Insound is shutting down

Brooklyn-based online record retailer Insound is closing down, according to a report from Stereogum. The independent music vendor has been supplying music obsessives with their regular fix of vinyl, books, audio equipment and other accessories for 16 years. Since launching in 1999, Insound has been one of the Internet’s premier retailers for indie music, and in 2008 was purchased by Warner Music Group. It was thanks to retailers like Insound that bands like The Walkmen and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah were able to reach a wider consumer audience, and it’s kind of odd to imagine the online buyers’ landscape without them. However, as announced last fall, Amazon is now the largest vinyl retailer in the industry, with a market share of more than 12 percent (and Urban Outfitters close behind at eight percent). Insound often had unique items for sale, including exclusive limited-edition vinyl and the occasional tour support EPs.

It’s a shame to see a good retail source for music go.