Record buyers get back in vinyl groove

Xu Fangfang, who buys vinyl records at second-hand markets in Beijing, said the first such disc she purchased was a copy of the annual CCTV Spring Festival Gala from the 1980s, one of the most-watched TV shows in China.

She became friends with Ma in 2014 when she visited his store in the art zone.

For Xu, a music lover from a young age, listening to albums on vinyl has become a habit.

Seeking the perfect sound, she has bought nearly 400 vinyl discs, including albums by Icelandic singer Bjork, rock bands Queen from the UK and Nirvana from the United States, and live recordings by symphony orchestras. She has four turntables, including an old Yamaha model.

Graduating from art school in Chongqing, Xu, 42, moved to Beijing in the early 2000s, where she worked for an advertising company and shopped at second-hand markets. She now works for a film and television company in the capital.

"Unlike hearing music on a smartphone, listening to a vinyl record is a complete experience, from reading the lyrics on the sleeve notes to putting the disc on the turntable," Xu said. "The sound is etched on the vinyl exactly as it is recorded in analogue. What you hear is the full, complete sound."

Companies struggle

In the 1980s, the recording industry on the Chinese mainland was booming, with millions of cassette tapes sold.

However, with the emergence of online streaming, vinyl records appeared to be on the verge of extinction.

Between 2002 and 2005, in particular, sales of CDs and other types of musical recordings fell sharply in China as a result of piracy and online streaming, with customers deserting record shops in droves as they stopped buying physical discs.