http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-himi-amoeba-records-20101003,0,3767816.story
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The numbers: Annual sales are down 10% since the stores' peak a couple of years ago, to about $45 million this year from $50 million, Weinstein said. Much of the decline is at the Berkeley store, where students are more likely to hit online torrent sites for pirated music. But the L.A. store has seen no decline in sales, he said.
Virtue in vinyl: A big reason for L.A.'s buoyancy is vinyl. The Hollywood store sells about 1,000 vinyl records a day. "Vinyl sales are so strong, it's making up for the decline in CD sales," Weinstein explained. Who's buying vinyl? Jazz collectors, DJs and, surprisingly, heavy-metal fans. "Many of them are 18 or younger," Weinstein said. "It's a very artifact-oriented crowd that's attracted to how these things looked and felt."
Evolution: Amoeba Online. Far from being Luddites, Amoeba's founders are embracing the Internet. But don't expect a replay of iTunes when Amoeba's online operation debuts early next year.
"Our goal is to have an online store that's very unique," Weinstein said. "If you look at most of the sites that sell music, they have the same artist bios. That's because it all comes from one source, All Media Guide, which takes 3% of the gross sale and gives you these generic bios. We've spent the last three years writing our own reviews, written by a staff who is passionate about music. It takes longer, but people who love music will know the difference. We just want the online store to be everything we've always been, but even more than before."