Vinyl 'renaissance' boosts British album sales

 Vinyl records are enjoying a "renaissance" in Britain, the music industry's trade body said on Friday, with sales for the year on track for their highest result in nearly two decades, AFP reports.

Figures from the Official Charts Company showed almost 800,000 vinyl albums have been sold so far this year, already more than last year's total of 780,674 and nearing the 1-million mark of 1996.

"Vinyl enthusiasts are now able to enjoy the renaissance of the format," said Lynne McDowell, a spokeswoman for the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).

"Vinyl may once have been considered a by-product of a bygone era but it is now well and truly a flourishing format making a comeback in a digital age," she said.

Sales hit their lowest point in 2007 with 205,000 sales.

The biggest sellers this year are "AM" from the Arctic Monkeys, "Lazaretto" by Jack White and "Definitely Maybe" by Oasis.

"Music fans still crave a tangible product that gives them original artwork, high audio quality and purity of sound," McDowell said.