Streaming has revolutionized how we consume media. No longer do you have to have cabinets full of disks and cassettes with films you might watch once and never again. Now you can watch or listen to almost anything you may want. Notice the almost. One phenomenon that has become more and more prominent is the oversaturation of streaming services and the spreading out of content. I remember when the only streaming services I knew were Netflix and Amazon Prime, but now there are too many to count.
This has also been a problem on the music front as now you must either sit through ads, pay a subscription, or endure questionable quality while also tethering you to your device more than you already are. Some people want to go back to a simpler time, the time of physical media.
One of them is Suri Rastani (10), who is a collector mainly of vinyl and DVDs. For her, it is the experience more than any practical reasons. “I just think it’s fun having a collection of physical things that you like,” Rastani said. “And also, I don’t know if this is like a placebo or anything, but it sounds better and it feels better when you listen to it or watch.” I tend to agree with her as I personally like to listen to vinyl and CDs, not for any real audio reasons, but because it is an experience. It limits your abilities, so you are forced to experience the music differently. Personally, when listening to a well constructed album, songs which I would not put on a playlist are so much more enjoyable in context of the album.
My personal favorite is John Mayer’s 2006 album “Continuum,” especially the last four songs. It starts with a cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Bold as Love,” representing the passion of love, and then transitions to “Dreaming with a Broken Heart” which displays the pain of a breakup. It then goes to “In Repair,” which is about getting over a past relationship, and then finally ends the mini narrative with “I’m Gonna Find Another You,” which is about moving on. Individually, these songs are great, but when you listen to them all in order — the way CDs and Vinyl force you to do — you get the full intended experience.
An obvious downside of physical media is the initial price. While used CDs are dirt cheap, vinyl (especially new) can get pricey real quick. Unlike in the past, physical media is not really a necessity to enjoy music, and the majority of people are fine with streaming and all of the pros and cons that come with it. But for some, physical media is a hobby which can elevate your musical experience.
