Image via Complex Original
The music industry has not been the same since Napster. Or iTunes. Or YouTube. Or Spotify. It seems that every couple years the distribution model for music is taken for another digital turn. Recently, the rise of streaming has allowed services like Spotify and SoundCloud to instantaneously collect vast swaths of information on listeners. Just a few weeks ago, The Atlantic published an article looking at how the music biz utilizes these listener stats to grow their businesses. Some feared that it would lead to widespread homogenization of popular music. Fortunately, artists still seem to rely more on tried-and-true creative inspiration when writing music than on aggregated stats for geo-targeted listeners.
At least one constant has remained despite the music industry’s regular pivots toward adopting new technology and somehow making less money: the record store. This cultural institution—the sacred church of music nerds—has always had good music to share and sell, always available in the highest-quality format. Yes, we’re talking about vinyl. So how are local record stores actually faring in the digital age? In short, how do they keep up? We spoke with the owners of five iconic record stores to get their take on what it means to be successful in today’s digital age.
Stephen Godfroy, Rough Trade
Location: London; Brooklyn
In-store performances have always been a big draw for music fans, but Rough Trade has taken it to the next level, building a full-fledged music venue in the back of its NYC store. We’re also big fans of the Essentials section in their online store—a great way to check off those “wish list” records. Check out what Stephen Godfroy, Rough Trade’s co-owner, had to say:
How do you think the public opinion on owning music has changed in the last 10 years?
For younger generations, they’re not just digital native, they’re multi-format native: adept and comfortable listening to music in whatever form, from grazing tunes on their mobiles to making choice, treasured purchases on vinyl. (There are no nostalgic connotations with vinyl. It’s simply seen as the complete package.) Independently minded—there are no rules.
How do you utilize social media at your store?
We don’t use Facebook. Instead, we choose Twitter and Instagram. Twitter enables us to be ourselves online, i.e. conduct a one-to-one, two-way conversation, as if you stood at one of our counters talking with a member of staff. Instagram is good at conveying the visual wonder of our stores and the releases we recommend.
What do you see the trend being for record stores five years from now?
There will undoubtedly be an increasing number of new independent record stores, hopefully inspired by our efforts and the ongoing support of independent labels. We’re now living in a post-digital age, something that is more prevalent in Europe, but is also gradually emerging in the U.S.
Whatever formats are in demand, a record store will always play an important role in a multi-cultural society. It’s not simply a place to purchase exciting new releases—a record store is a community hub.
Marc Weinstein, Amoeba
Location: Los Angeles; San Francisco; Berkeley
If you’ve ever been to one of Amoeba’s stores in the Bay or L.A., then you know that their inventory is massive. They’ve also done a great job at promoting the brand through merch. Even this author is guilty of owning an Amoeba tote bag. Read Marc Weinstein, Amoeba’s co-founder/co-owner’s thoughts below:
Do you see social media and blogs as an important part of a modern record store?
We employ an array of strategies to spread the word about what we have, what we are up to, and what we believe in. We see an awesome amount of [web] traffic that often has more to do with our culture than necessarily selling anything. Our blogs are written by a phenomenally diverse bunch of hardcore music and film nerds and are very well received.
Tell us about your online store.
We have a really great “boutique” online store that only offers about a million or so titles of mostly small label and independent releases, and [we] are developing a really cool venue to release digital copies of things that have been otherwise lost in the digital age that we find on vinyl. We’ve been restoring some great old recordings and are working on a model for what a great indie store online could ultimately be—taking artists’ archives and presenting them in a much more scholarly way for those who really care to listen to and research all the great artists of the last century.
What does the future look like for record stores?
Record stores will continue to exist for years to come; most will necessarily be more narrowly focused than our giant stores, but will have just the stuff that the more refined subgroups of customers are looking for.
Daniel Cook, Gimme Gimme
Location: Los Angeles
Gimme Gimme is definitely the most old school of the bunch here. Daniel Cook and his crew are highly selective when it comes to their digital presence. But the way they run their shop has stood the test of time, from their first 18 years in NYC to their relocation to L.A. a couple years ago. Check out what Cook had to say about being a record shop online:
Are there any limitations to “going digital”?
The limitations to selling just online is that it’s a lot of work cataloging and grading all the different titles…. My priority is the shop—I don’t want to put all the good, rare, and interesting records on eBay because I want interesting records in the shop. I usually sell things [online] that I know there is an audience for, but aren’t gonna stroll into my shop anytime soon—a.k.a. rare records by a square artist.
What do you see the trend being for record stores five years from now?
I don’t think vinyl is going away anytime soon. I only sell vinyl, so there has been growth in that segment of the music business the last few years. It has grown from almost nothing, but is still growing. Lots of new and younger people are getting into it. I am moving to a bigger space in January, so I hope I am right!
Any other thoughts on what it’s like running a record store in the digital age?
I think record collecting is fun. Having a tangible object brings one closer to the music—it’s more relatable.
Sean Bohrman, Burger Records
Location: Fullerton, Calif.
We dig all the cool, personalized features on Burger Records’ website. Plus, with BurgerTV and Radio, and their super active social media accounts, there’s no doubt that Burger knows how to navigate the digital sphere. See what Sean Bohrman, Burger Records co-founder and co-owner, has to say:
What strategies do you use to keep your record store on top of digital trends and sales?
If you’re not following the trends of where kids are spending their time online closely, then it will pass you by and you’ll end up being @burgerrecords4life on Instagram instead of @burgerrecords ’cause some kid beat you to the punch! Plus, connecting with people and fans is what helps us compete with companies that have millions—or billions—of dollars behind them.
Social media is one of the most important parts [of our business]. I run social media across the board for Burger Records, and I’m super proud of that. Getting out to 100,000-plus people in five minutes is worth a ton in this biz.
What’s the philosophy behind your online store?
We want to get our records out to as many people as possible—through the web, stores, delivery, stork—I don’t care. We want the music in people’s hands, and the online store is one of the easiest ways to do that because most of our fans are on the web all the time anyway. It’s a huge part of how we turn around so many tapes and vinyl.
What’s the future for record stores look like?
Hopefully Walmart and Target and Kmart will start carrying vinyl and increase the exposure of vinyl and record collecting exponentially. The more people are buying vinyl, the better it is for everyone.
Gerald Hammill, Other Music
Location: New York City
Other Music is a New York institution. Their weekly email update has long been a great way to keep up on a solid array of upcoming releases. Plus, they’re always cooking up dope events with labels and in-the-know brands (see their Facebook for details). Here’s what Gerald Hammill, webmaster and editor for Other Music, thinks:
What strategies do you use to keep your record store on top of digital trends and sales?
Between 2007 and 2013, Other Music had a download store, which did pretty good business with a large amount of customers buying mp3s from us. However, around the time Spotify launched in the States, you could see the numbers start to fall…. There was just a point where it felt like people were starting to listen to music differently, and at that point it just seemed to make sense to, sadly, pull the plug on our digital shop and sharpen our focus on our record store and mail order site—and to launch the label.
Our record label, Other Music Recording Co., launched in 2012. We’ve released a dozen or so records now from a diverse roster of artists, from the orchestrated indie-folk of Mutual Benefit to the indescribable music fusion of Xylouris White, the duo of acclaimed Cretan lute player George Xylouris and Dirty Three’s Jim White.
Your thoughts on the state of the modern record store in the digital age?
Record stores have always held a special place in culture, between the unique individuals who work there and the customers who come in. And, of course, there’s nothing better than hearing something you’ve never heard before playing on the shop stereo and bringing it home. We try to use social media and our website to capture these experiences as best as possible for people who are out of town and aren’t able to come into the store, and locals who might be needing a quick break from work.
There are a lot of us still out there doing this and a new generation of fans discovering this tactile experience of music. Record stores will continue to dwindle, but they aren’t going to go the way of the dinosaur.