This Newark record store owner says millennials are responsible for the spike in vinyl sales

For some of us, it’s hard to remember a time before streaming services, such as Tidal and Pandora, made it easy to access music anytime and any place. But, for those music lovers who still enjoy listening to their favorite hits on vinyl, National Record Store Day is Saturday, April 22.
To find out all of Delaware’s Record Store Day 2017 festivities, check out this list from the News Journal.
The number of people purchasing vinyl has been consistently rising for nearly a decade, and according to a report published by BuzzAngle Music, sales spiked by 26 percent in 2016. Todd Brewer, who works at Rainbow Records in Newark attributes the growth in sales to a new, somewhat shocking audience.
“Record sales have been on the rise for at least five years now,” Brewer said. “I think it is because a lot of younger folks are getting into it. We have a whole generation that has only heard music digitally. Once they hear analog audio, it is a totally different experience. They hear music in a way they can’t on their smartphones.”
Rainbow Records is one of just two official Record Store Day locations in the state. The other is Gidget’s Gadget’s Retro Emporium, located in Rehoboth Beach. Brewer said the Rainbow Records crew looks forward to Record Store Day, which is celebrating its tenth year, because it is a way to bring the community together.
“It’s just fun,” he said. “We partner with other businesses in the city, so after people come here and get their records they have other places to go. We like to have the whole community involved.”
The record store will open early on Saturday and shoppers will receive a tote bag filled with goodies. They can also purchase a Record Store Day 2017 T-shirt — proceeds will be donated to Wilmington animal shelter Faithful Friends. This year’s shirt features the shop dog, Chewbacca, who came from Faithful Friends.
“Every year we pick a local artist to design the T-shirt. This year, we went with Kelly [Carter] from Four Dog Creative in Wilmington,” Brewer said. “She loves dogs, so she decided to put Chewbacca on the shirt.”