UK vinyl sales increase for 16th consecutive year, with over 5.9 million sold in 2023

Sales of vinyl records increased in the UK in 2023 for the 16th consecutive year.

The rise in sales this past year was also at its fastest peak this decade, with an 11.7% year-on-year rise following on from the 2.9% increase in purchases of vinyl records in the UK in 2022. 5.9 million units were shifted in all in the UK in 2023, according to figures released by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).

The increase is believed to have been aided by the popularity on vinyl of releases by The Rolling Stones, Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey and Ed Sheeran, among others. Swift’s ‘1989 (Taylor’s Version)’ is the year’s biggest vinyl seller in the UK with 78,767 units shifted up to the 50th week of 2023. The Rolling Stones’ ‘Hackney Diamonds’ was second with 42,815 vinyl sales.

Christmas has also been a massive driver in the increase with more than 250,000 vinyl records sold last week alone, making it the highest week for vinyl sales in the UK since the turn of the 21st century.

Speaking about the data around vinyl sales, as well as sales of CDs reaching their slowest annual decline in almost a decade, Dr Jo Twist OBE, BPI chief executive, said: “Led by vinyl, the resurgence of physical product underlines the resilience of the UK music market at a time when streaming consumption continues to hit record levels.

“Whilst LP sales have now been on an upward path for the past 16 years, it is encouraging to see a stabilisation in demand for CD, as well as new generations of music fans falling in love with the cassette. It is giving people more choice than ever in how they enjoy their favourite music.”

In 2022, vinyl outsold CDs in the UK for the first time in 35 years.

Revisit DJ Mag’s long form feature on some of the issues that have threatened the vinyl revival.