Aviva Research Finds 18.8 Million Brits Own Vintage Music Players as Retro Listening Makes a Comeback

Aviva Research Finds 18.8 Million Brits Own Vintage Music Players as Retro Listening Makes a Comeback

(IN BRIEF) Aviva research shows that 18.8 million British adults own a vintage music player, reflecting continued interest in retro ways of listening to music. Just under a quarter of Brits, 24%, own a vinyl record player, with ownership strongest among people aged 80 and above but also notable among younger groups. The research found that 18% of Gen Z adults and 16% of Millennials own a record player. Other vintage music items also remain popular, with 12% of respondents owning a Walkman or cassette player and 10% owning a vintage radio. Aviva also identified wider retro trends, including ownership of binoculars, digital cameras, analogue cameras and Polaroid cameras. The insurer used the findings to remind people to consider home contents insurance and optional accidental damage cover for valuable or delicate belongings.

(PRESS RELEASE) LONDON, 13-Jul-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — New research from Aviva suggests that vintage music players continue to hold strong appeal across the UK, with 18.8 million British adults owning at least one retro music device.

The insurer’s research found that just under a quarter of Brits, 24%, own a vinyl record player. While ownership is highest among the silent generation, with 39% of people aged 80 and above owning one, turntables are also proving popular with younger consumers.

According to the findings, 18% of Gen Z adults aged 18 to 28 own a record player, while 16% of Millennials aged 29 to 44 also have one. The figures suggest that interest in vinyl and more traditional ways of listening to music extends well beyond older generations.

Other vintage music devices remain part of British homes too. More than one in 10 respondents, 12%, said they own a Walkman or cassette player, while 10% own a vintage radio.

Aviva’s research also points to wider interest in retro and traditional leisure items. More than a quarter of respondents, 28%, own binoculars, typically associated with activities such as birdwatching, stargazing and plane spotting.

Older-style cameras also remain popular. Two fifths of respondents, 40%, own a digital camera, while 20% own an analogue or Polaroid camera. By comparison, 11% own newer camera equipment such as a specialist action camera or drone.

Hannah Davidson, Senior Underwriting Manager at Aviva, said the findings show that nostalgic ways of enjoying music remain relevant even in a digital-first world.

“Despite younger generations growing up in the era of the iPod, MP3 player and CD player, it’s interesting to see a potential shift towards more nostalgic — and potentially costly — ways of enjoying music,” said Davidson.

She added that record players can be intricate and may be easily damaged, making it important for owners to consider how their belongings are protected.

Some home insurance policies offer optional accidental damage cover, which can help protect against incidents such as spills or breakages.

“Accidents happen and home insurance can help provide peace of mind knowing that your items are protected,” said Davidson.

Aviva’s 18.8 million estimate is based on respondents who said they owned a vinyl record player, cassette tape player or Walkman, or vintage radio, extrapolated against the UK adult population using ONS mid-year estimates for 2024.

The research was conducted by Censuswide among a nationally representative sample of 2,001 UK adults between 2 and 4 March 2026.

Notes to editors:

• We are the UK’s only diversified insurer and we operate in the UK, Ireland and Canada. We also have international investments in India and China.
• We help our 25.2 million customers make the most out of life, plan for the future, and have the confidence that if things go wrong we’ll be there to put it right.
• We have been taking care of people for more than 325 years, in line with our purpose of being ‘with you today, for a better tomorrow’. In 2025, we paid £31.9 billion in claims and benefits to our customers.
• Aviva is a Living Wage, Living Pension and Living Hours employer and provides market-leading benefits for our people, including flexible working, paid carers leave and equal parental leave. Find out more at www.aviva.com/about-us/our-people/
• As at 31 December 2025, total Group assets under management at Aviva Group were £454 billion and our estimated Solvency II shareholder capital surplus as at 31 March 2026 was £6.1 billion. Our shares are listed on the London Stock Exchange and we are a member of the FTSE 100 index.
• For more details on what we do, our business and how we help our customers, visit www.aviva.com/about-us
• The Aviva newsroom at www.aviva.com/newsroom includes links to our spokespeople images, podcasts, research reports and our news release archive. Sign up to get the latest news from Aviva by email.
• You can follow us on:
  • X: www.x.com/avivaplc
  • LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/aviva-plc
  • Instagram: www.instagram.com/avivaplc/
• For the latest corporate films from around our business, subscribe to our YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/aviva

Methodology:

18.8 million stat found by finding the number of nationally representative respondents who selected Vinyl record player, Cassette tape player or Walkman, or Vintage radio in Q9 (34%) extrapolated against the 18+ ONS population mid-year estimates 2024: 55,022,253/100 x 34.2% = 18,817,610.5

References:

1. Research was conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 2001 UK Nat Rep Respondents (18+). The data was collected between 02.03.2026 – 04.03.2026.[↑]

Media Contact:

Amy Penn
General Insurance
Phone: +44 (0) 7385 011200
Email: amy.penn@aviva.com

SOURCE: Aviva