A new survey claims people are interested in sustainable vinyl records

Ever since the beginning of the vinyl revival, also known as the vinyl resurgence, in 2008, vinyl sales have been booming. In fact, 2023 marked the 16th consecutive year-on-year market growth. However, while between 2019 and 2020, vinyl sales grew by an unbelievable 46.2%, they only experienced growth of 4.5% between 2021 and 2022.

Some experts have been quick to say that the low growth rate numbers signify a slowdown in interest in vinyl records. And it seems that Key Production, the UK's largest broker for physical music production, may already have a solution to this soon-to-become issue: sustainable vinyl records.

The company has recently surveyed 500 individuals in the UK to discover whether music consumers would be interested in purchasing environmentally friendly vinyl. The survey found that 69% of respondents said they would buy more vinyl records if they were made with reduced environmental impact. Additionally, 77% of those respondents claimed they would be willing to pay a ‘premium’ price for reduced environmental impact products.

What’s also interesting is that 83% of general survey participants said they "don’t perceive or can’t tell the difference between 180g heavyweight vinyl and other alternatives." Among vinyl buyers, the number of respondents who didn’t see any difference between standard and heavyweight vinyl was also relatively high — 70%. While the industry has been convinced that 180g vinyl records are the more sought-after product — as they are generally seen as more premium — these findings show that customers are not valuing the weight as much as sellers believe they do.

Overall, the survey suggests that consumer interest in sustainable viny is at an all-time high.

"What we’re seeing is a consumer shift towards a demand for physical music made with reduced impact. Vinyl can be made more sustainably with new compounds which replace the fossil-fuel ingredients, and packaging can be made with completely recycled materials," concludes John Service, Strategy and Sustainability Director at Key Production Group.