Gen Z’s search for decorative collectibles is fueling vinyl sales

Vinyl records are popular again, but it’s not just audiophiles or nostalgic boomers fueling the resurgence.

Gen Z is playing an outsized role in the revival of vinyl sales, which have grown on average by 18% annually in the past five years. About 60% of Gen Z say they buy records, according to Futuresource Consulting’s Audio Tech Lifestyles report.

But Gen Z isn’t necessarily buying records for their unique sound. Around 40% of record buyers in the United States don’t own a turntable, noted James Duvall, principal analyst and head of entertainment at Futuresource Consulting.

Fifty-six percent of Gen Z fans like vinyl for its aesthetic, while 37% use it as home decor, according to a Vinyl Alliance survey. It’s part of what Jared Watson, an assistant professor of marketing at New York University, calls “symbolic consumption.”

“It could show that you’re a bigger fan or that you appreciate the artist more,” he noted, adding that albums are “affordable art.”