Records now more attractive than CDs, Bendigo Vinyl co-owner says

Audiophiles, collectors and people that want to support their favourite bands have turned to the vintage format, with vinyls outselling CDs for the past two years.

Local store Bendigo Vinyl, located on Hargreaves Street, has become crucial for anyone looking to get their hands on the latest and greatest records, and co-owner Sam Edmonds says there are multiple factors driving the boom.

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"In the age of streaming there's a physicality to owning music that I think is really attractive for people," he said.

"It says a lot about themselves when they can go and grab something, that music that they really enjoy, and they've gone out and spent money on it and they can hold it in their hands.

Mr Edmonds said Taylor Swift's Midnights was his store's biggest selling record, which came as no surprise.

The album had the biggest first week of vinyl sales ever in Australia, selling more than 10,000 copies.

Swift obviously knew there was a market for the format, as Midnights was released four different times, becoming a collection for dedicated fans to show off.

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"We get a lot of different colours and special releases and signed copies and stuff like that, which is a really, really cool thing that the artists do," Mr Edmonds said.

"It's great for collectors as well and people that want to own different types of things. It used to be Blu-ray box sets and big CDs, but now it's collector's edition vinyl."

Other high selling records are the classics, such as Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon and Radiohead's OK Computer, however Mr Edmonds has noticed a trend of Australian bands turning to vinyl as a way of making money.

"What's really driving [sales] is new releases, especially Aussie artists as well," he said.

"We really want to invest in the Australian music scene and a great way to do that is to buy vinyl from their favourite bands."

So what makes a record more attractive than a CD?

Mr Edmonds said it's more to do with the aesthetic than sound, with big record art more "Instagram-able" than a CD.

Sound quality is arguably better on a CD or digital streaming, but many vinyl lovers will say there's something special about spinning a record for the first time.

"Dynamic range is a little smaller and everything's a bit warmer," Mr Edmonds said.

"There's something about putting a vinyl on, a really well mastered vinyl and you're like, 'this sounds phenomenal'.

"Is it better sound quality than a CD? Probably not ... it's a different sound, a warmer sound. It's a more inviting sound than a CD, to my ears."

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The death of CDs received another knell recently, with music retailer Sanity announcing it will close all Australian physical stores, which includes one at Lansell Square.

Mr Edmonds said he was saddened by the news, but not surprised.

"Personally it was a little sad because I remember buying so many CDs at Sanity ... there was something about a Sanity gift card at Christmas that was just magic," he said.

"As someone that runs a retail store that deals in physical formats, it wasn't super surprising.

"They were still [selling] CDs and DVDs and then during lockdown they added jigsaws and posters and that kind of like high margin collectible thing, and I didn't know whether that was the way to go for a traditional music store.

"But I don't know, they must have been crunching their own numbers or something."

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