Vinyl is no longer nostalgia, it is a profitable and strategic growth driver for independent labels.

At a time when streaming dominates listening habits but remains structurally low-margin for artists, vinyl continues to establish itself as a high-value economic lever, combining margin control, brand positioning, and direct monetisation.

Market validation is clear: vinyl is no longer a niche market, but a structurally established segment supported by long-term growth dynamics.

🇫🇷 France
• 5.4 million vinyl records sold in 2023
• +12% sales growth in 2024
• +9.4% in the first half of 2025

🌍 Worldwide
• 18th consecutive year of growth
• +4.6% in 2024

A Format with Strong Perceived Value

Why vinyl creates economic value:
Clear pricing, controlled volumes, and premium positioning create predictable revenue and stronger margin visibility. Unlike streaming, vinyl concentrates value around a concrete act of purchase, reinforcing price integrity and limiting value dilution. It becomes a strategic tool for direct-to-consumer monetisation, capable of generating meaningful ROI while strengthening brand equity on limited and curated releases.

A Structuring Role in Release Strategies

Why vinyl structures operational discipline:
Vinyl imposes fixed timelines, editorial arbitration, and quantity forecasting, aligning production, communication, and distribution around a unified roadmap. This framework improves resource allocation, reduces inventory risk, and strengthens project coherence by limiting reactive or short-term driven decisions.

A More Engaged Relationship with the Audience

Why vinyl strengthens audience value:
Purchasing a physical record reflects a high level of commitment and active support toward both the artist and the label. It generates actionable demand signals, supports direct audience qualification, and reinforces long-term loyalty. In a saturated content environment, vinyl remains a powerful differentiation lever, particularly for niche and identity-driven genres.

Conclusion

Vinyl should not be considered a secondary product, but a core strategic pillar in an independent label’s growth model — combining economic resilience, brand differentiation, and audience lifetime value, while remaining fully complementary to digital distribution.