Taylor Swift fans may be ready to 'Shake Off' plastic vinyl records, new University of Glasgow study shows

17 February 2025 - Press release

New research from the University of Glasgow reveals that Taylor Swift fans might be ready for an eco-friendly evolution of how they collect their favourite artist's music, with one in four willing to consider plastic-free alternatives to traditional vinyl records.

The study, which surveyed over 1,000 Taylor Swift fans (known as Swifties) who collect vinyl, found that younger fans are more interested in vinyl as a way to display their fandom than for its audio qualities.

A striking 87% of respondents aged 18-24 rated "sharing and displaying your tastes and fandom" as very important, while only 29% of 45–54-year-olds felt the same.

Meanwhile, the factor 'perceived difference in audio quality between listening on vinyl and streaming' mattered less to young people and more to older groups, with 75% aged 45-54 considering it 'very important', contrasting with only 33% of 18–24-year-olds.

The survey asked a range of questions related to vinyl record purchasing, listening habits, and attitudes towards environmental issues such as climate change. The goal was to better understand how Swift fans valued collecting vinyl and to gauge potential interest in alternative low-plastic album packaging formats.

The survey report coincides with the launch of a new 'Doughnut Music Lab' based at the University of Glasgow. Doughnut Music Lab is an art and research collective that draws on ideas from Doughnut Economics to imagine what the music industry might look like in a post-fossil fuel future.

Professor Matt Brennan, Professor of Popular Music, based at the University of Glasgow's College of Arts & Humanities and co-lead of Doughnut Music Lab said: "What we're seeing is a fascinating shift in how younger fans interact with vinyl records. The survey findings suggest that for many Taylor Swift fans, especially Gen Z Swifties aged 18-24, vinyl may be less about the listening experience (eg playing a record on a turntable) and more about the tangible connection to their favourite artist."

One in four of Taylor Swift fans who took part in the study say they are open to the idea of purchasing a 12-inch "sleeve-only and download code" version of the album in the interests of reducing plastic materials.

Dr Graeme Hunt, Research Association in the University of Glasgow's James Watt School of Engineering and co-lead of Doughnut Music Lab said: "We certainly don't see a 12-inch 'sleeve-only and download code' album release as a one-size-fits-all solution, and we also know that music is a relatively low-emitting industry compared to other sectors, such as energy, transport, food, and manufacturing.

"However, the live and recorded music industries often rely on those high-emitting sectors and infrastructure in order to do business, and we'd like to see music culture influence high-emitting sectors to reduce their footprint where possible, including accelerating a transition to renewable materials."

The research also revealed that 57% of fans own multiple copies of the same Taylor Swift album on vinyl (the artist's albums are often released as collectable 'vinyl variants') with some superfans possessing up to eight copies of a single album.

The top 3 Taylor Swift albums owned by respondents were:

folklore (2020) with 643 respondents owning a copy
The Tortured Poets Department (2024) with 636 respondents owning a copy
Midnights (2022) with 634 respondents owning a copy

Some 86% of Taylor Swift fans says they consider music to be "very important" to them personally, with 57% saying it was "very important" in their daily lives. The survey found that Taylor Swift fans are avid music consumers with 55% of respondents spending over 16 hours every week listening to music.

When asked if they listened to their favourite Taylor Swift tracks via streaming platforms for the sake of convenience to albums rather than playing their vinyl copy on a turntable, 60% said they streamed for convenience 'all the time', a number which increased to 87% for those who answered 'frequently' or 'all the time'.

The Taylor Swift fans research suggests that a significant minority of them (26%) would potentially consider purchasing album releases that include all the artwork and a digital download code, but without the plastic vinyl record itself - particularly if offered at a reduced price point. The majority of vinyl records are manufactured from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), widely considered to be among the most environmentally damaging plastics.

Professor Brennan added: "We're interested in music culture's symbolic and storytelling power, and the power of artists to direct attention and hold space for imagining alternative ways of being in the world.

"We're also keen to imagine what a post-fossil fuel future looks and sounds like, and what role music culture can play in encouraging and accelerating this transition. Ultimately, we hope this report might encourage a sense of playful experimentation and prompt people to reflect on plastic consumption and carbon-intensive behaviours at individual, industrial, and institutional levels."

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