Is vinyl collecting still growing in 2026?
Yes, on every number that gets published. Discogs reported 114.2 million items added to member collections in 2025 - the largest single year of collecting activity in its 25-year history. The RIAA's 2025 year-end report put US vinyl revenue at 1.04 billion dollars, up 9.3 percent and the format's 19th consecutive year of growth. And plenty of that vinyl is bought as a thing to own as much as to play: in Luminate's 2022 Music 360 survey, only half of US consumers who had bought vinyl in the past year owned a record player. Shelves like that deserve a proper catalog.
How does the camera replace the data entry?
Scan a sleeve and samla.ai recognizes the record and fills in the details, ready for your own condition notes. It is accurate most of the time on clear photos, and when the AI is unsure, it says so - the review queue keeps you in charge of what lands in the catalog. The whole pass looks like this:
- Scan the sleeve - the details fill themselves in
- Add your own notes: condition, pressing quirks, where it came from
- File it to a place, so the crate it lives in is stored with the record
- Search by artist, label or year, from anywhere
How do you remember where every record lives?
Give the catalog the same shape as the room: a place for each shelf or crate, so 'where is the Blue Note box' has a stored answer. Then search from the couch - or from the record fair, when you cannot quite remember whether you already own that pressing.
What happens when a record is ready to move on?
Letting a record go is part of collecting. Publish to Discogs straight from the item you already scanned - records land on Discogs against the exact pressing - or reach local buyers through Tradera and eBay. Publishing is a Pro and Ultra feature, and which marketplaces you see depends on your country.
FAQ
Do I need a paid plan to catalog my records?
No. The free plan includes collection rooms, a monthly scan allowance and Look up mode, which is enough to work through your shelves at a steady pace. Pro and Ultra raise the scan and item limits and add the selling features, like publishing to Discogs, Tradera and eBay.
How accurate is the recognition on record sleeves?
Accurate most of the time on clear photos. Shoot the sleeve straight on in decent light, and check the suggestions in the review queue before they land in the catalog - when the AI is unsure, it says so instead of guessing quietly.
What is my record actually worth?
samla.ai shows an estimated value based on what comparable records tend to go for - an estimate for informational purposes, never a professional appraisal. Pressing, condition and demand decide real prices, and our guide 'What is my vinyl record worth?' walks through how to judge all three.
