AUDIOGAZING • Helping Define the Resurgence of Vinyl in a Digital Age

As a devoted record collector who still owns the first record he bought (The Beatles Revolver) the warmth and spatial definition of vinyl has always surpassed that of lesser digital formats; and after years of debate, the truth of the marketplace is bearing this out.   As proprietor of AUDIOGAZING, owner Joe Weber has equally shared this belief; which is why he committed to bring this remarkably well-stocked and brand spanking new vinyl emporium into the mix of vendors housed at the new SVRC Marketplace in Downtown Saginaw.

A mid-year report released by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for 2018 shows CD sales falling 3 times faster than vinyl is growing. According to the report CD sales are falling at an extraordinary rate, with revenue decreasing 41.5% in the first 6 months of 2018, compared to the same period the previous year. 

On the flip side, vinyl sales continued to march forwards, with a 12.8% increase in revenue reported for the first 6 months of the year, percentages which are roughly matched by number of units sold (CD sales down 46.9%, vinyl sales up by 12.6%). As a result, year on year sales of physical formats dropped 25%, while streaming services continued to grow, posting another 28% increase so far in 2018.

Because of these realities, coupled with his commitment to and love of vinyl, Joe decided to open Audiogazing.  “Back in the late 1990s and early 200s I worked at The Turntable vinyl shop in Midland and also managed Compact Discount on Bay Road for about five years,” explains Joe. “I was looking for a reason to get back into the business after being out of it for about 15 years, so now that the kids are back in school I talked to my wife about opening this shop, and here I am. It’s something I’ve always enjoyed.”

“A lot has changed in 15-years, but for me it’s about bringing music back the way it’s meant to be heard,” states Joe. “I read this article in Forbes about two years ago stating how vinyl was going to make a huge resurgence, so I wanted to bring it back to this area. We don’t have many music stores left that even sell CD’s, so I’m looking to bring a niche market back to Saginaw with just music; and thought vinyl was a good format. It’s highly collectable and people enjoy it.”

In addition to stocking all types of musical genres, if Joe doesn’t have your selection in stock he can order on Monday and have it ready for you by the weekend. “Mainly we stock classic albums from the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s new wave and pop; and then we have an alternative section and one for Indie music. As for music from today, it’s mainly focused on pop and rock.”

Besides offering vinyl records, Joe also sells Audio Technica Turntables and Edifier Speaker lines to play your vinyl on. “The turntable comes with a built-in pre-amplifier and the speakers are both powered and blue-tooth for streaming from your phone; or you can keep it all analog and listen to vinyl from your turntable,” explains Joe. “You can have a whole stereo system now that is fully analog and features the richness from vinyl; and the speakers vary in power from 66 to 82 watts, which is fine because speaker technology today is so much more efficient you can get plenty enough to fill a room.”

Since opening Joe says his response from customers has been incredible. “We had really good sales the first 2-3 months and things fell off a little when school started; but now I’m seeing it expanding again for the holiday season.

Throughout the holiday season if you buy four or more albums, you can receive a 10% discount; and he will also be offering a couple different speaker and turntable package sales through the Christmas season. 

AUDIOGAZING is located in the SVRC Marketplace at 203 S. Washington Ave., in Downtown Saginaw. You can also reach them by phoning 989.401.6215 or visiting audiogazing.com