Pocono News Section

CD Sales Dropping; Vinyl Skyrocketing

CD Sales Dropping; Vinyl Skyrocketing - Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 7:06PM EST

Wednesday, Jan 20, 2010 @ 07:06pm EST
Americans are buying less music.

New numbers from Nielsen show album sales slid again last year.

Part of the reason is that people are downloading music illegally.

Taylor swift sold the most albums in another dismal year for music sellers.

Albums sales tumbled more than 12% in 2009.
A trend forcing independent music stores like gallery of sound to close smaller stores.

Joe Nardone, from gallery a sound says it forcing their chain of stores to adapt.

"By consolidating our stores into larger stores like this, we can go deeper into our catalog and compete with online cd sellers."

Nardone recently opened a new place on Mundy St. in Wilkes-Barre.

He's found a new niche ---used cds and dvds.

He says there will always be those who want albums.

Michael Supkowski is a customer who agrees.

"You get the album, you get the cover, the artwork, you get what the bands are about. "

Much of the music people want isn't new.

Two of the top three albums contain old music by the late king of pop and covers performed by british phenom Susan Boyle.

Nardone says, "Whats surprising is that vinyl sales are on the upswing. It's risen 33% nationwide --and here at gallery of sound --150% in 2009...I think there's nostalgia for some people. I think it's something brand new for younger, see the record, the cover, the artwork."

Nardne is optimistic that 2010 will be better because the music industry has recently dropped the price on thousands of cds to under ten bucks.

"People want these, they're buying these cds for 7-99 --8.99 on really good titles, ACDC catalog, Bruce Springsteen catalog.

Perhaps a sign that people will buy albums if the price is right.