As part of our new Industry Experts series, we’ll be using our industry connections to find out how the music business is responding to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) – and what our experts believe it will look like post-lockdown. First up in our series is Megan Page and how COVID-19 is impacting Record Store Day 2020.
April 18th was supposed to be Record Store Day 2020 (RSD) around the world. However, with the COVID-19 outbreak, things are looking slightly different this year. We catch up with Record Store Day’s Megan Page, PR and Marketing Manager for both RSD and National Album Day to get her thoughts as to what we can now expect – and what she sees in the future of the industry.
If you are not familiar with Record Store Day, it is an event celebrated by independent record shops across the globe. On this day, loads of artists, labels and publishers create special limited edition items to lure customers and fans into these essential makers of taste, community and culture.
In the UK, more than 200 stores take part, making it one of the most important and exciting days of the year for music lovers. With the COVID-19 pandemic, Record Store Day has been moved to June 20th for the safety and health of everyone.
However, in the meantime, the initiative #RSDFillTheGap allows us to get into the spirit. This campaign is about encouraging record lovers all over the UK to show support for their local record stores on Saturday 18th April by pledging to purchase the one record that’s stopping their collection from being complete and Filling the Gap.
If you want to further raise your spirits, pre-order the amazing three-track EP by this year’s Record Store Day ambassadors, The Big Moon. The songs were recorded and cut to vinyl live in front of an intimate audience at London’s Metropolis Studios on March 5th 2020, before the government lockdown.
“Record Store Day’s focus right now is to remind the music-loving nation that many record stores are still operating online and can deliver vinyl and CDs straight to your door throughout the crisis.” – Megan Page, PR and Marketing Manager for Record Store Day and National Album Day.
Page is overall upbeat and hopeful, offering up some great ways we can all continue to support our stores and artists during these challenging times, saying:
“Like many other industries, record shops have been hit hard by the Coronavirus crisis and are facing many unprecedented challenges because of the enforced lockdown.
Record stores are the lifeblood of the local music scene and important cultural hubs in their local communities – that’s why we’re doing all we can to support them throughout this period of uncertainty.
Record Store Day’s focus right now is to remind the music-loving nation that many record stores are still operating online and can deliver vinyl and CDs straight to your door throughout the crisis. If you can support them, keep buying your records from them online, buy gift vouchers, buy merch or pre-order releases you can pick up when this is all over. Record store owners are even pulling together their recommended albums to help soundtrack the lockdown as part of our #IsolationVinyl series (more of which you can find out about here).”
In terms of the future for the industry, Page continues:
“Regarding what the music business will look like post-coronavirus, I truly think it’s too hard to say right now. There will undoubtedly be some casualties on the high street. But, I like to think that when this is all over, music fans will flock back to their favourite record stores and music venues and catch up on lost times, and this is helping us all to keep the faith.”
Thank you so much, Megan! For more information, or to get a list of participating Record Store Day stores, please go to their official site.
Want to hear more industry opinion around COVID-19 and the music industry? Each week, we’ll be interviewing an expert in the field, so keep your eyes peeled.
