▲ The 11th Seoul Record Fair
LP records played on turntables are experiencing a surge in recent sales, as not only classical and jazz music but also K-pop idol groups release vinyl records.
According to the Circle Chart, LP sales in the first half of this year (January to June) reached 937,173 copies, coming close to 1 million.
Annual LP sales showed a steady upward trend with 424,073 copies in 2023, 471,781 copies in 2024, and 548,977 copies in 2025. This year, the performance in the first half alone recorded 1.7 times last year's annual sales.
An official from a music agency said, "Even now, with advanced sound technology, the analog texture of LP sound played on turntables can offer listeners a unique feel." They added, "While satisfying the sensibilities of music fans who enjoy classical or retro music, K-pop fans also continually request LP releases in terms of diversifying physical album collection."
While some K-pop acts previously released LPs intermittently, this year saw top-tier stars such as BTS and Ateez releasing new vinyl albums.
BTS released multiple versions of their 5th full-length album 'ARIRANG', including a group photo version and individual member photo versions. The 5th-album LPs featuring individual member photos on the jackets drew attention as they combined to form the Big Dipper, which symbolizes the group.
According to Luminate, a U.S. music and entertainment data tracking firm, the 'ARIRANG' LP recorded close to 208,000 sales in the local market during its first week of release alone.
In a recent report, Luminate explained, "This marks the 6th highest weekly LP sales for any artist, and an all-time record for a group since tracking began in 1991." They added, "The 208,000 LP copies sold by 'ARIRANG' in its first week account for 40 percent of the album's first-week sales in the U.S., contributing to safely securing the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200."
Aside from BTS, K-pop stars such as Ateez, Le Sserafim, TXT's Yeonjun, and aespa have also released LPs this year.
Additionally, Twice and BLACKPINK's Lisa have teased upcoming LP releases within the year.
Although LP releases continue to follow one another in the K-pop market, the number of domestic LP variations still falls far short of the United States, the heartland of pop music.
According to Luminate, K-pop top 10 physical albums averaged 23.6 CD variations, whereas LPs averaged only 2.6 variations.
Conversely, for U.S. top 10 pop physical albums, LPs (average 9.6 variations) actually outnumbered CDs (average 9.5 variations).
This implies that LPs are a major music medium on par with CDs in the pop market, suggesting that vinyl records could serve as a new breakthrough when K-pop stars target Western pop markets such as the United States.
Isaac Lee, CEO of Hybe America, stated, "The teams at both our company and Luminate have decided to establish a novel form of collaborative relationship that broadly explores new questions regarding music fan behavior." He added, "We looked at the LP trend and cross-analyzed it with other music consumption habits. Based on this data, we were able to derive insights into how we should approach physical album formats."
An official from another music agency that released an LP said, "Recently, collectors among K-pop fans are on the rise." They noted, "We view LP purchases as being connected to strong loyalty toward the artist and the coinciding desire to collect related merchandise. Rather than focusing simply on boosting album sales, it is important to be recognized long-term as an 'artist worth collecting'."
However, some perspectives suggest it is unreasonable to take the surge in LP sales over the past few years purely at face value.
Because LP sales fluctuate sharply depending on whether a few popular K-pop groups release new vinyl, proponents of this view argue that the trend needs to be monitored closely.
Kim Young-hyuk, head of Gimbab Records, a well-known record shop in central Seoul, diagnosed, "Judging by visitors to the record fair and market reactions, the past 10 years saw the best LP market during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the concert market disappeared and consumers opened their wallets for physical records." He added, "As over-demand and bubbles created by proliferating resellers during that time gradually fade, products are now in the process of finding actual consumers."
Kim continued, "Young music consumers now have to spend money on concerts and merchandise as well, so their budget for purchasing LPs has likely decreased, and average LP prices have also risen significantly due to inflation." He predicted, "The market has formed to a certain extent and playback equipment penetration has increased, so the future direction of the market will now depend on how actively major agencies and singers who were previously indifferent to LPs decide to release them."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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