Vinyl records pass PlayStation games as UK’s second biggest-selling physical format

Remember when people used to say computer games were for nerds, and vinyl records were for bitter old DJs? Well, those days are long gone. More surprisingly, the latter part of that last statement seems to be a fast-dying concept. 

New data from the Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA) shows that a continuous surge in vinyl album sales revenue makes it one of the most popular forms of physical entertainment in the UK. 

As a result, hard wax has surpassed Playstation games, DVDs and CDs to become the second most popular form of physical entertainment in the UK.

The sale of vinyl albums equates to more than the sale of PS4 & PS5 games combined, amassing almost £81 million in 2022 YTD. More impressively is a rise of nearly £10 million from £72.1 million in 2021. 

Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA) CEO Kim Bayley says: “Vinyl’s rise and rise seems unstoppable,

“For a 74-year-old analogue format to eclipse the digital-age technology of games platforms is quite extraordinary. Ten years into its long climb back to favour, the vinyl revival is most definitely here to stay.”

This latest data finding is one of many recent gatherings that show the continuous rise of vinyl popularity in the UK. Industry-wide, there is a definite advocacy from artists and consumers alike for the analogue format and all the unreplicatable goodness it brings. 

Separate research conducted by The Royal Mint also found that 32% of all vinyl collectors in the UK reside in Glasgow, which beats the entire North-East region of England — which has 25% of all vinyl collectors.

In December 2021, vinyl sales in the UK reached their highest level in 30 years, surpassing five million for the first time since 1991, thanks to albums by Adele, ABBA, and Ed Sheeran.