Majority Of Independent Artists Can’t Afford Vinyl Pressing – New Survey
CLASH feature
January 15, 2025
A new survey has found that the vast majority of independent artists can’t afford a vinyl pressing.
The news around vinyl as a whole is relentlessly positive – recent figures suggest more vinyl records were sold in the UK in any year since 1990.
The figures are rising and rising, with vinyl sales soaring 11.7% to 5.9 million units. A study from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) trade group found that Taylor Swift scored the most popular release, followed by the likes of Dua Lipa and Lewis Capaldi.
But where are the independent artists…?
A new study from music distribution company DITTO suggests that soaring prices are prohibiting independent artists from releasing physically. The survey spoke to more than 1000 artists across multiple genres, with the results revealing that only 12.8% of independent artists could release on vinyl in 2023 due to spiralling costs.
The survey from DITTO reveals that 54.4% of artists found that production costs were too high, while 9.9% felt that the time it takes to organise and release a vinyl record is simply too long.
Curiously, 28.7% of artists felt that their fanbases were simply not interested in buying vinyl products, and utilises their funds on other areas of merch.
