The Vinyl Revival and the Music Industry

As a counterpoint to the more common explorations of vinyl from the consumer perspective, this thesis will examine how the vinyl revival and the post-digital music industry have shaped each other.

The initial chapter will critically examine literature on vinyl and the music industry to both clarify the academic perspective and situate my own thesis in relation to it. In the second chapter I will systematically analyse the practices of record labels involved in the vinyl revival, historical canonisation of the format, and their post revival fortunes. In the third chapter I will examine the relationship between the vinyl revival and the music retail sector, and the fourth examines two annual retail events centred around vinyl, Record Store Day and Indie Label Market. Through use of contextualising elements and media narratives, I will demonstrate how retail creates a culture that privileges vinyl, but also potentially problematises it. In the final chapter I will tie together these various elements, and discuss possible future avenues for research.