Vinyl growth has returned after the Q2 wobble.
According to data from the BPI, the overall vinyl market was up 10.7% year-on-year in Q3 at 1,498,693 units.
Meanwhile, for the year to date, vinyl sales are up 7.4% at 4,733,937. It means that a total well above seven million units is in sight for 2025.
Big sellers from UK acts on vinyl in 2025 include Sam Fender’s People Watching, Wet Leg’s Moisturizer, Pulp’s More and Wolf Alice’s The Clearing.
The positive Q3 result follows a dip in the second quarter when vinyl sales declined by 2.8% year-on-year despite Record Store Day falling within that three-month period.
At the time, the result was blamed on comparison with the prior year quarter when Taylor Swift released The Tortured Poets Department (although there were no such vinyl declines one year on from the release of Midnights and the Taylor’s Version of 1989).
For Rough Trade, vinyl sales have been consistently strong – ahead of the market – with the independent chain also reporting its best ever overall Q3 result.
Of course, there is a big new Taylor Swift record out this week, which should be a Q4 blockbuster with substantial vinyl sales. However, for independent retail a Swift release may not be the dead cert you might imagine.
“A release like Taylor Swift is fantastic for visibility, but most of the demand was captured by D2C during its long pre-order window,” Rough Trade MD Lawrence Montgomery told Music Week. “By the time stock reached us, much of the frenzy had passed – a clear example of how D2C can hollow out retail.”
With supply less of an issue compared to a few years ago, Montgomery said that labels’ own e-commerce offerings are the main concern for the High Street.
“The biggest challenge is the D2C model: when labels and artists give exclusive editions direct, it drives short-term margin but risks undermining retail,” he said. “If retail loses influence, customers ultimately lose choice and accessibility.”
Even inflation has become less of a factor for music retail.
“Vinyl demand remains strong despite broader economic pressures, and we actually saw average LP prices fall slightly in Q3,” said Montgomery. “That reflects our aim to keep vinyl accessible – offering both affordable titles and limited variants at premium price points.”
The Rough Trade MD said that the buzz around the Oasis reunion and Live '25 stadium tour had been good for record stores, while the trend for younger Gen Z consumers is gathering pace.
“We had our best ever Q3, with vinyl sales up 24% year-on-year,” said Montgomery. “Most encouraging was a 26% jump in footfall, showing the draw of music tourism, with Oasis as the clear highlight. We’re also seeing younger fans embrace record shops in the same way bookshops have thrived – as places to spend meaningful, offline time together.”
We’re seeing younger fans embrace record shops in the same way bookshops have thrived – as places to spend meaningful, offline time together
Lawrence Montgomery
Growth came across all Rough Trade channels with retail up 23%, e-commerce up in single digits, and events up 82%.
With Rough Trade set to publish its influential Albums Of The Year list, the independent chain is gearing up for a big sales push in the final three months of the year.
“We expect our busiest ever quarter,” said Montgomery. “Vinyl has become a credible gift, and campaigns like Albums Of The Year, Gift Guides, National Album Day and Black Friday RSD all drive strong seasonal demand. Looking ahead, we’re preparing a major campaign that will launch early in 2026.”
BPI CEO Dr Jo Twist – who spoke to Music Week about the year-to-date results for UK talent – was also optimistic about the promotional activity for albums in the weeks ahead.
“The close timing of the Mercury Prize event on October 16 with National Album Day – just two days later on October 18, and which this year celebrates Rock music – should help create synergies that help to add up to a strong commercial window in October,” said Twist.
“We do usually see a bump in physical sales around both of these events, and wouldn’t expect this year to be any different – the Mercury Prize always drives conversation and enthusiasm around some of the great new music made by artists from the UK, with National Album Day a vibrant celebration every year of catalogue classics and overlooked gems alike. Both events eulogise the album as an art form, which obviously is closely tied historically to its physical incarnation.”
According to the Q3 figures for the entire market, based on Official Charts Company date, overall physical music sales are down 4% for the year to date. The decline was 2.4% year-on-year in Q3 – an improvement on the 14.5% slump in Q2.
Physical sales had previously returned to growth, including a positive result in Q1, but that’s harder to maintain now that CD’s double-digit decline has resumed. Unit sales for the format were down 11% year-on-year in Q3 – again an improvement on the 22.4% slump in Q2 – while the year-to-date decline is 12.2%.
PHOTO: Drew Eckheart
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