Experience Vinyl, a new US-based service which will be curated by a number of famous musicians, is to launch in April.
The likes of Quincy Jones, Elton John, Talib Kweli, George Clinton and more are all involved in the service which will send subscribers one of the curator’s favourite albums by a different artist on vinyl each month for $30, including personal commentary, the artist’s top 10 albums list and other rewards. Some of the revenue from the service will go to a charity of each curator’s choice.
Elton John is first up on the service when it launches in April. "Growing up a vinyl fanatic, I’ve had the desire to create a record club for the better part of my adult life," says founder Brad Hammonds, who runs the Desert Island Albums blog. "Experience Vinyl is a different kind of subscription service and a dream for any vinyl lover. It’s a record club where artists handpick not only the records they love, but the ones they couldn’t live without."
The vinyl market is currently booming for major labels with sales last year reaching a 25-year high, but a number of smaller, independent labels aren’t feeling the benefit, with demand driving up prices and waiting times at vinyl plants.
