Since the inception of the compact disc in the early ‘80s, the vinyl record has long been thought to be an outdated music format.

With the ready availability of illegal music downloads, there is far less motivation for the average consumer to buy CDs.

This has led some music labels to put CD production on the back burner in favor of an alternative means of distribution.

Many underground music labels have taken to packaging a special code with vinyl releases.
This code allows the buyer to download an entire album in MP3 form after purchasing it on vinyl.

Audio enthusiasts have been preaching for years about the superiority of a vinyl record to an MP3 file, but convenience wins out more often than not in the mainstream.

That’s why labels like Sub Pop, Saddle Creek and Kill Rock Stars (all of whom are heavyweights of the independent music scene) have employed the digital download code since as recently as 2007.

The consumer gets the best of both worlds; a travel-friendly music file and a physical incarnation of the album, which comes complete with detailed cover art and liner notes.

“I’m a fan of owning the music instead of just getting something from iTunes or the web,” said Dan Clifford, senior sociology major and vinyl fan. “Records, to me, are just more fun to have.”

Clifford adds MP3s are convenient and portable, but maintains sitting down with a record lets the listener in on the real feel of the music they are hearing.

The digital download code is ideal for a music fan of Clifford’s caliber.

Owning both an iPod and a turntable, he has access to the advantages of both formats.

Vinyl may be more associated with days gone by, but labels, collectors and audio enthusiasts just may prove that with the right additions, the analog format may outlast the competition.

“I really believe that there are enough people like me that won’t let the industry go 100 percent digital,” Clifford said.

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