We’ve written a lot about the surge in vinyl sales that the industry has experienced in recent years. Propelled by vinyl-friendly artists like Jack White and the phenomenon of Record Store Day, the rise has been so significant that many have dubbed it a revival.

The figures seem to be pretty consistent across the board. End of year figures for the US and Australia showed significant continued growth in the vinyl sector. In the US, the demand for vinyl has even inspired some companies to open new pressing plants, as others struggle under the demand.

However, we at Tone Deaf were interested to see the raw data. What does the vinyl resurgence look like in Australia when we break down the numbers and have a look at the inner workings of the industry?

As we previously reported, the Australian Recording Industry Association’s (ARIA) end-of-year figures for 2014 were pretty healthy. Among other interesting findings, they indicated that Australians are buying more Aussie music every year.

For example, seven of the top 20 best selling albums of 2014 were the products of Australian musical minds, with Hilltop Hoods coming in at nine (Walking Under Stars), followed by Human Nature (Jukebox), 5 Seconds of Summer (5 Seconds Of Summer), Chet Faker (Built On Glass), and AC/DC (Rock Or Bust).

As for vinyl, well, Australian vinyl sales more than doubled during 2014, increasing by a total of 127 percent. “The ongoing revival of vinyl demonstrates this format’s enduring power of reinvention and popularity,” the statement from ARIA read.

“The platform continues to be the noteworthy music trend as vinyl album unit sales more than doubled, increasing by 127 percent.” While record stores shifted a total of 137,858 vinyl units in 2013, last year saw the Aussie vinyl sector moving 277,767 records.

While these figures are relatively small compared to even CDs and especially to digital formats, it’s important to note that such growth was not only unexpected, but contributed almost $6.5 million to the Australian music industry.

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Compare this to CD album sales, which actually experienced a notable decline, down to 12,563,714 from 14,226,201 in 2013 for a total value of just over $115 million. Compare this to the growing revenue of subscription streaming, which brought in just over $22 million.

Speaking to ABC News, audio shop owner Rab Turner says he’s seen a new generation of turntable buyers come through the door in recent years. “They are all very highly researched individuals, who are highly educated and have actually become disenchanted with all the digital offerings,” he said.

“It’s like a meme infection. They’re brought into here not because it’s advertised, not because they’ve been told to… they’re coming because they’ve heard it at a friend’s house or they’ve seen it at a bar or seen it at a record shop.”

“What we are seeing is a terrific influx of new and interested buyers,” he adds. Meanwhile, when asked what’s driven the revival, Warwick Brown of Greville Records in Prahran muses, “There’s something beautiful about taking the record out of the cover, putting it on a really nice turntable and playing it and just sitting there and listening to it.”

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