VNYL is a pretty interesting subscription service for record collectors. When you sign up for this service, you fill out a lengthy profile that includes not only your likes and dislikes but also links to all of your profiles on digital audio services such as Spotify and Sound Cloud. They then ask you to choose a "#VIBE," which is an activity that you would like them to select the music for, such as studying or pool party. They then select 3 new albums and send to you based on all these criteria.
My Subscription Addiction pays for this subscription. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).
The Subscription Box: VNYL
The Cost: $39 a month
The Products: Three BRAND NEW records chosen by a curator specifically for you, based on your profile, other digital audio services profiles, and selected "#VIBE" for that month
Ships to: U.S. (free), and UK, Spain, Germany, Sweden, Italy, Australia, France, Canada at an additional cost
Check out all our VNYL reviews and the Subscription Box Directory!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
This was the only literature that arrived in my box this month. This is a flyer for VNYL's new releases, in a fun, coloring book format!
Usually, there is a note from my curator explaining why they chose the selections they picked for me that month. My vibe this month was #XOXO, which would have been perfect for February, but this box did not arrive until March 21, almost a full month late.
Mosquito by The Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Value $14.99 on Amazon
Check out this AMAZING video from indie mainstays The Yeah Yeah Yeahs for their hit single "Sacriledge"! The best thing about getting this album was that it led me to discover this awesome mini-film. Intense! This album came out in 2013 and was all over the airwaves at that time. It's pretty good, although it is not entirely my kind of music. I kind of feel like if I was going to buy it, I would have bought it back then.
Freaking Out by Toro y Moi - Value $10.98 on Amazon
This is an EP from another indie mainstay, Toro y Moi from 2011. I am not really into electronica / drum machines, and this is not the kind of music I asked for at all. Nothing against Toro y Moi or people who like this record, but again, if I had liked it in 2011 I probably would have bought it then. Cool green vinyl, though!
One Million by Jay Leo Phillips - Value $29.37 on Amazon
This is indeed an obscure find, and I like that. Of course, I also love the grey vinyl. However, I don't like this music at all, and I think all the data about my tastes that I have provided to VNYL reflects that. I like fuzzy, guitar-heavy messy rock from all eras. I tend toward heavy sounds. This is hyper electronic pop, almost skewing into experimental. Again, I am not criticizing anyone's tastes, but I think I have made it clear that this is not the kind of music I wanted to receive, personally.
Verdict: This was a very different box for me than what I have come to expect from VNYL. I received my box a month late, I got no note from any curator, and I received three albums I don't really like. After reaching out to VNYL's customer service, I learned that they sent me the wrong box and offered to send me a new box, curated based on my preferences. The value was still pretty good at about $55 worth of vinyl for $36.
What do you think of VNYL?
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