Townsend Music launches new D2C store and exclusive vinyl series

The Northern England-headquartered independent company said the new store features a proprietary platform with an integrated service model and real-time data dashboard. Townsend described the development as part of its ongoing focus on supporting artists’ direct-to-fan campaigns and expanding physical sales.

The Townsend Exclusive Vinyl series will include limited-edition releases, predominantly pressed by Record Industry, the only pressing plant in the world with all vinyl manufacturing facilities under one roof. Initial releases include Van Morrison’s ‘Somebody Tried to Sell Me a Bridge’ (1 000-copy 180-gram smokey black and gold double vinyl) in partnership with Orangefield Records, and Frank Turner’s ‘Campfire Punkrock’ 20th Anniversary Edition (500-copy 180-gram yellow flame vinyl) in partnership with Xtra Mile Recordings. Turner’s release also includes six bonus live tracks available digitally through Townsend’s platform.

In 2025, Townsend’s network of more than 1,000 artist and label D2C stores drew 8.1 million unique visitors, with daily customer order fulfilment averaging 1 200 per day. The platform reportedly captured, on average, 1 000 new fans daily into artists’ own databases, achieving conversion rates 2.6 times above industry benchmarks. Artists supported include Barry Can’t Swim, The Black Keys, Blossoms, D-Block Europe, Gary Numan, Jorja Smith, Leigh-Anne, Kylie Minogue, Noel Gallagher, The Prodigy, and Shed Seven.

“Through investing in this new iteration of the Townsend store, we are proud to support talent – from rising to established – in giving fans the best music and merchandise experience, and ultimately creating long-term value,” Townsend Music sales director Bruce McKenzie said. “Kicking off the Townsend Exclusive Vinyl series with two great singer-songwriters in Van Morrison and Frank Turner is the first iconic chapter here, with more special products to come from much-loved artists across a spectrum of genres.”

Townsend Music operations director Lucas Barr said: “We pride ourselves on being a secret weapon, acting as an extra team member on each artist campaign, always striving to provide best-in-market service for our clients. Bringing the next stage of Townsend Music’s evolution to our existing artist and label stores, and beyond, reinforces our commitment to being a trusted collaborator, helping our clients achieve many more cultural and chart milestones.”

Townsend highlighted several chart successes in 2025, including number-one album campaigns for Kylie Minogue, The K’s, and The Lottery Winners. Other Top 5 campaigns included D-Block Europe, The Darkness, Deacon Blue, The Divine Comedy, James Morrison, The Kooks, Laufey, Olly Murs, Richard Ashcroft, The Royston Club, The Sherlocks, Suede, Steven Wilson, and Wombats.

Client testimonials underline Townsend’s influence on campaign performance. Tom Newman, Head of Frontline Releases at Cooking Vinyl, said: “Townsend Music has been our go-to D2C platform, and has been an integral part of executing high-charting album campaigns for the likes of Blue, The Darkness, Shed Seven, and many more. The team there are a big part of the reason our campaigns are so slick.”

John Fairs, manager to The Prodigy, added: “We have worked with Townsend for 15 years, Bruce and the team are magic, as is their platform.”

Industry data indicates strong growth for physical formats in the UK. ERA reported that vinyl now accounts for over 9% of total music spending, contributing to an 18th consecutive year of growth. Combined spending on vinyl, CDs, and other physical formats rose 11.5% year-on-year to £368m, with overall retail sales of music reaching £2.45bn. LP sales grew 13.3% to over 8 million units in 2025, generating £232.2m at retail.

Founded in 1978 in Great Harwood, Lancashire, Townsend began as a record shop and gradually expanded into a D2C platform for artists and labels, now operating in 18 countries for physical sales and 12 for digital. Townsend was acquired by Dutch company Artone in 2024 and is part of the Official UK Charts Committee.

The new Townsend Music Store and Exclusive Vinyl series are available now.