For nearly 45 years, Ram’s Musique has operated out of MG Road as a music retail store; more recently, it transformed into a vinyl experience centre for budding and seasoned LP collectors in the city.
The founder, Ramachandran, is now running it with his son Sangeeth Ram. Over the years, he has had a front row seat to the changing patterns in music consumption. From cassettes being at their peak in the 1980s to CDs in the 1990s and early 2000s, Ram recounts how with the proliferation of digital music — first as MP3s and later, internet streaming platforms — “low quality/compressed music formats satisfied the needs” of consumers.
Ramachandran says, “Convenience and accessibility won over quality. People forgot the joy of owning an album of their favorite musician or band. Business became stagnant. Most of our competitors shut shop, but we decided to stay open. It wasn’t easy.”
Taking on other business ideas to keep Ram’s Musique afloat, the founder says, “We knew vinyls would be back one day.”
Vinyl back in Bengaluru
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The global market size for vinyl records size was valued at $246.3 million in 2023 and is forecast to a readjusted size of $629.9 million by 2030. India is also counted among sizeable markets in the Asia-Pacific, although China is the leading force for vinyl sales in the region.
With worldwide initiatives such as Record Store Day held on the third Saturday in April and on Black Friday in November since 2007, it is safe to say that there has been a return to vinyl consumption on a level that an ecosystem of sorts has formed in cities including Bengaluru, where entrepreneurs and fans are seeing commercial sense in being part of the vinyl experience.
Karthik Chandrasekaran, partner at The Record Room, says ever since they launched in 2022, they saw the “initial excitement” of everyone wanting to pick up LPs, use high-end turntables at listening stations and start their own journey as collectors at their craft beer and vinyl bar. “I think that excitement never died because our listening station has taken quite a beating in the last couple of years, and we’ve had to fix it a few times,” Karthik laughs.
Sangeeth Ram who used to be an event organiser and artiste manager, joined his dad last year, after seeing their store “overwhelmed with requests” for specific LPs. “I decided to quit my job and lend him a hand. We started off with selling record players and we saw a great response,” Sangeeth says.
They found space was a constraint to showcase turntables as well as records. “Luckily, we heard the store next door was up for sale and we picked it up immediately. We put together a plan, met a carpenter, showed him some Korean record store videos and told him, ‘India needs one like this’.”
Equipped with House of Marley and Audio-Technica players, Sangeeth says they plan on being the “one-stop shop for all hi-fi stereo listening scenes.” Kerala rock favorites Avial inaugurated the vinyl experience centre at Ram’s Musique. The store had 20% off on Avial’s self-titled album and Sangeeth says they were sold out within a couple of hours, with the band indulging fans by signing copies.
Akhil Hemdev from On The Jungle Floor, an online record store and music discovery platform, has been selling vinyl since 2019. In terms of demographics, Hemdev says they have seen a “strong interest” from buyers in the 25-34 and 35-44 age groups. He describes them as “very active vinyl collectors,” adding, “Younger people are definitely interested in vinyl, but affordability can be a barrier. Interestingly, those under 25 who can afford it often start building their collection even before buying a record player, as that is the most expensive part of this experience.”
The Record Room has often been asked why they do not sell vinyl and while they might move into that space soon, they did launch their very own LP compilation of Indian indie songs, titled Record Room Vol. 1 in June 2023.
Chandrasekaran says from the foreigners and seasoned vinyl collectors who have visited The Record Room, he has understood that the culture is here to stay. That is why The Record Room is changing things up. “We might get into a café format since it is more portable and scalable, with the possibility of a presence in multiple cities. Also, vinyl could pair up with some really good coffee,” he says.
Having said that, community engagement stays important for The Record Room, Ram’s Musique and On The Jungle Floor.
On The Jungle Floor are going strong with all their community events, from listening sessions to deep dives into genres and subcultures being hosted across the city. More experience centres such as Ram’s Musique and The Record Room will definitely help in terms of accessibility, but engaging with the community needs to be constant.
Hemdev suggests workshops, reducing import duties and setting up local LP pressing plants (which are admittedly costly), plus support from cultural institutions and government initiatives that promote music and cultural heritage. “By addressing these areas, we can make the vinyl ecosystem in Bengaluru and India stronger and more sustainable,” he says.
Published – January 21, 2025 04:29 pm IST
