daytona600
07-02-2014, 01:55
30,759,242 + Long Playing Records Pressed Worldwide in 2013!
300,000 + Turntables
Based on numbers publicly disclosed or provided to analogplanet.com by most of the world's vinyl pressing plants, the total number of records pressed worldwide in 2013 was well in excess of 30,759,242.
"Well in excess" because two major pressing plants refused to provide numbers. United Record Pressing in Nashville was unresponsive to analogplanet's request as was Optimal in Germany.
However, considering United's commercial success and size it would reasonable to add at least 4,000,000 units to that total given the numbers provided by other pressing plants that did cooperate. Optimal's total must be at least 1,000,000 as well.
The total therefore is probably closer to 35,000,000 and that omits pressing plants in Korea and South America.
We believe the numbers provided by the plants are accurate and that there is a strong correlation between actual albums pressed and records sold. We base that on the fact that plants press only what's ordered and what's ordered by record companies tends to be conservative in order to not build up expensive inventories.
So while the numbers include records pressed December of 2013, which wouldn't be sold until 2014, they do no include records pressed at the end of 2012, which were sold in 2013.
Therefore we feel reasonably safe in assuming that at least 30,000,000 records were sold in 2013, of which approximately 6,000,000 were sold domestically in America. However, based on the actual number of records pressed world-wide, we contend that the 6,000,000 record total reported by Nielsen/Soundscan well-underestimates actual 2013 American new vinyl sales and by a considerable amount. That though, is speculation.
Not speculative are the impressive pressing plant-supplied totals!
300,000 + Turntables
Based on numbers publicly disclosed or provided to analogplanet.com by most of the world's vinyl pressing plants, the total number of records pressed worldwide in 2013 was well in excess of 30,759,242.
"Well in excess" because two major pressing plants refused to provide numbers. United Record Pressing in Nashville was unresponsive to analogplanet's request as was Optimal in Germany.
However, considering United's commercial success and size it would reasonable to add at least 4,000,000 units to that total given the numbers provided by other pressing plants that did cooperate. Optimal's total must be at least 1,000,000 as well.
The total therefore is probably closer to 35,000,000 and that omits pressing plants in Korea and South America.
We believe the numbers provided by the plants are accurate and that there is a strong correlation between actual albums pressed and records sold. We base that on the fact that plants press only what's ordered and what's ordered by record companies tends to be conservative in order to not build up expensive inventories.
So while the numbers include records pressed December of 2013, which wouldn't be sold until 2014, they do no include records pressed at the end of 2012, which were sold in 2013.
Therefore we feel reasonably safe in assuming that at least 30,000,000 records were sold in 2013, of which approximately 6,000,000 were sold domestically in America. However, based on the actual number of records pressed world-wide, we contend that the 6,000,000 record total reported by Nielsen/Soundscan well-underestimates actual 2013 American new vinyl sales and by a considerable amount. That though, is speculation.
Not speculative are the impressive pressing plant-supplied totals!