Is TikTok helping—or hurting—indie record sellers?
TikTok fueled Gen Z's interest in vinyl collecting. But supply and demand problems in recent years wound up hurting indie labels and small record stores.
Nine years ago, if something was considered “cool,” it was probably because of Tumblr. Now, if something’s cool, it’s probably thanks to TikTok.
In the case of vinyl records, both platforms had a hand in the vinyl’s return to popularity. An article from Yahoo! claims that TikTok made the vinyl “cool again,” but vinyl sales have actually been increasing over the last 17 years, according to Forbes.
And, in 2014, Urban Outfitters became the number one seller of vinyl. The 2014 grunge-inspired “Tumblr aesthetic” more likely drove these sales for a while, before passing the baton over to TikTok.
On TikTok, there’s a niche for everything, and vinyl collectors and sellers alike have made a place for themselves on the app. But how does this phenomenon play into conversations about preserving indie record stores during the vinyls return to popularity?
“Music fans in COVID-19 lockdown spent their disposable income on turntables and vinyl instead of concert tickets, which makes the pandemic responsible for both the skyrocketing demand and the disruption of the supply chain”
Ed Christman, Billboard
Luminate’s 2022 End of Year music report found that for the second year in a row, vinyls outsold CDs. According to Luminate’s data, vinyl dominated music media until the mid-80s, when it was replaced by the cassette in the 90s, and later the CD, which was the top seller until 2021.
The pandemic saw surge in vinyl sales, and TikTok was likely a catalyst for Gen Z’s interest in the format. In an article for Billboard, Ed Christman wrote, “Music fans in COVID-19 lockdown spent their disposable income on turntables and vinyl instead of concert tickets, which makes the pandemic responsible for both the skyrocketing demand and the disruption of the supply chain and other factors that have caused the production bottleneck.”
But oddly enough, the surge in sales had a negative affect on indie record stores, as the music industry struggled to keep up with sales. Supply chain delays specifically proved a challenge for smaller, indie record labels, the Inside Hook found. Even the annual Record Store Day event, founded with intentions to increase record sales, has been criticized for fueling a demand indie labels can’t keep up with, ultimately hurting small businesses.
According to an article from Yahoo! News, it’s difficult to say what impact TikTok has had on vinyl sales. But like every other aspect of the music industry, TikTok is undeniably having an influence.
Nathan Apodaca’s viral video skateboarding to “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac while drinking cranberry juice sent the song back to the top charts for the first time in 40 years, and Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumors” became the top selling vinyl record in the country, according to Forbes. The hashtag “vinyl” on TikTok currently has 5.5 billion views.
But Gen Z aren’t just buying old music on vinyl. Album releases from Taylor Swift, Olivia Rodrigo, and Adele in 2021 aggravated supply chain issues for vinyl sellers.
But supply chain issues aside, TikTok offers an opportunity for indie record sellers to reach this new audience.
Like most small businesses, record stores turned to online sales and deliveries during the pandemic. With the ability to order order from anywhere, vinyl consumers have every option to choose indie record labels over large sellers like Urban Outfitters or Amazon, which have hurt small record retailers in the past.
One young man, Noah Silver, launched his own vinyl business prior to beginning his freshman year at Mercer University. Silver grew his record business Vertigo Vinyl through viral TikTok videos. Though based in Macon, Georgia, he ships all over the world—as demonstrated in his “pack and order with me” videos that earned him millions of likes and over 355K followers.
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It’s often a hit-or-miss who makes it big on the app. Like any business, there’s an opportunity to grow. Other TikTokers, like Shayne Davies have been able to use the app to take their record businesses to the next level, tailoring content to this new, young generation of vinyl collectors. While older, more established record businesses like Rough Trade in New York City, which has been around for 47 years, have an opportunity to expand their audience on the app, they may need to adapt their content to suit younger viewers.
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