Vinyl sales in the UK reach their highest point in more than three decades
Current releases dominated the year's best-selling vinyl chart, not reissues.
According to the BPI's annual report, spending on vinyl in the UK reached £174.4 million during 2025, representing a 19.9% rise compared to the previous year and a level not seen in over 30 years.
Notably, the surge is not being fuelled by nostalgia purchases. Of the ten albums that sold the most on vinyl throughout the year, seven were new releases rather than back catalogue reissues. Taylor Swift led the way with 'The Life of a Showgirl', which moved more than 147,000 units on the format. Olivia Dean, Lola Young, and Sam Fender were also among the year's strongest performers in vinyl sales.
The growth comes during a period when streaming dominates UK listening habits. Audio streaming in the country surpassed 200 billion plays for the first time during the same period, yet physical sales continued their upward trajectory. Vinyl offers listeners something distinct from digital consumption — tangible artwork, liner notes, coloured pressings, and limited-edition runs that have helped position the format as a collector's item.
Record labels have responded to this appetite by releasing exclusive colour variants and collector bundles, treating vinyl increasingly as a premium product aimed at dedicated supporters. Across the broader market, total UK recorded music revenue reached £1.57 billion in 2025, extending an unbroken run of annual growth to eleven consecutive years.
Notably, the surge is not being fuelled by nostalgia purchases. Of the ten albums that sold the most on vinyl throughout the year, seven were new releases rather than back catalogue reissues. Taylor Swift led the way with 'The Life of a Showgirl', which moved more than 147,000 units on the format. Olivia Dean, Lola Young, and Sam Fender were also among the year's strongest performers in vinyl sales.
The growth comes during a period when streaming dominates UK listening habits. Audio streaming in the country surpassed 200 billion plays for the first time during the same period, yet physical sales continued their upward trajectory. Vinyl offers listeners something distinct from digital consumption — tangible artwork, liner notes, coloured pressings, and limited-edition runs that have helped position the format as a collector's item.
Record labels have responded to this appetite by releasing exclusive colour variants and collector bundles, treating vinyl increasingly as a premium product aimed at dedicated supporters. Across the broader market, total UK recorded music revenue reached £1.57 billion in 2025, extending an unbroken run of annual growth to eleven consecutive years.
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