Gen Z music fans are fuelling vinyl resurgence, new research suggests

Findings from a new survey on Gen Z vinyl fans suggest young people are fuelling the format's resurgence, with 76% reporting buying records at least once a month.

The report from Vinyl Alliance found that 80% of Gen Z respondents own a record player, with 87% claiming that high-quality sound is key factor in their home setups.

Vinyl Alliance surveyed 1,100 people from the 13-28 age bracket, alongside 552 millennials and 500 Gen Xers from a number of countries including the UK, US and Germany.

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Delving into each generation's spending habits, the report found that 84% of Gen Z respondents buy records from stores, with 57% preferring it over online shopping.

Though vinyl can be expensive, and can make crate-digging feel like an exclusive pastime, nearly half (47%) of the Gen Z respondents said the high price point is worth it — with 62% buying vinyl to support artists they love, in contrast to just 45% of Gen X fans reporting doing the same.

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Meanwhile, only 29% of Gen Z respondents said they seek out second-hand vinyl for environmental reasons, but 64% do when they're on the hunt for rare albums.

The report emphasises that the demand for physical music among young spenders remains sky-high. Last year, UK music sales broke records, thanks in part to increased spending on vinyl, with sales soaring by 10.5% to £196 million in 2024.

You can download a preview of Vinyl Alliance's report here.

Henrietta Taylor is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow her on Twitter