Those of us old enough to remember the thrill of holding a brand new shiny CD in our hands, ready to pop into the player, know that there was a different kind of connection to music when you could physically own it. The dawn of the streaming era ushered in a whole new experience of listening to music. When your favorite artist drops a new album, rather than lining outside a store to get your hands on the plastic-wrapped CD, you open the Spotify app and press play on the album right on the front page.
There is a whole debate among music enthusiasts about the merits of owning physical music. Streaming has made it possible to access music from all around the world through your fingertips, and you could argue it has made music more accessible. On the other hand, the purists argue that music sounds better and rewards the artist more when you own it physically.
The debate rages on, but the ease and ubiquity of streaming mean that sales of physical music have plummeted significantly. The question then emerges, is there even a point in buying physical music? For avid music listeners and appreciators of the musical craft, there are plenty of merits to owning music. Read on to find out these advantages.
Why Own Music?
It seems kind of ridiculous to buy a CD or vinyl record when you can stream the music. However, there are plenty of benefits and reasons to own music. Here are some of the reasons physical music is awesome:
1) Music Sounds Better on Physical Copies
This is actually one of the biggest reasons to own physical music. Many musical embellishments get lost because the quality of music on streaming sites is usually not the best. Plenty of people swear by vinyl records because the music sounds so much better and crisp through the pressed CDs.
2) Streaming Services Are Not The Best When It Comes to Rewarding Artists
Streaming services are notoriously stingy when it comes to rewarding artists for a stream. While this low cash flow is no concern for the more prominent, established artists, tons of independent artists get the short stick when it comes to streaming. Taylor Swift’s infamous letter to Apple Music comes to mind, and she pulled her music off streaming services until they agreed to pay artists higher royalties. Reward artists for their work by buying physical music.
3) Physical Music Makes Amazing Collectibles
You can’t display your Spotify in your house, but a bunch of vinyl records with album art looks absolutely stunning as house décor. This is precisely what makes physical music stand apart from streams, it just makes you have a deeper connection with music.
Final Thoughts
You might think that there is no merit to owning music; even the new cars don’t come with CD players anymore. However, owning music is awesome for several reasons, as it supports musicians and just helps you have a much deeper connection with music. Many of your favorite artists also agree with this sentiment and are pushing for people to buy more physical music. Adele famously got thousands of vinyl records pressed for her new album, hinting toward the correct way to listen to her music,
Eric Dalius is The Executive Chairman of MuzicSwipe, a music and content discovery platform designed to maximize artist discovery and optimize fan relationships. Additionally, he runs the weekly podcast “FULLSPEED,” featuring interviews with cutting-edge entrepreneurs. As the founder of the “Eric Dalius Foundation,” he provides four scholarships for US students. Keep up with Eric on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Entrepreneur.com.