How Record Store Day is Harming The Industry, it Helped Revitalize.
Jeremy Sykes/courtesy of sactownmag.com
In the early 2000s, independent record stores were in a sharp decline. Vinyl records were all but a relic, reserved for aging collectors sifting through each other's garages. Then in 2006, Tower Records filed for bankruptcy, liquidating its remaining locations. For many, this signified the final nail in the coffin for the industry. The small number of independent record stores remaining survived by selling movies, video games, and gaming consoles alongside their racks of CDs. The consensus was the rising popularity of digital sales and streaming services would make brick and mortar records stores a thing of the past very soon.
As a result, in 2007, a group of owners and employees created Record Store Day, a once-a-year, quazi-holiday celebrating independently owned and operated record stores around the country (eventually the world). Record Store Day played a significant role in breathing new life and much-needed revenue back into the industry with special releases and reissues of exclusive content. Helping to draw thousands of customers back to the mom-and-pop shops they’d forgotten. But with the reassurance of vinyl’s popularity and the global supply chain crisis, is Record Store Day harming independent sellers more than it’s helping?
The first Record Store Day was held on April 19, 2008, with the sworn mission to “come together and celebrate the unique culture of record stores and the special role these independently owned stores play in their communities.” It was accompanied by a small handful of exclusive releases and a lot of fan fair from record labels, big-name, and indie artists. Everyone was more than happy to lend a hand to save the sacred spaces that had given so much to so many music lovers. The following year Jesse Hughes, lead vocalist for Eagles of Death Metal, declared himself Record Store Day Ambassador in an effort to draw even more attention to the cause. Organizers continued the tradition, naming an official ambassador every year since.
Academy records/courtesy of timeout.com
For patrons, the main draw has always been the exclusive vinyl offerings that accompany the once-a-year event. The number of releases has swelled over the past 15 years to a whopping 411 expected this year. But, even with the pandemic slowing, the global supply chain for vinyl records and the raw materials to make them is still in significant crisis. Manufacturers are dealing with huge backlogs, setting turnaround times back eight months or more. Among this year's offerings are four new albums from David Bowie, one from Prince, and a limited-edition seven-inch vinyl from Taylor Swift. All high-demand releases expected to be on shelves the morning of April 23rd, putting an insurmountable amount of pressure on the backs of already strained manufacturers.
Andy Hall/courtesy of theguardian.com
Simply opting out of the festivities is not feasible for most stores. Customers have come to expect at least a small amount of the offerings listed. Even if owners choose not to purchase any exclusive releases, the additional strain on the supply chain will still affect their bottom line. Not to mention the issues vinyl delays cause for others in the music industry. Bands and solo artists often schedule tours to coincide with the release of new material. Pushing back tour dates to accommodate delays means musicians, and the people they employ, are left empty-handed.
Over the past few years, Record Store Day has become more and more associated with big-name artists. This year’s ambassador, for example, is Taylor Swift. Unfortunately, this further perpetuates independent artists and labels being pushed away from vinyl releases, a format they helped save.
While Record Store Day, at its inception, provided a much-needed shot in the arm to the industry, 15 years on, one has to wonder if it has become obsolete. Technology and retail have evolved to the point where even the most remote record stores can still reach thousands of customers online. Meanwhile, Record Store Day has not changed to fit the realities of modern retail. With the event growing larger and more mainstream by the year, has it simply become an anchor around the neck of the establishment it was created to help?
