinyl wouldn’t become the norm for a half century; sound recordings at the time came via wax cylinders or heavy discs made of hard rubber or shellac, and were mostly a cost-ineffective novelty.
“With Spillers Records being the world’s oldest record shop, I felt it would be an awful sign — to the industry, the world, whoever cares — about the state of the physical music and independent music retailing, specifically,” Todd says of what motivated her to take action when the store faced its final act.
Suddenly, despite having an art degree and mostly part-time experience at the front of the store, she was learning employee contract laws, negotiating deals and eyeballing new locations. Within six months, “It went from ‘it’s going to shut’ to ‘I’ve got a business plan, and I’m going to give it a go,’” she recalls, shaking her head as if struggling to parse a half-remembered dream. “When I reflect on it, it seems absolutely bonkers.”
Back in 2010, a physical music store was, simply put, a bad investment. Vinyl’s comeback seemed like a pipe dream maintained by an aging, niche demographic, and the vast majority of artists didn’t even bother putting out new releases on wax. But Todd — a music junkie whose teenage favorites were Sparklehorse, Placebo, Mogwai and “anything and everything that [BBC Radio DJ] John Peel played” — saw a few signs of encouragement that made her think the vinyl market would improve despite it being “s–t” when she took over. One was Record Store Day, a U.S.-born event that had crossed the pond to encourage U.K. vinyl fanatics to support ailing indie stores throughout the tough times.
The other was Jack White. “That guy, that label [Third Man], people were nuts for it,” she states. “At a time where everything was like, ‘You don’t need to pay for music or even look at album artwork,’ (he motivated) people (to think), ‘I must have this record, it’s a limited this or that.’” While Third Man started in 2001, it was around 2008 – the year after the White Stripes’ final album – that the label’s trend-bucking efforts to turn vinyl back into a hot commodity began in earnest.
“It made things feel magical again,” she says. The mystical appeal of vinyl was something Todd understood on a personal level. “I’m the kid who bought 7-inches I couldn’t play,” she says, sharing that as a teen without a record player, she would nevertheless track down hard-to-find singles after hearing them on Peel’s show, simply to own a physical token of a cool band.
As Record Store Day and Third Man began stoking fervor for vinyl based on limited-edition pressings and products with a distinct visual aesthetic, she intuited that that Spillers’ future might not be as grim as her father – who oversaw the store during the big-money heyday of the ‘70s and ‘80s — feared.
The recovery wasn’t immediate for Spillers, but it did come. With the rent at the shop’s long-time (but not original) location set to quadruple, Todd moved it to a nearby locale in Queen’s Arcade, where it reopened under her ownership in 2010. The store – tucked away in a cute, slightly Byzantine city center that’s walking distance from a train station (a high-speed line can make the trip from London to Cardiff in two hours) – features a thoughtfully curated selection of everything from MF Doom to Lana Del Rey and plenty of colorful merch that proudly trumpets the 1894 birth year. Beyond Spillers’ historicity, Todd also takes pride in Spillers as a Welsh institution, greeting me in Welsh when I enter the store and drawing my attention to a portion of the stacks devoted specifically to vinyl from Welsh artists (on her advice, I picked up two records from North Wales surf rock instrumentalists Y Niwl).
These days, the issues facing Spillers are less existential and more operational: increased vinyl prices, slow order turnaround times and delivery delays caused by Brexit-related workforce shortages. In her eyes, Brexit has been worse for business than the pandemic. “Twelve years of Tory rule has not benefitted this country in the slightest,” she muses. “Even when you’re dealing with best case scenario, it only takes one thing being off…. In terms of providing a service to customers, it doesn’t feel great. It’s unstable, and everything is stretched to the point of breaking,” she says, before adding with a laugh, “But other than that it’s brilliant.”
As Todd continues full-steam-ahead into her second decade of running Spillers, she’s acquired a greater understanding of her father, too. “(Growing up), work was the big time-consuming thing for him, and now that I’m in the same position, I completely understand it,” she says with a touch of exhaustion, having already worked several hours on her off-day. Still, plenty of surprises keep her energized about running the store, including its changing demographics.
“I will be honest. Pre-pandemic, the general feeling was like, ‘Our customer base is getting older,’” she recalls. “Now, I’m absolutely blown away by the age range — and seeing more women as well.” Todd cites the increased popularity of vinyl from Taylor Swift, Harry Styles and hip-hop artists as pushing younger generations to get excited about the format. “That’s one of my favorite things.”
The other? “Seeing which bands of my era have made an impression and stick with people. I’m not telling people what to listen to, but it is lovely seeing which artists have remained relevant.” Her eyes sparkle when she shares that Placebo remains a regular seller at Spillers: “For 13-year-old me, it’s thrilling every time someone buys them.”