By CGTN reporter Ge Yunfei
In this era of digital music, the likes of the CD are more or less seen as obsolete. In my third report on China’s digital music industry, I decided to talk to an artist about her feelings towards the disappearance of CDs.
Su Yunying is a young singer who just released her latest album via CDs and digital downloads. Even though she herself listens to music on her iPhone most of the time, she still wants fans to buy physical copies of her albums.
Su says CD albums still have a unique collection value. They include special designs and cover art which express the singers’ own thoughts, a feeling that people simply cannot get from online downloads.
CD stores are vanishing in China. /CFP Photo
However, this young singer’s wish may not come true. In the years to come, the CD might be entirely phased out – just like cassette tapes.
Warner Music has already cancelled all its CD album business, according to Andy Ma, chief commercial officer of this international music label’s Greater China branch. “We’re just one hundred percent focused on the digital channels. Because we think this is our future and we need to start first,” he said.
While some complain about the changing nature of music due to music apps and live-streaming services, others are turning back to a more traditional form of music – vinyl records, bringing back a classic sound with a sense of nostalgia.
Vinylhouse is a small vinyl café located in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou. Every weekend, a small group of fans will gather to share their thoughts on music.
VinylHouse in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province in south China. /CGTN Photo
Lisa Wang, the manager of VinylHouse, remarked upon the growing number of vinyl fans in the past few years. “Fans of vinyl are still a minority in China,” said Lisa. “But it’s amazing to see the younger generation becoming more and more accepting of vinyl.”
At the café, I happened to meet Yann Defrance, who had just moved to Guangzhou from France. Yann has such a long-time crush on vinyl that he even owns more than 800 vinyl records back in his hometown.
Once he moved to Guangzhou, he immediately began to look for a nice place for vinyl. Finally, he has been able to listen to music the way he wants.
For Chinese young people, vinyl records represent a higher taste of music. /CFP Photo
Yann shared his fondness of vinyl to me: “The sound of vinyl is raw, which means there is no loss in signal, so you can feel the emotions about the music.”
Even though digital music is incredibly convenient, just like Yann, China’s growing middle-class and millennials are also looking for something more.
Lisa told me her predictions of how vinyl could develop in China. “Today’s young people are pursuing a life with higher quality and aesthetics. I think in the future, listening to music on vinyl records would be as common as drinking a cup of tea.”
The US market has proved that vinyl could succeed in the digital era.
In 2015, sales of vinyl records in the United States grew by an astounding 30 percent, amounting to about 12 million US dollars. Figures from the Recording Industry Association of America show vinyl sales contributed more to the music industry than the free version of Spotify, YouTube and Vevo combined.
Universal Music, the largest global music label, does not want to miss this opportunity in China. Garand Wu, Universal Music’s China head said: “In fact, the market for vinyl records is coming back. We just launched our three year plan of promoting vinyl records in the Chinese mainland.”
Vinyl record markets are emerging in Shanghai. /CFP Photo
If all goes according to plan, maybe in the future, it will be much easier to find a vinyl store in China.
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