Three vinyl nerds – Billy Fields from Warner Music Group, Dillon Smith of Noble Records and Nate Goyer of The Vinyl Guide - discuss the state of vinyl collecting in the year 2025 - trends, changes, evolution and thoughts and predictions on what's to come in the near future.
Topics Include:
- Introduction of Billy Fields as vinyl expert at Warner Music Group
- Dillon Smith introduced as Noble Records owner
- Initial discussion of 2024 vinyl market trends
- Billy mentions focus on maintaining subscriptions with Third Man Records
- Discussion of discovering Lee Dorsey records through social media
- Impact of online discovery versus traditional record store hunting
- Dillon reflects on personal collection growth in 2024
- Store inventory mix discussion: 70% used, 30% new
- Dillon describes efforts to prevent burnout through regular collection buying
- Changes in modern vinyl collections coming to market
- Impact of overpressed modern releases on secondary market
- UK vinyl market showing strongest growth internationally
- Release schedule alignment with digital affecting market success
- Taylor Swift's impact on vinyl sales globally
- Discussion of fewer bands in current charts versus solo artists
- Evolution of vinyl market since 2006-2008
- Economic factors affecting entertainment spending during tough times
- Local UK pressing plants helping market stability
- Changes in used record collections coming to market
- Impact of deceased collectors' collections entering market
- Discussion of subscription service impact on used market
- Original pressings versus reissues value discussion
- Impact of Tone Poet series on Blue Note original prices
- Quality improvements in modern pressing techniques
- Availability of better playback equipment today
- Discussion of collecting original pressings versus reissues
- Dillon's perspective on psychopathic collector mentality
- Voice of America collection acquisition mentioned
- Discussion of historical pressing quantities versus modern numbers
- Billy's approach to collecting versus hunting original pressings
- Impact of audio system quality on listening preferences
- Youth market engagement with vinyl discussion
- Different collecting approaches between generations
- Modern retail challenges with Target/Walmart pricing
- Discussion of variant pressings and market saturation
- Impact of FOMO buying on market
- Sustainability in vinyl production discussion
- PET vinyl alternatives being developed
- Plant efficiency improvements and environmental considerations
- Declining genres discussion - 1950s rock and traditional pop
- Rising interest in country music records
- Discussion of 90s country potential on vinyl
- Garth Brooks box set marketing strategy failure
- Predictions for 2025 vinyl market
- Direct-to-consumer strategy concerns
- Sustainability developments in record pressing
- Personal collection management strategies
- Discussion of recent records giving participants "goosebumps"
- Discussion wrap up
Video version available on the Noble Records YouTube channel
Commercial free, high resolution verion of this podcast is available at: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide
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