Is it true that almost half of the people who buy vinyl don't actually play it?

"Now, how does this thing work then?"
"Now, how does this thing work then?" (Image credit: Hero Images Inc./Hero Images Inc./Corbis)

Statistics frequently indicate that vinyl sales are on the rise, but are all the people who are buying records today actually dropping the needle on them? Perhaps not, If a new ICM survey shared with the BBC is to be believed.

This indicates that 48% of people who bought vinyl last month have yet to actually play it, suggesting that, in many cases, purchases could be motivated by 'collectibility' or a desire to make a lifestyle statement. Of those vinyl buyers questioned, 41% said that they own a turntable but don't use it, while 7% admitted that they don't even have a turntable.

The research has been published ahead of the latest annual Record Store Day, which takes place this Saturday (16 April) and is marked by a collection of exclusive vinyl releases. The ICM poll also indicates that 45% of vinyl fans hear the records they buy on streaming services first.

Ben Rogerson

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it.