Discogs Report Shows Vinyl, CD, Tape Sales Increased Since COVID-19

Discogs released their mid-year report, revealing interesting stats since the COVID-19 pandemic hit America.

The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated the live music and festival industries over the last few months. Thousands of venues are seeking aid from the federal government just to stay afloat for the next six months. In the Discogs mid-year report, however, the pandemic has sparked growth in one section of the music industry.

According to the report, numbers across the board were up compared to 2019, even before the pandemic. After March, when stay-at-home orders were enacted, sales rose even more. Physical sales in Discogs Marketplace rose 29.69 percent over the last year. Vinyl records lead the pack, with a 33.72 percent sales increase. Nearly six million records have been sold between the months of January and June.

During the first half of the year, Tame Impala's The Slow Rush was the top-selling record, followed by Khruangbin and Leon Bridges' Texas Sun. Thundercat's It Is What It Is was the seventh-best selling record on the site. Kendrick Lamar's Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City album was the best-selling hip-hop album, along with other notable names like Freddie Gibbs and Madlib's Piñata, The Roots' Phrenology, and Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

A limited edition 2 LP version of Westside Gunn's FLYGOD album sold for $2,500 on the site. Chance the Rapper's Acid Rap and Coloring Book albums were among the most wanted items added to the site's want-lists.

Read the full Discogs mid-year report, complete with visual graphics, sales info, and more here.