2. Extended Play Album
- Blu, Sirplus “For Sale”
- 6 song EP including a final
outro.
- This is an EP due to it
containing 2-6 songs which
makes it shorter than a full-
length album. An EP is often
used by an artist to introduce
a new sound to their audience
through a short track of songs,
and are more cost-efficient for
those with lower budgets to
produce.
3. Long Play Album
- Prodigy “Return Of The
Mac”
- 14 song LP Album.
- LP Albums usually
contains 10 to 12 tracks in
total, which is seen in
Prodigy’s “Return Of The
Mac” album which has 14
songs in total. Another
indicator of an LP Album is
the duration, with a play
time usually lasting 30 to
50 minutes.
4. Research Questions
Employee/Owner: Aaron
1. Do you offer consignment to indie artists? Yes
2. How often do marketing reps visit from the record labels? They
never visit in person, I have only been contacted once in the
past by a marketing rep who wanted to send some vinyl
records. Other than that there hasn’t been much attraction
from record labels!
3. Have you seen an increase in vinyl sales since the pandemic?
Definitely! There is a higher number of people coming to the
store on a daily basis to browse the records and I believe it is
due to a steadier income throughout the pandemic. With no
clubs or places to go and spend money because of the
restrictions COVID had in place, people had extra savings and
were buying products they usually wouldn’t have previously.
5. Events
Employee/Owner: Aaron
1. Are there any events coming up at the store? We do weekly events
where I personally DJ every friday for the audience and customers
to enjoy whilst they browse, along with beverages and some
snacks. We also host beat battles every month called “Slap Battle”
where producers from the area attend and spin their music for a
little friendly competition. In addition to these regular events, we
also host MC’s and other artists from the City or outside for them to
play their music to fans who attend the performance.
2. I noticed there isn’t any promotional pieces for your event outside your
store or on the windows, do you run any promotion for the events?
Unfortunately I don’t put up any promotional banners or flyers on
my windows for events! The reason being I want to keep the clean
look of my store and avoid accumulating posters on the window
which prevents customers from seeing inside the store. I have some
small leaflets here at the checkout desk for customers to take home
as a reminder for the future, overall I like keeping my store looking
tidy and presentable for those who come to buy records!
6. Exclusives
This record store has released 10 records in the past exclusively for Record Store
Day, unfortunately there wasn’t any stock of the albums with the sticker for the
RSD.
7. SWAG
- Viny Index record store has a very clean and
organised look, which is rare when visiting
stores which sell CD’s and vinyl.
- The store features plant decorations draped
from the ceiling lights, which adds to the
cream colored furniture and shelves which
make up the establishment.
- Overall the store was a very good experience
and the variety of music in stock was very
surprising, not many record stores have such
a catalog of music in good condition for
customers to purchase.
8. Promos
Due to the record store owner’s position on promotional pieces in his store, there
wasn’t any piece of promotion for a specific artist or product. Although, the best
selling albums had been placed on the higher shelves individually to attract the
customers attention.
9. Conclusion
Would I use this establishment for a local indie artist’s album release?
I would! The establishment offers a good amount of space which could fit up to 40
people and features a square below with restaurants in addition to small
boutiques. The location of the store is very close accessible and close to the city
of Boston, making it easier for individuals to attend in person. Vinyl Index is a
great location for an album release party for an artist looking to host 20-40 people
to celebrate and listen to the project at a well respected music establishment. The
stores recognition and customer base will help bring in attendants for a release
thanks to their weekly events and projects, providing a new audience
demographic for the artist to gain.
10. Resources
Blu. (2021). For sale. Sirplus.
Index, V. (2023, January 1). Home. https://www.vinylindex.com/home
Koch Records. (2007). Return of the mac.
Rengervé, G. D. (2023, June 30). Why is the EP the best asset for emerging artists?. Groover Blog.
https://blog.groover.co/en/tips/what-is-an-ep-and-why-is-it-the-best-choice-for-emerging-artists/
Wiebe, D. A. (2020, December 29). What is the difference between LP and EP in music?. Music Industry How To.
https://www.musicindustryhowto.com/difference-lp-ep-music/
