Japan’s Vinyl Revival in the Digital Age

According to figures announced by the Recording Industry Association of Japan, production of vinyl records in Japan during 2024, for both Japanese and Western music, totaled 3,149,000 units, a 17% increase over the previous year. The value of production also rose by 26%, to ¥7.9 billion. This is the first time in 35 years for the value to exceed ¥7 billion.

The production value of vinyl records in Japan peaked in 1980, at ¥181 billion, but by 2010, with the spread of CDs and rise of streaming services, it had fallen to just ¥170 million. Meanwhile, production volume peaked in 1976, at 199,752,000 units.

The number of newly issued records is also on the rise. The 900 new titles released in 2024 represented a 22-fold increase over the 41 titles produced in 2011.

The Recording Industry Association of Japan believes that the recent resurgence of vinyl records is due to idol and J-pop artists using the format to release new albums and rerelease old hits. Several factors seem to be driving the popularity of vinyl. Some are attracted to the album covers, which can be decorative because of their large size, while others find it an exciting novelty to drop a needle on a turntable in this digital age. On top of this, the spread of relatively inexpensive record players has made the hobby more affordable.

(Translated from Japanese. Banner photo © Pixta.)