Who still listens to CDs and vinyls these days???
I do.
In this age of music streaming—with various services like Spotify, Youtube, Apple Music available literally at your fingertips—why on earth would you listen to music from these prehistoric formats?
Yes, they take up precious space to store.
Yes, they cost money to buy.
And YES, you actually have to move your butt to play them.
But these ancient formats can bring great joy to music listening that streaming can never deliver.
#1 Touching is loving.
Sifting through your CD or vinyl collection, deciding what you feel like listening to, taking out the CD or vinyl out of its case or sleeve, and putting it on after a long day at work is one of the most satisfying experiences for people who love listening to music. Music is not just something playing in the background, but it is something you carefully selected with a full intention of enjoying.
There was a period that I had to move to a small place for a couple of years. My CD collection was sadly left behind, and an ipod was my makeshift solution. I still remember vividly the day I got my collection back. I pulled out my Fourplay’s Heartfelt CD, lifted the CD out of its case, and put it on. Man, Galaxia never sounded so good! My set-up was by no means an audiophile one, but the music that came out was such great joy. Of course, CD’s sound quality is far superior to MP3’s, but there was just something special to physically handling music after such a long absence. Touching is loving.
#2 Instant gratification is great, but anticipation can bring intense pleasure.
Streaming is convenient, no doubt. Millions of songs are available at your fingertips, and a simple click brings instant gratification. Yet anticipating something so diligently can bring as much joy and excitement (or even more) as the actual consumption of that item. The waiting period for your favorite album to arrive after placing an order (with Restory Music, of course) can be filled with anticipation. Ripping up the packaging and rushing to get the album playing can sometimes be equally as exciting as when the music from that album is playing.
#3 Fond memories are buried deep inside
Every time I put the New York City by Norah Jones CD on, I get transported back to the long flat roads of South Dakota with nothing but giant hay bales and billboards lined up for miles and miles along the roads. That was the time when my old roommate and I had our road trip from the East coast to the West coast, and I loved putting this CD on (cars were still well equipped with CD players back then).
And when I listen to Matt Bianco’s Matt’s Mood II, I recall the time when I jumped in my car right after my last final exam to drive from Boston to New York City to watch the band live (and drove back the same night). I loved the album so much, I just couldn’t resist.
My Collision Course CD by Jay-Z and Linkin Park is scratched beyond recognition. Yet pulling it out from my rack, taking the CD out of the case, and turning on Numb/Encore still gives me the same rush as it did when I first put it on many many years back when I was still studying.
Stored in these physical albums are not only music for us to enjoy, but fond memories of the moments when we listened to them—priceless memories that we cherish and hold dear to our hearts.
And of course, vinyl sleeves are works of art. CD booklets tell the artists’ intricate stories behind their albums.
To top it all off, you get to own these physical media. You might not be able to take them with you when you leave this world, but you surely can enjoy them while you are here.