October "National Album Day" launched by record industry to revive format

The record industry have launched a 'National Album Day' in bid to revive the format among younger fans.

This October 13 will mark the highlight of a week-long celebration of the UK's love for musical albums as the album celebrates its 70th anniversary.

Demand for albums remains strong in the UK. Last year, 135million albums were either purchased, downloaded or streamed; a rise of 9.5 per cent on the previous year. BPI estimated that a total of 5 billion albums were sold in the UK since the format’s advent in 1948.

A study by the Entertainment Retailers Association in May showed nearly 60 per cent of respondents had listened to an album in full in the month prior to the online survey.  

Although albums were most associated with older music consumers, the research suggested it was younger fans who were more likely to have listened to an album recently.

Over half of those polled aged 25 or below said they had listened to an album in the previous week, compared with 45 per cent of 45-54 year-olds and just 33 per cent of those aged 55 or above.

The event, hosted by BBC Music and organised by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and the Entertainment Retailers Association, has received unanimous backing from artists and the wider music community.

Paloma Faith, artist ambassador for National Album Day, said: “I vividly remember being excited by so many classic albums as I was growing up.

"The way we engage with music may be changing, but for me the album remains the ultimate expression of the songwriter’s craft.”

Geoff Taylor, chief executive BPI & BRIT Awards, said: "It is fitting that, in this anniversary year, we should look to create a special moment that celebrates the UK's love of the album and the huge role it plays at the heart of our popular culture.

"The album has underpinned the phenomenal success of recorded music the world over, providing artists with a compelling medium through which to express their creativity and fans the freedom to engage with all shades of music through the stories that it tells."