Many young people born in the “digital age” have probably never heard of or played vinyl records on a turntable player. According to the International Federation of Phonographic Industry, the popularity of turntables peaked in 1981 when global sales of vinyl albums topped 1.1 billion. Since then, newer technologies such as CDs, DVDs, iPods, and smartphones have revolutionized the way people store and listen to music. However, the turntable record player is far from dead. With that in mind, here is a look at the relevance of the turntable record player in this modern age:

The Resurgence of the Turntable Player

There are various reasons why some people, both old and young, prefer turntables. To start with, some music enthusiasts claim that turntables produce richer and organic sounds because vinyl records contain continuous signals rather than the 44,100 samples per second signals found in CDs. Secondly, nostalgia. Some people who grew up listening to turntable music find the act of playing vinyl records more satisfying than opening mobile apps for the same reason.

These factors have forced some music record labels and even artists to put new releases on vinyl records. According to a New York Times article, six percent of Daft Punk’s, a French electronica duo, Random Access Memories album were on vinyl records. Other music acts and artistes that have taken a similar approach include Vampire Weekend, Front Bottoms, and National. Rainbo Records, a company that presses turntable vinyl records based in Canoga Park, California, states that it churns out 6 to 7.2 million records annually.

The Future of the Turntable Record Player

Although music remains of the most popular art forms, it is unlikely the turntable will play a major role in its consumption in the near future. This is because people want to listen to music while jogging, driving to work or while on lunch break. You can think of it as music on demand. Unfortunately, a turntable is unlikely to be of much use in any of these scenarios because it is not easy to carry around. Nevertheless, they will remain a niche product widely used in DJ booths, radio stations, people’s homes, and recording studios.

Some of the key factors to consider when buying a turntable player from an electronics shop include features, build quality, cost, and type of cartridge. The cartridge is particularly important because it houses the stylus that reads grooves in a vinyl record. By taking all these factors into consideration, you would be able to find the best buy affordable turntable player in the market.