“The big thing is fostering a community.”
Establishing a distinct identity is crucial for a record store like Studium — as well as a local label like Punctum — in a time where music is so readily available through other mediums, Rudmann says. “You can go on something like Spotify, and you can download the entire history of recorded music,” he says. “What a label can do, and I think why people get excited about something like K Records [another Austin record label] or us, is that we’ve helped identify things that match an aesthetic that we’re trying to build.”
Rudmann’s observations reflect a national trend. Newsweek reported in November that in the first half of 2014, vinyl record sales in the United States totaled 4 million, compared to the 2.9 million sold in the same period last year, and a 400 percent increase from the 900,000 moved in 2006. Newsweek also reported that the best-selling vinyl albums of 2014 so far are Jack White’s “Lazaretto” and the Arctic Monkeys’ “AM.” Both were released this year, demonstrating an increased demand for new records by a younger audience.
Studium invites customers to leisurely browse through its carefully picked selection of records, one of which the staff will often play throughout the store. If the weather is nice, they can mingle outside and enjoy a cold beer or hot cup of coffee from the neighboring Wright Bros. Brew & Brew, as well. “It’s like a clubhouse,” Stevens says of the atmosphere at Studium. “This place is turning into a cool hang spot.”
While 4 million albums might seem like an impressive figure, it’s a far cry from the 500 million vinyl albums and singles sold in 1978, as music magazine Spin reported in May. It also pales in comparison to the 70 billion songs streamed in the first half of 2014, according to Newsweek. Still, although vinyl’s glory days may be long gone, its recent sales hike suggests there is room is today’s musical climate for a niche store like Studium.
Although it’s too early to determine their biggest source of income, Rudmann says the store already sells a decent amount of vinyl. “People are buying records, and that’s very encouraging for somebody who runs a record label,” he says. “There’s always talk about that, you know, waxing and waning, but right now, people are psyched on it.”
Rudmann said he first started thinking about Studium after bringing several local bands to New York City for a series of shows in the spring. “It became more apparent, having these Austin bands in this context of New York and seeing it all together, that we have something very unique and special here in Austin,” he says. “And to have a more