What Can We Learn from the Revival of Vinyl Records in the Digital Age?

Vinyl or analog records have experienced a tremendous upsurge in popularity over the last decade. In this video, DOMINIK BARTMANSKI analyzes the reasons underlying vinyl’s resurgence in an age where digital music seemed destined to wipe it out. Employing methods including discursive analysis and participant observation, Bartmanski highlights several aspects of analog music that its digital counterpart struggles to emulate. Among these, analog music is seen by its fans to deliver a warmer, richer sound and to encourage a more social and serendipitous consumption experience. Arguing that the vinyl revival reveals much about the variability of human needs and experiences, Bartmanski also suggests that it draws into question the assumptions of inevitable linear progress that underlie digitalization.