Análise robusta do mercado e do consumo de discos de vinil em Portugal

Rita Morgado dos Santos Chen (Student)

Student thesis: Master's Thesis

Abstract

In recent decades, due to technological developments, the music industry has undergone a profound transformation, marked by the rise of digital and the massification of streaming, which have replaced physical formats as the dominant means of accessing musical content. At the same time, in this scenario of dematerialization, when digital was gaining strength in the market, a curious phenomenon emerged in 2006, when for the first time in years, sales of vinyl records started to rise. Once considered by the market to be an extinct format, vinyl made an unexpected reappearance as a cultural and emotional symbol that appeared to challenge the panorama of immateriality and digital instantaneity. This phenomenon, internationally known as “The Vinyl Revival”, began to appear in Portugal in 2019, the year in which the first consistent increases in vinyl record sales were recorded. Now they have overtaken CD sales, assuming an important role in the physical music market in Portugal. This dissertation proposes an in-depth analysis of the reappearance of vinyl records in the Portuguese context, with the aim of understanding what motivates consumers to acquire this physical format in an era dominated by digital, where consumers have access to music at any time and in any place without the constraints of equipment external to the cell phone. Surprisingly, one of the factors identified in this study that has encouraged this phenomenon is in fact the growing digitalization of music, which means that people increasingly feel the need to hold products in their hands and to have direct contact with the music. The material dimension and the tactile experience of touching and physically owning music on vinyl is therefore the main reason why the Portuguese buy vinyl records today. In addition, vinyl is also seen as a piece of art with value beyond its functional nature and is often purchased by consumers not for the purpose of listening, but rather for decorative display, due to its aesthetically attractive look, especially for younger consumers, who often buy vinyl records without owning a record player to play them on. Associated with this visual interest, there is also the pleasure associated with collecting, where consumers look for limited, exclusive or different editions to add to their collection, often owning the same records, but in different versions. This intentional accumulation shows that, for consumers, vinyl is an object with affective and symbolic value that goes beyond its practical function. Nostalgia also plays a strong role in this resurgence, where vinyl is seen as an object with a link to the past, allowing consumers to experience an era they miss or idealize. In order to answer the research questions raised in the study, a mixed methodology was used, combining an online survey (carried out among 117 Portuguese) and two interviews with professionals from Fnac Portugal, which aim to explore the factors associated with the choice of vinyl in the current Portuguese context, namely nostalgia, collecting, appreciation of the visual and the need for touch. The study also investigates how the main music and vinyl record retailer in the national market, Fnac Portugal, perceives this phenomenon and has adapted to these changes in the market. Through this analysis, it was found that the resurgence of vinyl in Portugal is not merely a passing or nostalgic phenomenon, but rather a response to today's dominant digital immateriality, reflecting a collective Portuguese desire for more authentic, emotional and meaningful experiences that digital and streaming cannot offer. Accordingly, this pioneering research contributes to a better understanding of current vinyl consumer behavior and to a more informed debate about this phenomenon in the music world.