The economics of vinyl record sales at independent stores breaks down in a clear way, according to Colemine Records owner Terry Cole, using their recent release of Kelly Finnigan's "A Lover Was Born" as an example.

For a vinyl album priced at $24 (pre-tax), here's how the revenue is distributed:

• Record Store: $8.49 (35%)
• Distributor (Secretly Distribution): $3.10 (13%)
• Manufacturer (Gotta Groove Records): $6.03 (25%)
• Label & Artist Split: $6.37 (27%, approximately $3.19 each)

The record store uses their share to cover credit card fees and shipping costs from distributors. Similarly, the distributor's portion is subject to credit card processing fees.

To put this in perspective with streaming revenue, Cole notes that it would take approximately 4.5 days of continuous Spotify streaming to generate the same profit for the artist and label as a single vinyl sale.

Cole emphasizes that purchasing vinyl from independent stores supports:

• Four independently owned small businesses
• The artist directly
• The broader music ecosystem

While these figures may vary based on factors like manufacturing volume and store pricing, this breakdown provides valuable insight into how vinyl sales benefit multiple stakeholders in the music industry.

The format's popularity continues to grow, as evidenced by recent developments like a successful Kickstarter campaign for a vertical vinyl player, which has raised over $617,000 from more than 2,500 backers.

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