Is hating on Record Store Day boring and snotty or justified and ancient?

in fact I have two friends that ran very small but respected in their zone who folded their labels after 20 years because it's just too hard anymore

The corporations that benefit from it will show numbers that claim otherwise but streaming is killing things off. I'm not Mr pure over here I do use Spotify but still buy plenty of music. Despite being someone who still likes the lure of a good store RSD is not something I'm into, but I think as far as getting ppl into the stores it's a good thing.

Ofc I will say it's a bit depressing to see the change in record stores though; the new vinyl economy is nightmarish if you just want to physically own some music at a reasonable cost. Which is of course why maybe some people go to streaming instead. I don't feel very good about it all around.

RSD as an idea is wonderful — let’s have a day to celebrate the shops that feed us used records, that act as gathering places for music nerds and repositories for archaeological finds, that keep the flame alive.

Even the idea that there might be exclusive releases for this day to draw in nerds & punters alike and build excitement — great!

But the reality of what it’s become is kind of monstrous. Already overstretched and backlogged, pressing plants are clotted with orders for stupid novelty releases that get snapped up by speculators and resold the same day on eBay and Discogs for a markup. Indie labels can’t get their records pressed in a reasonable time; if you want to release a record this year, you’d better have your plates at the plant already or it’s not happening. For stores, the markup on RSD releases is even smaller than on normal product, so every unsold record means you need to sell 5 or 6 other albums just to break even.

Most of the store owners & managers I know say they make a shit-ton of money on the day anyway, that RSD (2x/yr) is bigger than Xmas. Some say that it’s what keeps them afloat (although if that’s the case they’re on terrifyingly rocky ground). But the way the hype and the speculation and the weird monopoly the RSD organization has on promoting exclusives distorts the whole economy of vinyl production in a way that has definite negative effects.

thanks ums. i think it has more to do with my distrust of big business exploiting whatever they can however they can than it does with being moralistic. i have shit morals, but i know a ripoff when i see one. rsd started as a way to "save" indie shops, but then had to rely on major label fluff to simply get people in the door. i'm sorry to be all "don't trust the man, man" but the bottom line is: indie shops and niches focus attention away from big budgeted releases (and for the better imo, diversity is wonderful). rsd has done a lot to bring income into these places, but the problems it presents for fans are all too apparent.

i've never not been serious when i say that recorded music should be free, btw. not the physical thing, just being able to hear it. if you want to press up your album on translucent radioactive green vinyl that can be seen from space or whatever, do it! but that's your dream, don't expect all of your fans to foot the bill. some of us just want to hear the album. sure, all the shops would go under and labels would cease to exist but, uhh. . . sorry i'm not all the way convinced any of that stuff should have been monetized to begin with. not everything needs to turn a profit to be valuable and it's time to stop putting value into "things" imo. that doors "mini" set is a perfect example— idc if it was a david axelrod collection, i'd still abhor it on principle.

(word to sleeve's post too. i'm a treehugger and this shit is getting out of hand. rsd is a drop in the ocean in the bigger picture, but c'mon, why shouldn't we rectify the easy things? start simple and stop manufacturing bullshit.)

(and to the streaming issue— i of course went in kicking and screaming, but i see the benefit of it now. i've discovered more music in the past 2 years than probably the previous decade. should those people get better compensated? of course! is it my duty as just a listener to make sure that happens? unspecified. cliche time: labels like to fuck artists and recorded music has been mishandled from the start. that's not my fault. it's obviously much too broken by now for any one solution. the bandcamp model is probably the closest thing to an answer that i would go along with. it's still possible for artists to sell recorded music at reasonable prices, but the expectation that there always needs to be a physical "thing" is a concept that is in dire need of reassessment. i understand that technology has not always been what it is now, but again: a change of mind would do some good. if efficiency and amelioration are judgmental and moralistic, okay sure.)

I haven’t participated since the pandemic, before that I was at RSD every year and I always enjoyed it. In the last year my vinyl consumption has slowed drastically, mainly because i’ve been on a nonstop reggae bender and the cd’s almost always have a ton of extra tracks and often there aren’t vinyl reissues. And the original Jamaican copies are expensive and shit quality.

Today I saw a video of the line at my favorite old record store in Houston, Vinal Edge. The line was waaaaaay longer than it had ever been when I was going. Which makes me happy, because I know they’re making a ton of dough. I’ve gone by there a week after RSD before and they generally don’t have a lot of leftover stuff. I figure 90% of all physical media being manufactured is garbage, I don’t know why RSD would be any different.

One of the things about RSD that used to rub me the wrong way was that unsold stock couldn't be returned, but I've since learned that's also the case for just regular every day stock. I guess stocking an indie record store is a huge gamble either way, but it makes me feel less shitty about helping the fellas out on RSD (though, today was only the third time I've ever gone out and bought something).

The load of dregs some stores find themselves stuck with, i imagine some lose out on the deal.

featuring The Doors classic hits "Break On Through," "Love Her Madly" and "Hello, I Love You,” in Japanese-designed flip jackets

Wow I totally misread this and for a second I thought "Hmm, 'Hell, I Love You' in Japanese?" Sounds interesting!

Then I saw that it was "in Japanese-designed flip jackets."

I am disappoint.

That Taylor swift folklore release is already all over ebay, $300 bucks the most common price I'm seeing.

thanks Austin I agree with a lot of the criticisms of RSD, the Doors thing (hopefully but not probably) representing the nadir.

just think there needs to be a line drawn between a $300 Taylor Swift album and Sahel Sounds or Trouble in Mind saying something is limited edition to sell a few more copies.

fwiw they don't love the hassles but I've talked to a few indie record store owners and despite everything it's an absolute win for them, and usually the biggest day of the year.

also a lot of small labels don't fuck over their artists! I don't think it's fair to paint all labels with the same brush. often they spend money producing records they love that never make money

all very good points ums. in better mental health times, i was relied upon to help out at a friend's shop on rsd because it was a big day for them.

(my point stands tho: why not just release all that as "normal" stuff throughout the year instead of creating a gatekeepy FOMO culture that simultaneously puts unnecessary stress on supply chains and indie shop infrastructure? i guarantee nobody would care about some rsd stuff if it wasn't "RSD STUFF." and to add on to that: indie labels have more incentive than anyone else these days to give away digital recordings for free.)

why not just release all that as "normal" stuff throughout the year instead of creating a gatekeepy FOMO culture that simultaneously puts unnecessary stress on supply chains and indie shop infrastructure? i guarantee nobody would care about some rsd stuff if it wasn't "RSD STUFF."

You asked a question and then answered it immediately

Hey haterz, make sure to keep your powder dry for

https://www.freecomicbookday.com/

pretty much half the list is "RSD First" stuff that will be released wider following the day.

lol I'd be surprised if free comic book day had an impact the way record store day apparently does, if you want a business that is even more irredeemably fucked than music US comics is the way to go xpost

My combination rotary-dial phone and artisanal buggy-whip shop is hurt by your post, Daniel_Rf

You asked a question and then answered it immediately

― But his face would not turn into hot Kirby (Evan), Saturday, April 22, 2023 10:26 AM

right. our priorities are fucked. got it.

(okay that was judgmental and moralistic.)

lol I'd be surprised if free comic book day had an impact the way record store day apparently does,

it's been running five years longer than RSD, but you're correct that nobody has collected any data in those two decades as to whether it drives custom or not

FCBD is very different - no special releases, just free comics for people to come pick up. It's a big day for comics stores, like "biggest sales of the year" day.

Some people have tried to do a comic Record Store Day thing near Christmas, "Local Comic Shop Day" with special variants and unique hardcover books. That has been a complete and utter flop - it's a handful of different covers for comics that just came out, not 'limited pressing of this out of print record' that I associate with RSD.

I've never checked out FCBD, but if it's anything like RSD there's absolutely no way to shop for additional merchandise during the initial rush of customers. The store wants to get people in and out as quickly as possible and if you start thumbing through their regular inventory people will get annoyed.

you could just say you have milo blocked

It depends on the store. Every RSD I have participated in, at several different stores, group the rsd stuff together leaving the rest of the store easily browse-able. Sometimes they sell their common used stuff at a discount to get it out the door. I always walked out with a handful of RSD shit, some regular items and some used things.

A big part of comic book day and RSD is getting people out of the house. A lot of folks that do buy physical products do so online. But if a special day makes them put it on the calendar, get permission from their partner to fuck off at their nerdy store for the day, then that’s great! Maybe they’ll turn into a repeat customer. I always made a day of it and got away from family responsibilities for a bit. One time my buddy and I hit all the Goodwill stores near us to root through their lps/cds. I find myself avoiding brick and mortar stores, especially after the pandemic. Stuff like this reminds people that it can be fun, that there is a community of people in their town that like the same stuff.

You asked a question and then answered it immediately
― But his face would not turn into hot Kirby (Evan), Saturday, April 22, 2023 10:26 AM

right. our priorities are fucked. got it.

(okay that was judgmental and moralistic.)

― W E F L Y T O G E T H E R (Austin), Saturday, April 22, 2023 12:46 PM (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink

so to be clear, let's say this is a scenario:

1) a small, independent label that's generally break even or small profit run by someone with a day job

2) this label operates in a niche market (world music, punk, obscure psych reissues, out-there jazz, etc etc)

3) they pay pressing albums, mastering, promo, etc. releasing music with favorable contracts for the artists

4) they press low quantities due to the niche nature of their market

5) they have found over time that either branding stuff "limited edition vinyl" (which is true but also standard given that they do low pressings already) or doing stuff as an RSD release means that a particular album will generally sell more copies than if it was released with none of that

-> you have a problem with that and find it "fucked"?

It depends on the store. Every RSD I have participated in, at several different stores, group the rsd stuff together leaving the rest of the store easily browse-able. Sometimes they sell their common used stuff at a discount to get it out the door. I always walked out with a handful of RSD shit, some regular items and some used things.

Yeah, I bet this is true for stores that have a lot of floorspace. The only RSD participating stores I've ever been to on the actual day are small shops with barely enough room for 20 people to be in there on a regular day, much less a whole mob of looky loos trying to find a used copy of Foreigner's '4' during the opening hours.

RSD is generally terrible for labels, though, ums - see the issues with actually getting anything at all pressed ever. Horrible backlogs at plants for the sake of stocking the Home Alone 3 soundtrack or something similarly useless. I have never met an independent record label owner with anything good to say about it.

It generally is good for indie record shops, though.

yes definitely emil.y, totally right - we just mastered a record that is probably gonna be 8 months out...but at the same time, it exists and it's not going to stop so I don't fault them for trying to take whatever advantage there is.

also i think austin is opposed to labels even calling anything limited edition at all

i guess my point aligns with yours in that it's never been harder for small labels to make it, so i'm not going to judge them for trying to do things that might increase sales, whatever that may be.

-> you have a problem with that and find it "fucked"?

― Blues Guitar Solo Heatmap (Free Download) (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Saturday, April 22, 2023 12:15 PM

yes. the system was built on an exploitative premise. i'm sorry for being one of those "LOOK AT THE BIGGER PICTURE MAN!" kind of people, but you asked lol.

(granted, in the dystopian timeline we've created for ourselves what you've outlined is best case scenario. if you really want to get into my head, i don't think selling the physical thing should be anyone's responsibility except the artist who created it. the larger the label/distribution entity is, the less it has to do with music and all the more exploitation happens.)

also i think austin is opposed to labels even calling anything limited edition at all

yes. language is far more powerful than most folks realize and it manipulates us into weird situations.

it's never been harder for small labels to make it, so i'm not going to judge them for trying to do things that might increase sales, whatever that may be

Okay, yeah, I agree with this. I still kind of wish it didn't exist, but I'm not going to judge people for joining in if it helps them out to do so. And fuck, if I'm going to wish on hypotheticals, instead of wishing for the end of RSD I could just wish for better quality releases and/or more widely-available pressing plants.

cliche time: labels like to fuck artists and recorded music has been mishandled from the start. that's not my fault. it's obviously much too broken by now for any one solution.

― W E F L Y T O G E T H E R (Austin), Saturday, April 22, 2023 12:17 PM (three hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

Cliché indeed. There’s never been anywhere near the level of artist exploitation we are seeing now, and this is clear to anyone who wishes to do the smallest amount of research. Imagine viewing every labor-related injustice as a thing “obviously much too broken now for any solution.”

okay well Austin I don't share your way of looking at this, we are fundamentally not going to see eye to eye so there's no point in debating further. better to move on.

i have to stress this: as militant as i come across, these are just my own inner thoughts about it all. i don't want indie shops to fail and go away. again: i just think priorities are fucked. those shops should exist, but not on the back of a couple days' worth of gimmicky trash.

My RSD:

My @recordstoreday haul from @RRKnifeFight!

Got all the vinyl I really wanted & a ton of used CDs + a Motorhead bootleg CD of the show I attended with my wife and son.

Only dropped $150 for everything and supported a great local store! pic.twitter.com/W86TCmPCG3

— Brian O'Neill (@NYC__Native) April 22, 2023

I went to a small punk rock store in the suburbs of Philly. Even though I got there a couple hours after he opened, I got the four records I really wanted (pictured, with the cool bag for free). I could have got the Ramones LP too since he had copies but I heard it wasn't a drastic difference from the original mix. The only thing he didn't get at all was the Enslaved but that's fine.

I also picked up nearly a dozen CDs, mostly used, but also a Motorhead boot that was actually the last show I saw the band (and the only time I took my son to see them). Also had nice conversation with the guy who owns the place, Richie Riot, an old school punk guy who is nice as hell and has tons of stories about the old days and lord he hates Nazis!

Honestly this was kinda what RSD should be, even though I would prefer more CDs and metal (neither seems to be a priority for the rest of the world on RSD, haha) - I dropped $150 on a local business and plan on going back when there's not a specific day on the schedule.

I am cynical as fuck about a lot of things, including RSD, but I got kinda lucky.

i went along to my local RSD very late as i had been out of town all day. there were a huge number of people hanging out (it was a sunny day) drinking, socialising and listening to local live bands (the bluebells were about to play). there was a great energy and personally i'm a big fan of anything that brings lots of people together. i bought a couple of records but had missed the gong live album i really wanted which i'm sure i'll be able to find later.

today i was passing this new record shop that has just opened. it's fairly mainstream and had bought a HUGE amount of RSD stock and had lots leftover. i had a look through and was most blown away by how expensive so much of it was.

the sisters of mercy - reptile house ep was £40. that is just insane and is more than double what it should be. a mint original is less than that.

lots of other examples of 12" singles in the £25-35 price range and albums at £40-50. i don't think they were overcharging but rather it reflects what they were paying and = total major label greed. i've been sweating about an upcomimg double vinyl comp with huge insert that i'm releasing having to retail for almost £40 but that feels like a bargain compared with this madness.

they had a load of taylor swifts left which i'm surprised hadn't been snapped up by flippers.

a mint original is less than that.

see this is another issue with the whole thing

Stirmonster is that the new shop in the gallowgate I've heard about? Mickey's Vinyl or something

just looked up the reptile house reissue on discogs - lots of RSD copies for sale but the variance in pricing between regions was shocking: $20 in the US, 35EU in europe, cheapest UK copy was £55

apparently like 200,000 Taylor EXCLUSIVEs pressed

whoops i misread this as 75k US and another 115 rest of world. It's 115,000 total. Apparently "Midnights" has sold a million on vinyl (wow) so... I guess it is pretty limited for what it is.

Stirmonster is that the new shop in the gallowgate I've heard about? Mickey's Vinyl or something

no, i need to check that Mickey's Vinyl out. the one i mention is on Sauchiehall St, just near the GFT. it's called Assai and i think they maybe have shops in other Scottish cities. it seems to be fairly busy every time i pass,

Apparently "Midnights" has sold a million on vinyl (wow)

It probably juices the numbers when fans are buying all four variants so they can assemble the wall clock that's on the back (but you have to have all 4 for it to be complete). And then maybe they buy a 5th copy to listen to.

Hey haterz, make sure to keep your powder dry for

https://www.freecomicbookday.com/

Free Comic Book Day was actually the inspiration for Record Store Day!

And, yes, for all its issues (effect on labels, pricing, lack of releases for those under 50), RSD is still indeed a boon for record stores. A massive massive day that just tends to get bigger with each year that goes by.

To address the negative impact of the holiday on labels, maybe there should be a Record Label Day (he says half-kidding)?

I stopped by one of the stores in my neighborhood, the guy told me there were people camping out by 7pm on friday night! I don’t usually buy a lot of stuff there because (as we’ve gone over itt) it’s one of those stores that mostly sells new vinyl and overpriced used stuff by the same 20 artists, but the owner is a good guy, ended up dropping 100 bucks after a little haggling on the verlaines and chilton records plus a couple other non-RSD things

To address the negative impact of the holiday on labels, maybe there should be a Record Label Day (he says half-kidding)?

I was at an elementary school cultural festival on RSD, and a dad in a Bright Eyes T-shirt was talking about getting to the record store (that’s the sum of my experience, lol).

"a dad in a Bright Eyes t-shirt" is like an ILM version of a cartoon villain.

The DMB fan in a white Gamecocks hat and the person with six CDs are persons who are ridiculed - "more to be pitied than censured" but don't rise to the level of contempt reserved for a dad in a Bright Eyes t-shirt.

The only thing worse is Pomplamoose.

Wanted one thing, the Pearl Jam Give Way CD, my local didn't even get a single copy. Now I can buy a copy for... checks notes... $64.95 on eBay. I'm thankful this day helps keep smaller shops going, but it's so fucking dumb to center it around a boon for second hand flippers.

bottom line for me is: I like my local shop. I go every week or two. when I'm out of town I'm always looking for cool local record stores when I've got an extra hour. I'm a father of two, I don't have a whole lot of hobbies left, for me it's really neat to be able to geek out about music in a place other than ILX. so if these places are saying RSD is a big boon for them, and in some cases the thing that is singlehandedly keeping them afloat, then I can't hate on it. yes the prices are ridiculous, yes half the releases are utterly pointless, yes the act of manufacturing grails is basically everything wrong with the market today. but it gets people excited and if you're the person who camped out to get the (apparently very much in demand!) Macho Man Randy Savage record which previously was available on CD for $0.01 + shipping and handling I say good for you. besides checking Discogs here and there it doesn't look like people are really flipping these for insane prices anyway. yeah a few people are making 3x-4x retail but only a few. most of these are going for like...$10 over.

You aren't wrong, I'm not opposed to the day, I just don't enjoy the ultra-limited aspect of things. This was the first time I've even bothered to go in the past four or five years, and I figured it wouldn't be too hard to get a CD thing that didn't seem to be such a big "must have" for the masses (like the Swift vinyl), but I was wrong.

It's fine that it exists and I'm glad people get joy out of the day, but every time I've gone in on RSD to get something specific, I walk away empty-handed. Shame on me for trying again, I should have learned the lesson by now.

Just annoyed that the only way to get the $15 CD is to now also pay $35 for a Pearl Jam Ten Club membership, which is otherwise worthless to me, to be allowed the pleasure.