Why I Have Returned to Collecting Physical Media

I got rid of most of my physical media collection – CDs, cassettes, DVDs, books, etc. – in the summer of 2017. Back then I had really gotten into the concept of “minimalism” – getting rid of unnecessary clutter and “stuff” so that you can focus on what really matters to you. I got rid of a bunch of stuff and it did feel good – most of it I don't miss. But I do regret parting with the physical media.

Among other sources of info on minimalism, I listened to a podcast called The Minimalists. They often emphasize the idea of access over ownership, claiming that modern technology makes media easily accessible digitally. In their words:

...we needn’t own a single DVD or CD or print book to have access to essentially unlimited options. With the click of a button, we can view any movie ever made, listen to any song ever produced, or read any page that’s ever been printed.

At the time, getting rid of my physical media seemed like a good idea and I decided to try it. So I went through my collection, identified the titles that I thought I could access in some form or fashion without having to own the physical copy, and, with a few exceptions, I sold or donated them.

In the years since what I now refer to as “The Great Purge of 2017”, I have realized that when it comes to the media content I really value and appreciate, I still prefer owning physical copies. In this post, I will explain why I have started collecting physical media again, and why I prefer ownership over access in this case. I'll be focusing particularly on music, but many of these principles apply to movies and books, as well.

Pros of Access Instead of Ownership

There are clearly some advantages to access over ownership. Here are the main benefits that stand out to me.

Convenience

Especially when it comes to being out and about or traveling, having access to millions of titles on your mobile device is certainly easier than carrying around a CD wallet or a few cassette tapes and a CD player or Walkman.

And when at home, all you have to do is a quick text search for the album or song you want to listen to on your mobile device, rather than sift through shelves or boxes of records, compact discs, tapes, etc. to find what you're looking for.

Some Media Not Available Physically

Some artists are publishing their music exclusively in digital format for consumption on streaming services and/or to purchase and download the digital files. Physical media of their work does not exist (unless you burn the digital files to a CD or record them to a tape yourself), so the only way to access it is through a computer or mobile device.

Less Stuff

Digital files and streaming apps take up zero physical space and only require a computer or mobile device, so you don't need to have any storage space for physical media.

You also don't need to have dedicated devices capable of playing each form of media – turntable, CD player, cassette player, 8-track player, etc. That gear also takes up physical space.

Less Costly vs Serious Collecting

For the serious music nerd, paying a subscription over time for a music streaming service will almost certainly be less expensive than buying physical media.

Using Apple Music as an example, an individual subscription costs $10.99/month, a family subscription costs $16.99/month (as of the date this post was published). In my experience, a new CD can cost between $12-$15 these days. New vinyl records cost around $30 – but labels and artists are capitalizing on a surge in popularity with vinyl, so many new records cost $40-$50 apiece. So even if you were to limit yourself to buying one new CD or one new vinyl record per month, you'd be spending at least as much as a monthly streaming subscription over time, but likely more. Hear is a yearly cost breakdown:

It's true you can still find used physical media at record stores, thrift shops, and second hand stores for much less – as low as $1-$2 per copy. And you can also purchase and download digital files for less cost than the physical media (usually $1 per track). So you could certainly limit yourself to spending less on music than a streaming subscription. But for people who enjoy collecting music like me, we're purchasing multiple albums per month on average. It's much more expensive than only using streaming services.

Also, you can use some streaming services for free with ads, and you can borrow physical media for free from friends and libraries without having to own a physical copy yourself. There are indeed several cheap or free alternatives to collecting physical copies.

Easier to Share

Sharing a YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, etc. link is much easier than lending out a CD or vinyl record. Plus, you still have access to the music. If your friend has your record, you can't listen to it until it is returned – hopefully in the same condition it was in before it was borrowed.

Pros of Ownership Instead of Access

Inconvenience

For those of us who collect physical media, inconvenience is not a bug, it's a feature. The act of looking through shelves or crates is not a hassle, it allows you to enjoy and reacquaint yourself with your collection.

When you find the album you've been looking for, the act of taking it out, putting it on the turntable, in the CD player, in the cassette player and pressing a physical button to start playing it is very intentional. We even appreciate the dopamine-inducing sounds of vinyl brushing against sleeves, CD jewel cases and cassette cases opening and closing, CD and cassette trays opening and closing, needles dropping, buttons clicking. It is a ceremony, a ritual that draws your thoughts and attention to the music you are about to hear, to the artist who created it.

You hold the cover/case in your hands as you listen, enjoy the album art, read the liner notes. Perhaps you are listening with friends or just enjoying the music by yourself with your favorite beverage.

Whatever the circumstance, the very inconvenience of physical media demands intention and, therefore, makes the entire experience more meaningful in a way that merely tapping a slab of glass cannot hope to approximate.

Some Media Not Available Digitally

The Minimalists are wrong about this one – you do not, nor will you ever, have access to every song ever made at the touch of a button. In fact, there is still a considerable amount of media that has not been digitized and made officially available for streaming or purchase in digital format. I already have several albums in my modest collection that you cannot find on any streaming service.

No Internet Connection Required

Imagine listening to music with out needing to stream or download anything. No need for a mobile device, computer, or even an MP3 player. No distractions, no notifications, no WiFi. It's just you, the physical media, and the device that plays the physical media.

No Tracking or Ads

Unless you have taken careful steps to prevent it, internet-connected devices track you and gather as much information about as possible. This presumably helps the businesses that provide the products and services you use to understand how people use them and improve them. But it's mainly to be able to blast targeted ads in your face as often as possible.

Unless you post it on social media or have other people listening in the room with you (or broadcast it on Twitch like me), not another living soul will know that you just listened to the vinyl LP Reach by Richard Simmons (which is actually a delightful album with some yacht rock bangers, IMO). Nor will your listening experience ever be interrupted with ads for sports gambling apps or adult diapers.

It Can't Disappear

This is one of my biggest pet peeves about streaming services. I have lost track of how many times I have tried to listen to an album I have added to my streaming “library” only to find it is no longer available.

Music rights holders have different licensing agreements with different streaming services that change all the time. Some rights holders rotate their content through different services so that they are exclusive to one service for a period of time, then switch to a different service, and so on.

It is maddening to have access to millions of songs – except the ones you want to listen to. Especially if you have been able to listen to them on that service in the past.

Albums in your physical media collection can't suddenly vanish at the whim of record labels or tech companies.

It Fairly Compensates Artists

Artists earn the most money from merchandise (including physical media), concerts, and tours. Streaming services pay them comparatively very little. Spotify is the absolute worst – not even paying artists unless a track has hit at least one thousand streams, and even then, $.003 – $.005 on average per stream after that. Apple Music, Tidal, and others pay more than Spotify, but it's still not much.

If you are a small or independent artist, it's extremely difficult to make a living creating music. I believe in compensating artists fairly for the music I enjoy, and buying physical media is still one of the best ways to do that.

Conclusion

There are benefits and drawbacks to both access and ownership when it comes to media. But the crux of the issue is this: if you don't own a physical copy, someone is going to own a copy that you can borrow or own the rights to it. If you don't own a copy, you are dependent on a company, library, or another person to own a copy of it or the rights to make it available for you to access. And even then, they may even not have what you are looking for.

If I enjoy the music enough, and I know I will want to listen to it repeatedly for a long time to come, I try to find a copy of it on physical media, or at least digital files that I can purchase and download. Despite the drawbacks, I find physical media to be a more intentional and enjoyable experience than streaming. And it's the only way I can be guaranteed my favorite music will be available whenever I want to listen to it.

Discuss...

#PhysicalMedia #vinyl #compactDisc #cassette #streaming