Vinyl record sales on Discogs in 2020 grew by even more than was projected in their Mid-Year Report. In total, 11,961,998 records sold on the platform throughout the year – 40.75% more than in 2019.
The database and marketplace published a number of figures in its The State of Discogs 2020: End-of-Year Report. Although vinyl was the most popular physical format, CDs and cassettes also saw sizable year-over-year increases. The former sold 3,441,769 units, a 37.18% rise, and 282,798 of the latter sold – 33.33% more than in 2019.
The Discogs user base also grew significantly in 2020 with 1,229,384 new accounts created on the platform, up 20.32% from 2019. 140,189,018 new items were added to users’ collections in 2020, a year-over-year increase of 41.02%.
On the Record
Discogs was launched in 2000 by programmer Kevin Lewandowski, who aimed to build the world’s biggest database of electronic music releases. Over the next several years it expanded into hip-hop, rock, jazz and classical, among other genres, and the marketplace for sellers was introduced in 2007.
The COVID-19 pandemic has played no small role in the rise of purchases through the platform. “Music fans are resilient, active, and enthusiastic … Across the Marketplace and Database, our Community has rallied during this bizarre time in history,” read a passage from the Mid-Year Report.
In total, Discogs processed 8,845,534 orders in 2020 – 35.75% more than in 2019.
Image credit: Bob Clark
