Vinyl Quality Making a Comeback?

According to a Wired magazine article titled "When Hi-Fi Meets the IPod," there's a growing discontent among audiophiles over the lower quality sound of MP3 files vs. the clearer and richer experience of music on CD and, yes ... even vinyl.

A majority of new releases are still printed on vinyl. And many of the same kids who illegally download music for free will actually purchase the LP because that quality can't be found anywhere else.

According to the RIAA, vinyl's percentage of overall sales doubled in 2004, grossing $110 million over 2000's $72 million. This growth came at a time when overall music sales dropped from $14.4 billion to $12.2 billion.

How you can use this trend to sell more music ...

Give away free MP3 downloads from the Web, and remind your fans of the higher quality experience they'll get when they purchase your CD (or vinyl record, if you dare.) This will work especially well, of course, if your music is intricate or textured or in some way sonically detailed.

So freely share your lower quality tracks for exposure, but sell the sizzle of owning the actual thing!

-Bob

P.S. For more tips about online music marketing, check out 50 Ways to Promote & Sell Your Music on the Internet.