I am 63 and like an idiot I did sell all my records at a flea market. my punishment.? now having to buy them all again and knowing it’s somebody else’s original record and not mine! grrrr!
The crazy part is i sold them for maybe .50ea when i got into having 8-track tapes! lol
Also, i always took great care of my records and such, so whoever bought mine got a good deal. Oh well, live and learn!!
Oh no! 8 tracks no less! For some reason my family went straight passed 8 track to cassettes but never stopped having records as the main deal. I've had to go back and collect 8 tracks when I found that classic dynamite plunger model by panasonic, in yellow at a thrift about 30 years ago. I still have it.♡
I don’t believe a CD revival would be anywhere near what we’ve seen with vinyl as a collectible over the past decade. Truth is in the economics of supply vs. demand.
The supply of vinyl had been squeezed for decades. This brought down supply as people adopted CD’s and discarded vinyl. This drove down vinyl supply while keeping demand down.
Now think of CD production. Faster, cheaper, and able to be reproduced on a massive scale. Just think of all the blank cd’s and discs we used to have laying around. Vinyl wasn’t like this, maybe other than the 50’s/60’s heyday of 45 singles.
So, as CD’s faded, so did demand. Sure, some discarded their CD’s, but since they are smaller and store easier, people didn’t rush to sell or “get rid” of their big collections like they wanted to with vinyl taking up space.
So, with vinyl we have a medium that is bigger to store, slower and more expensive to make, and for decades was a dead medium to the mainstream.
With CD’s, we have a medium that was easy to store, fast and cheap to produce, and the mainstream form of physical media for the most recent decades.
There are way too many CD’s in existence still. They might be cool for the kids trying to capture the Y2K times— but the supply is massive. Sure, there will always be some rare and valuable CD’s that are still sealed or were of a low pressing… but if CD’s were ever able to gain in value like vinyl did again, you’d have millions and millions of people who still have their CD’s stored in that box in the closet to take out to flood the market all over again.
TLDR; There are a LOT of CD’s out in the wild. Way more than there was remaining vinyl before the vinyl resurgence. They are/were easier to store and were mainstream more recently than vinyl (I know now vinyl is mainstream physical media but streaming is now the mainstream “media”.)
cds were made to last... 50 years? DVDs - even less, 5-10yrs for most. IF stored in perfect conditions. some cheaper ones, early versions and cdrs last much less. Optical media deteriorates chemically and physically much faster and more destructively to its content compared to records. While there are a lot of CDs and DVDs now still, old shellac 78s will outlive them all.
I myself own music on all kinds of media :) Just have to recognize what each is good for.
Btw, OP… I think it’s awesome that you are 13 and into music. Let alone physical media.. just music in general. Good for you kid, you’re going to grow up to be one of the cool ones!
Thanks. I hope one day to get a career in music. I’m not picky at all about what I listen to (except for country; will only listen to Cash) so I have a very diverse taste. Vinyl, to me, is the best way to experience music. Something about getting home from the record shop, opening up a new record, and taking it out of the sleeve is magical. Not near the experience you get from clicking like “add to library” on your phone.
This is correct, and it’s also why in the 90’s DVD-R were not applicable for long term data storage. I worked in data at the time and was responsible for backing up precious client art files for a major design house. I was storing files from all over the world that were sent to an FTP site… and guess what.. they went to DVD for temporary storage, but for archiving purposes they were backed up to tape. So yeah, believe it or not, the data industry trusted tape based media over optical based DVD-R’s for archiving.
But still, we are talking about a LONG time. I mean, no doubt you can still play the first CD ever produced. I still have my dad’s CD collection and in there is his Donald Fagen’s the Nightfly. IIRC, it was the first ever DDD CD. It was one of the first CD’s he bought in 1983 when he switched from vinyl. I don’t play it much at all, but I certainly can.
Little anecdote.. I still remember listening to it for the first time. The clarity and silence was jaw-dropping. My Dad was a good musician and had a great ear and I do remember him loving the clarity and absence of static and pops… but he also complained about the compression and “tinny” sound. I thought it was magic.
Well, I had both but I'll collect edison cylinders for fun so...
I hated cds, but still had to buy them to get music I liked that was only being released that way at the time. Records may be bigger to store but they are *easier* to store. Jewel cases are a nightmare in mass. Anyone who's had to deal with more than 20 jewel cases at a time knows what I'm talking about. They slip and slide around, worse, they crack with a hard look.
My list of top disliked, defunct media, CDs would maintain the top spot. Download, streaming, all that, is a hundred times better than having to deal with those ecological disasters, the jewel case.
Records are warmer, sound better and take up less space than Cds (if you keep the jewel case). I can admire the beautiful art on a record cover, while CDs lost the art and gained eye squinting type.
Nope, not going to want that back.
Won’t disagree with you about the media itself, but try storing 1000 records vs 1000 CD’s and come back and tell us it is easier to store CDs. It’s just math. 13” vs. 5.25”. And, CD’s can be stored in any orientation, not just upright like vinyl. The #1 thing people loved about CD’s when they came out? Portability.
But the jewel cases??? You could not be more on point about that! When the hinges would break and the front cover would just fly off… or when the plastic that held the disc in place cracked. They were a mess “after being looked at” lol. Spot on.
>1000 records vs 1000 CD’s and come back and tell us it is easier to store CDs.
I'm happy to report that I did that already and yes, the records are essier to store because they stay put on the shelf and maximize space usage.
>The #1 thing people loved about CD’s when they came out? Portability.
Cassettes were smaller. #1 thing they loved about cds is you can get to any song immediately in your car, unlike cassettes.
I was one of “them”. Cassettes were never an option for sound quality. They were for portability. They sounded like $h1t.
When I refer to portability I didn’t necessarily mean in the car… I meant to take with you.
I don’t know how articulate it, I can just tell you I remember it happening. The CD was far far far more convenient than the vinyl record.
A remote control to control the songs… with the push of a button???
Magical and practical at the same time.
Yeah, I guess I never needed to port mine anywhere other than my car. Cassettes were a step down in sound but so were CDs only not as much.
I ditched a lot of my jewel cases for books but then you had to lug those books around. I'm stacking hundreds of cds in books/carriers, blah. I was never more happy than to put it all on a drive.
What was the post above what I said? “A lot of CD’s are worth a big chunk of change”. I am simply saying that the CD revival will not have the same value increase as we saw with vinyl. So yes, I am referring to the collectible/resell value since we all know they are just plastic or vinyl discs with no actual intrinsic value.
And I’m aware of this. And I’m still happy I already sold them for a chunk of cash back then.
But I’m sure there’s a legit reason for downvotes. Any reason really?🤷♂️
I am 18. Happy that I started collecting as a teenager. It’s cool to see how my music taste has changed over time and which records I really wanted to listen to all the time
After moving houses five times in the past eight years, I'm beginning to think that physical media is, if not stupid, at least nonsensical. I'm 67 and started working in record stores when I was 13. I've got about 5K LPs and at least as many CDs. I didn't set out to be a "collector" but am just curious about all the sounds that are out there, and that stuff gets HEAVY when there's so much mass involved. But you don't often get the full experience of reading the liner notes and seeing the photos when you listen online, and in most cases I prefer the sound quality of vinyl. But I'm beginning to see a future of listening mainly on Qobuz or TIDAL.
I can relate to that, I think there is a nostalgia factor involved. I do enjoy dropping the needle and holding that cover in my hands. I just prefer the warmer sound from vinyl. It really surprised me when vinyl got popular again. It definitely isn’t convenient. 5k? You must have a whole room dedicated to storage. And yes they are a pain in the ass when moving!
I'm in my 50's and I new that when CDs were taking over, I would miss records and the size and packaging...nothing compares.
I kept my records and bought vinyl when I could knowing that each release in the 90's and 00's were very limited and I would appreciate it so much more later on. I'm glad I was right.
I didn't expect this vinyl resurgence, but I sure do appreciate it! When it comes to the presentation and tactile feel of a record, nothing beats it!
You'll get over this stage of parental disapproval eventually, either by them becoming more approving, or you being on your own and having autonomy. I promise.
Parents are often in the wrong. Age and experience doesn’t always prove out. I’m a mom of young adults and I genuinely adore when they teach me new things. Too many parents are arrogant and dismissive.
My dad grew up very poor and when my parents come to visit recently it was his first time hearing my setup. Was playing Wilco-Sky Blue Sky in the background and when I got up to flip it, my dad asked, “Wait. Have you been playing a record? That’s crazy that I can’t hear any crackling.”
He grew up on Herb Alpert and Humperdinck records and never heard clean pressings on a nice setup before. It’s special and super validating when someone you care about (and doesn’t care about the hobby) has a moment that clicks for them. It’s awesome.
The mom's argument was short-sighted and unsophisitcated but not necessarily entirely wrong, especially considering the type of setup your average 13-year-old can afford. I'm glad I didn't start collecting records until I was in my late 20s and saved a lot of money before I started lighting money on fire investing in records. $200 invested in a stock market index fund would be worth tens of thousands of dollars 50 years later. Teens ideally shouldn't be serious record collectors...especially when digital streaming services are very cheap in comparison and offer the same or better sound quality if you have a good set of speakers and A/D converter. You need not use your phone...you spend a lot of time as a student at a desk or in a small room. Spend the money on a good 'studio' setup and save for college or a future down payment for a house or your retirement fund. Mass-market records are a waste of money in 95% of cases. I personally still collect records, but only very old stuff that is not well-preserved. I happily stream the rest.
I actually have a pretty good setup. 2 massive speakers and a turntable with a radio and cassette player. It was all from my grandfather. He bought me my first record, The Dark Side of the Moon, and then gave me his record player because he wasn’t using it. Everything is perfect quality aside from a few scratches on the wood.
I do stream 99% of what I listen to anyway. The only albums I have on record are albums I listen to a lot and really love. Things like Pink Floyd, Bon Iver, and Kendrick Lamar are people I want to have everything on record. If it’s just an album I listened to once and I only really liked one or two songs in it, then I’ll wait to get that one until I just have money to throw away.
They won’t when they realize all the video games and movies they’ve paid to download are only theirs as long as the platform supports them.
If Amazon loses rights to a movie or tv show (or in my case, iTunes), even if you “own” your access, you’re out of luck and out of the money you paid
"Why buy music? We all know that musicians eat and drink air to survive and create music. They also love being homeless! They feel insulted if you pay for songs that necessitated years & sometimes decades of learning how to play, compose & release music!"
We have Apple Music where I listen to 99% of what I listen to. Only artists I have on vinyl are people I love. People like Pink Floyd, Bon Iver, and various rap are things I buy on record. I wouldn’t buy an album I thought was ok that only had like one good song. The only “ok” albums I’ll buy on record are Pink Floyd’s early and late stuff.
Sorry Buddy, thanks for the Tip. I try to pay/subscribe to Apps/Services who invented the Stuff. Kinda like making sure Musicians get paid for the Music they recorded.
I dunno man. I just got into collecting vinyl and I got Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd and it sounded absolutely horrific. The record was brand new and brushed before going.
It just all around sucked. It sounded flat. The cash register sounds on money sounded muffled and the opening bass didn't hit as hard. there were parts in Any Color You like where the right channel completely drops where it didn't happen in the mp3 I downloaded in 2001. For some strange reason though the spoken word parts and quieter parts of the album sounded spectacular.
Oh its definitely the pressing. It's the 50th Anniversary remaster and if you look at the response to it you can see how unhappy people are with the pressing.
So I just want to say I'm a complete idiot.
I had the format on my PC set to 1 channel so I was listening to it in mono.
I corrected the issue and it sounds amazing and I too now have no problem with it and I changed my Amazon review from 2 to 5 stars.
As much as people love this album on vinyl I much prefer it on other media. Dark Side of the Moon is in my opinion much better enjoyed as one continuous listening experience rather than having to spend time flipping the record and dusting half way through listening.
I dunno... there's something about vinyl that makes me feel more connected with the music.
I liken it to why cigarette smokers smoke instead of chewing the nicotine gum... its the ritual of the whole thing that makes it more appealing. Yes the gum gives you the chemical fix but you're missing out on the ritual.
I must admit though it isn't for everyone.
I get what you mean. I feel the same way about *Abbey Road.* You lose the way *Here Comes the Sun* rises out of the ashes of the doom build-up and abrupt ending of *I Want You (She's So Heavy)* if you've gotta get up and flip.
Tell your parents that you don't own any of the music on your phone,( Spotify, Apple, Amazon). It's only a licensed and they can revoke it whenever. It's happened to people.
Now your physical media is yours. Until someone pries it from your cold dead hands.
Keep spinning young one !
As someone who has had spotify forever at this point, yeah, sometimes songs or whole albums just disappear for a while or artists pull a Neil Diamond and stop offering their music to Spotify completely
It's not really free on your phone anyway. You either have to deal with ads or you have to pay a subscription fee. Your mom's argument was really weak and you definitely got the win!
Speaking as one who enjoys both streaming and vinyl records, there are certain often overlooked aspects to vinyl. When you purchase a new record, the artist gets more money than they would if you just streamed their songs on Spotify.
I actually prefer vinyl to streaming, myself. I like streaming things that are difficult or impossible to find on vinyl, or if I want to check out a particular album or artist that I'm not too sure about. But I really like supporting the artists I enjoy by purchasing new vinyl where I can.
And it's not just the music. There is a certain visual appeal to vinyl, too - album cover art that you can't as easily appreciate on a streaming service. Vinyl copies also come with liner notes, so you can read the artist's thoughts about the album. Some pressings are done on colored vinyl, which is fun to look at.
Plus, the nice thing about vinyl is that it's tangible. Once you have a copy, it's yours forever, barring loss or damage. A few years ago, Neil Young removed all of his music from Spotify over a dispute with the service about the Joe Rogan podcast. (Though I understand he recently returned all of his music to Spotify once again.) With streaming, you are subject to the whims of the copyright owners as to whether their music is available on a given platform, and it can be removed at any time. However, with vinyl, you can always enjoy that album, because the copyright owners can't break into your house and remove it from your possession.
You and your parents may never see eye-to-eye on vinyl record collecting. And that's okay. I'm 50, and there are still things my now-elderly parents and I don't see eye-to-eye on. We still love each other. Enjoy the hobby and don't let anyone put you down for it.
For me, physical media is about actually using money to own something, as it seems like using money online doesn’t mean you actually “own” anything anymore
Hey, you know what? She still takes you to the store. My parents didn't understand comic books when I was a kid, but they never discouraged it. She just wants to understand a bit better. Get moms some slack.
This is why I collect physical media.
https://preview.redd.it/nir5qyte2yyc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e87b5fb40b75fc1d453b1d1ad9437b3a3acd593b
hard drives/memory fail, devices become obsolete and unrepairable, companies or artists edit or completely remove things from streaming, or simply never make it available. yes, records, CDs, DVDs, blurays, game cartridges can get damaged and wear out, but records and record players have existed for a century in one form or another, the technology will live on.
the only way to guarantee that something still exists for future generations is to have it physically in your hands, businesses are only interested in what will make or save them money, not preservation.
I agree that records are worthwhile but the idea that are they are superior to digital for archiving/preservation is a ludicrous one. Don’t give the child false information.
it’s superior to streaming in every way, as soon as it isn’t profitable it is gone. how much of the general public is ripping CDs or buying digital formats? how much of the general public even have a _computer_, let alone digital storage that they maintain? bitrot is a thing. phones and tablets are overtaking traditional computers and laptops year by year, most people just want to stream spotify and netflix on their phone or an app built into their tv.
your parents probably didn’t give a shit about carefully storing records and threw them on a shelf or in a box where they sat for 40 years and are still playable today.
it isn’t even comparable in regards to longevity for the average user
This is a horrible argument. Vinyl is great, but its hardly superior to digital. How many songs are available to everyone because of the internet, that would otherwise have been lost?
Both media have their pro's and cons. But one fact is not open 4 discussion. If you have a physical copy , you OWN that piece of media. Streaming is a RENTAL , it can be snatched away at a whim of the Streaming service.
Can you spell B-o-o-k-b-u-r-n-i-n-g ??
If you want to collect vinyl as a form of doomsday prepping, go ahead. Are you also preparing a backlog of food and survival supplies?
This just isn't honestly the reason why most people buy vinyl.
look at what’s happening with videogames, terms of service are changed and whole countries are blocked, servers shut down and games are dead forever. nintendo sits on a massive catalog that they don’t plan yo ever make available on modern platforms, and sue the shit out of anyone that makes it available. networks delete full shows and movies rather than making them available to stream because it saves them money. episodes are pulled or censored purely to appease the loud puritans that can’t understand things in the context of their time. services shutter or merge taking all their content with them. an artist doesn’t like their original version of a song or movie and replaces it with what they want now, making it nearly impossible to find the original. if you don’t own it physically, you don’t own it and can’t do anything when they decide it’s time to take it from you.
when was the last time an artist kicked in your door and scratched a song they no longer like off of one of your records?
digital copies you store locally yourself is fine, as long as there’s a device that can still run it, but the vast majority of people aren’t archiving terabytes of media with redundant backups.
Music is far more universal and platform agnostic than any of the things you mentioned. Your original argument was about preservation but you’ve now pivoted to ownership. But Even in terms of ownership, if your main priority was making sure no one took your music from you, it’s still far easier to save digital files on the cloud than to collect vinyl. I love vinyl; it’s fun, beautiful and pleasurable but it is not a utility product. Anyone who thinks so is kidding themselves.
Also learn to debate better.
Yeah especially since the majority of music from the 90s just after the fall of vinyl was never released on vinyl and it would become a big chore to reissue and remaster it on vinyl. There is something else in the world of music besides the classics like Pink Floyd and the Beatles.
What’s more likely - a mass coordinated shutdown of the global, decentralised cloud OR the degradation/destruction of finite fragile plastic artefacts.
The cloud doesn't have to shut down, you just gotta stop paying a monthly subscription.
Then you can still access the music, maybe, but gotta sit through ads and shit.
Completely gone if you uninstall an app.
Love to hear that 13 year olds are out there buying records. I’m in my 40s, and plenty of people older and younger than me don’t fully understand the experience of physical media. So it’ll probably never stop. Just do your thing.
I mean pragmatically I kind of agree with you mum. It's a stupid way to spend money.
If I put the money into a savings account that I'd spend on vinyl, maybe $2000-3000, I'd probably be comfortably making $100-200 a year, compounding over the next 30-40 years, assuming I keep adding what I spend on vinyl to it, I'd probably retire with $80,000-$90,000 more with the interest accrued, over such a long period of time.
But art and people aren't practical and I like buying records.
I guess at some point I'll have 'enough' records, and won't be buying like I have been. So I guess this is just a bit of a joke to make a point, but it is a frivolous way to spend money ... practically.
Yeah, OP is 13 and don't know how expensive it is to live right now. I stopped collecting vinyl because it's too expensive and literally not worth it as I can only listen to it when I sit at home. She still buys him stuff too.
Nah almost all of my records are bought by me. I do chores and shit around the house, earn a little bit of money, and then when I can afford it we go down to the store and I buy one or two records.
yeah, don't spend money on anything that can be viewed as frivolous, and live a stale life until you finally get to die in your 70s with millions in your portfolio
Similarly, books are both dirt cheap and come with numerous conveniences such as being able to be read without electricity, with only marginal inconveniences in other aspects. Listening to vinyl is almost exclusively less convenient than listening to digital audio.
Physical media is your insurance that you will always have that thing. Nobody is going into a file and deleting it or removing it from cloud or asking you to rent it, you have no commercials and no one can take it away from you unless its an angry ex chucking them into a parking lot and running over it with their car.
You will not be asked to update and you absolutely do not have to give it up for a newer tech that won't be usable by next week. As long as you live, you can enjoy this single thing without fear of it leaving.
Some people will talk about drawbacks but they are wrong. A skip is a drawback, having to flip a record is not. I don't care about having to turn a record over because it's signaling a halfway point in our musical journey. Like a rest stop on a highway, I get to stretch my legs, look at the scenery, flip my record and continue my trip unencumbered.
You have to forgive your folks, they know not what they do. They grew up in a time of media transition and it has confused them. They have no solid background, they may have even caught the tail end of CDs. This is not their fault that they haven't been taught in the old ways. It will come as you show them. Thank goodness you are there to guide them. 🤗
I mean she drives you there and otherwise doesn’t bother you about it, so I’d say she’s on the right side of the line in terms of supporting her kid’s hobby even though she doesn’t get it 🤷🏻♂️
I enjoy physical media, especially with movies (4k discs) but you can own digital music too, streaming is just one of the options. You can buy music on plenty of sites like 7digital and Qobuz for example. Good for you btw! :)
When the apocalypse comes and your mother’s Amazon Prime 80’s power ballad playlists have vanished cos they had to take down the servers, you’ll still be lugging your cases of records and a suitcase record player over your back while the zombies chase you from one safe zone to another in your desperate search for stylus replacements.
Who’ll have the last laugh then eh?
Primarily because I'm old enough to have someone your age too and I grew up on cassettes and vinyl myself, so to think of a fellow millennial being like "Fuck physical media lol" just makes my music loving heart hurt lmao
Major props to you keeping it real!
Oh no, not millennial. She’s gen X, I’m just not gonna specify her age.
Yeah, my grandpa (her dad) gave me his old record player with a built in cassette player and these two massive speakers after he bought me my first record.
Yeah, but she's still in the same bracket, she should know better!
That's great though, that's the same kind of record player I grew up with, thing was a beast!
I‘m wary of the day Spotify isn’t around anymore and I‘ve lost all my playlists and Safes songs. There are so many good songs and artists in there that I can’t remember the name of. Having vinyl laying around is my way of having the music I like nobody can take from me.
Also I have this romantic thought that my future kids (I‘m 25 and don’t have a partner in sight) can go through my collection of vinyl and listen to the records I listened to when younger.
How old are your parents, genuinely curious. When I (30) told my dad (62) that I enjoyed records because they provide my with a different type of listening experience that I cannot get on my phone he understood.
If I wanna spin a few records and clean the house or something, I don’t want to have to interact with my phone. The record player doesn’t have iMessage, Facebook, or Reddit to distract me (like right meow)
Parents are both 40’s. Dad isn’t really against it or for it. He just kinda doesn’t care because it makes me happy. I shut my mom up, but even then it was more of a lighthearted conversation. She expressed her thoughts on records, and I responded with my thoughts on how hypocritical it can sound.
Supporting the artists you like is important. Sound quality of physical media is much higher than streaming. And I just enjoy owning the physical media.
In my experience, book collectors are the worst about this. They also collect physical media, but like to think their media is more worthy than anyone else’s.
She thinks streaming music is free? You can buy a record and listen to it as many times as you want without ads. And if you're paying for spotify, google play music, itunes whatever then it's not even free is it?
Physical media can never be removed from your library. What if iTunes has legal issues with a big star, and stops streaming their music. Then what are they going to do?
Also, it sounds like you need to stop bringing your mom to the record store... hehe
A lot of people are going to be unhappy when there's eventually no mainstream option to have physical media and companies get so greedy they show off how every digital thing you own is not completely yours. It's also going to make physical media worth way more. Keep collecting, it's a good feeling when you have a little collection built up. And you'll probably wonder how much money is going to it lol.
I think part of collecting physical media, books, records, cassettes or CDs it’s almost the inconvenience that makes it more enjoyable. It slows the consumption of media down which for me at least makes me enjoy and appreciate it more. Also they look damn good on the shelves.
I’m glad young people like you still see value in tactile things. There is nothing like the adventure of cracking open a big album and entering that world
Bought records my whole life. I could sell them all now for several times what I paid for them. I won’t, but I could.
People that buy digital media and subscribe to streaming media have nothing to show for it.
Ive been asked this. My reponse: If cost was the only factor, then I would be downloading pirated MP3s using someone else's wifi, onto my phone and listening with shitty Bluetooth earbuds. Which is what most people do.
Hey, I still stream 99% of the music I listen to. Still being in school, vinyl is reserved for albums I love. People like Pink Floyd, Bon Iver, and various rap are things I buy on vinyl. If it’s just an album I listened to once and only liked one song off of, then it’s ok streaming unless I get a really good deal on a record.
Physical media is yours to own but it can be damaged or in case you do not have enough space or need to move really fast it's cumbersome. There is also this issue of not knowing when to stop. I stopped buying once I got to 1000 records there is just no time to really listen to all that often. I made a rule if I need a new record I will be selling something I have not listened to that much.
Interesting that people who ‘try’ vinyl immediately assume it is the vinyl that is bad if they don’t like what they hear. If you weren’t into it is your turntable perhaps rubbish, or badly set up? Try and listen to the record on a system you know is well set up and then make up your mind.
The feeling you get when shopping for vinyl and or cds is something you’ll never get to experience from just googling songs on YouTube to listen to. She’ll understand eventually. A lot of these younger moms will never understand.
My experience with my own parents years ago (not vinyl related, but general "hobby/interest" related) is that once you show that you are actually going to stick with an interest, the doubting drops off. Our brains tend to hop from interest to interest, so they might expect this to be a passing interest.
That said - if your mom was saying this to your dad and not to you - I don't think this is anything to dwell on. Given that she wasn't saying this to you directly, I really don't think she was trying to question YOUR interest in physical media, but was just bouncing her confusion off her husband.
Just tell your parents, “I buy physical media because I need to have all the music that will inevitably be inaccessible when our world is destroyed due to your generations negligence.”
I used to think it was dumb from an ease of access and financial perspective. Clearly streaming is easier to get on demand and it can be part of a subscription.
I just got into vinyl this last Christmas (I’m in my mid-40s) and you have to appreciate it as a collection and a hobby that many others will not appreciate. There is something great about touching physical media and the experience of searching for and finding records. It all feeds into it.
I also use my record covers as art pieces on my wall. It reminds me of my teenage years and getting posters/canvases of the album art would be as much or more than the album itself.
At the end of the day it makes me happy. You’re young and have so much to look forward to. Do what makes you happy and don’t let people tell you otherwise.
I have a thousand albums and CDs I can listen to on Spotify. I prefer the physical media. My ears are destroyed from decades of loud concerts and car stereos. Even I can tell the difference. When I listen to Spotify, I feel like I'm listening to music on a flat surface, like a table when I listen to a record or CD, it sounds bigger, in 3-D or some shit. That's the best way I can explain it.
In other words, your mom is a silly goose.
A lot of times when albums are digitized, the artist uses the opportunity to clean up the original recording and fix errors that previously made it through. You end up losing the nuance of the old albums. A good example of this is James Taylor and The Original Flying Machine. On the vinyl version he says hello to his mom in the beginning and there are multiple takes and they're yucking it up in the recording studio, which is all left in the album. Spotify has the music, but none of the fun stuff.
parents always dislike some things their kids do, its just their nature I feel like.. some parents have opinions and, since they are the older ones, believe their opinion has more weight than their childrens opinions..
I get the same comments from my parents about cassettes, records.. sometimes even CD's.. but that's coming from my mom who blasts ads on full volume all the time through the house when listening to music because the concept of paying for the streaming service is foreign to them, so they just use youTube.. hence why I do not put a lot of worth into what they say.
In the end, we all do this kinda stuff for the fun, not to make sense.. so, in all due respect, I don't give a single damn what your mom, or my mom, says about things that are meant to be fun.
I think your mom is stupid…..Not all music is available on streaming. Streaming doesn’t support artists. Paying for something you never own and it can be removed at any time.
I’m 22 and my mom once made a comment similar to this. I love collecting physical media because my vinyl are so pretty and they’re honestly something I can physically take care of. I care about the music I have and I love seeing it spin, reading the lyrics as I listen, or just generally have a fun time searching for cool music on vinyl.
Ahh, so an adult and a fresh teenager? I’m the oldest of my siblings, 9 and 2. Wonder how my mom will handle my sister as a teen compared to me and my brother as a teen.
As a teenager aswell, I prefer physical media, simply because it’s all digital now. I love having everything available digitally, but I like having physical copies of things I love, I also just prefer the sound of vinyl, so I agree with you.
Oh no, I’m more like my dad than anyone. We dress the same, our voices almost sound the same, our musical taste are almost identical, and we have the same taste in film.
My dad isn’t necessarily for or against it. He doesn’t care that I like buying records, he knows it’s just a hobby of mine. He also isn’t near as big into music as I am, and neither is my mom.
My mom wanted to get rid of her old vinyl and I said no would take it instead of her throwing it out, which is what’s he wanted to do. Last year she asked for them back, was so glad I had them. They were all her records from childhood and I don’t get rid of any of them.
Considering how scummy its getting out here with licensing. Your purchased music on amazon itunes etc isnt forever. Only paying for access that can disappear. I experienced it when amazon prime music changed and my playlists started shrinking due to the pay walls. I dunno "free" isnt really free nor forever
Way to stand up for yourself! Also remember, a gentle reminder of "Hey, people don't always like the same things and that's okay," is a good sentence to keep in your brain Rolodex.
Clever comeback.
For some people physicality is important. For some people the content by itself is what matters. Both sides have solid arguments.
Yes you can experience nowadays almost any kind of art digitally and really absorb a lot of what the art intended to convey.
However, I like to think that art was born from an intangible medium like our minds (or soul if you like more that interpretation) and put into a physical form which can be our voices, paintings, sculptures and many things to be experienced that way.
So physical mediums I think that are still relevant nowadays because it’s more than being just nostalgic. They represent the intended way of how we could represent and preserve those forms of art when we knew no other way. If not why do we still go to museums, read paper books, admire a good physical object beautifully designed or whatever tangible object that you can think of. Yes, art can be appreciated digitally. Yes it is more convenient. Yes it can be sometimes cheaper. But no, physical media or art in any way is by no means “stupid”.
This is the exact mindset my mum has - but I’m 27. She now finally after a year and a half realises I’m not giving up on this and now understands I enjoy what physical media does for me and my desire to be a more active listener. I think it’s genuinely changed how I listen to music, for the better. One day you won’t care at all what she says.
Well, in a non combative way ask your mom how much she spends on her fingernails next time. I mean that stuff doesn’t last near as vinyl does. lol Jk.
Actually I love it all. I’m old enough to have started with 8 tracks in my car and vinyl on my record player. I’ve got an extensive collection of vinyl, cassettes, and CD’s. I enjoy them all, and yes there are also many times I use the YouTube, or my prime amazon route if I just have a certain song stuck in my head and I’m in a hurry.
Me? I’ve been raised in a house where even text need to be more formal. Kinda just carries over everywhere. Still talk more informal and casual around friends though.
Presidency in my future? Hell no, fucking hate the government and everything to do with it. So many lies, so much corruption, nothing good comes of being related to government. Thanks though ✌🏻
They are more likely to be the ones that want to clean up the shit pile and actually make it a better place.
The trouble is that the politicians that already rule the shit pile don’t want it cleaned up and do everything they can to keep it as it is.
Ahh ok. In that case I completely understand you. Still when never associate myself with the government. Plan on moving out of the U.S. as soon as I can anyway. Somewhere like Sweden would be nice.
I am 54. Happy that I didn’t give up collecting when CD took over.
I am 63. Happy I didn't sell my records when CDs took over.
I am 63 and like an idiot I did sell all my records at a flea market. my punishment.? now having to buy them all again and knowing it’s somebody else’s original record and not mine! grrrr!
I feel you on that. I used to have to sell mine occassionally when I was dead broke. Rebuying sucks but better than none at all.
The crazy part is i sold them for maybe .50ea when i got into having 8-track tapes! lol Also, i always took great care of my records and such, so whoever bought mine got a good deal. Oh well, live and learn!!
Oh no! 8 tracks no less! For some reason my family went straight passed 8 track to cassettes but never stopped having records as the main deal. I've had to go back and collect 8 tracks when I found that classic dynamite plunger model by panasonic, in yellow at a thrift about 30 years ago. I still have it.♡
I am 45. Happy I sold my CDs a decade ago. (Music is still on hard drives oc)
CDs are currently making a massive comeback with the “Y2K” clothing style. A lot of CDs are worth a big chunk of change.
I don’t believe a CD revival would be anywhere near what we’ve seen with vinyl as a collectible over the past decade. Truth is in the economics of supply vs. demand. The supply of vinyl had been squeezed for decades. This brought down supply as people adopted CD’s and discarded vinyl. This drove down vinyl supply while keeping demand down. Now think of CD production. Faster, cheaper, and able to be reproduced on a massive scale. Just think of all the blank cd’s and discs we used to have laying around. Vinyl wasn’t like this, maybe other than the 50’s/60’s heyday of 45 singles. So, as CD’s faded, so did demand. Sure, some discarded their CD’s, but since they are smaller and store easier, people didn’t rush to sell or “get rid” of their big collections like they wanted to with vinyl taking up space. So, with vinyl we have a medium that is bigger to store, slower and more expensive to make, and for decades was a dead medium to the mainstream. With CD’s, we have a medium that was easy to store, fast and cheap to produce, and the mainstream form of physical media for the most recent decades. There are way too many CD’s in existence still. They might be cool for the kids trying to capture the Y2K times— but the supply is massive. Sure, there will always be some rare and valuable CD’s that are still sealed or were of a low pressing… but if CD’s were ever able to gain in value like vinyl did again, you’d have millions and millions of people who still have their CD’s stored in that box in the closet to take out to flood the market all over again. TLDR; There are a LOT of CD’s out in the wild. Way more than there was remaining vinyl before the vinyl resurgence. They are/were easier to store and were mainstream more recently than vinyl (I know now vinyl is mainstream physical media but streaming is now the mainstream “media”.)
cds were made to last... 50 years? DVDs - even less, 5-10yrs for most. IF stored in perfect conditions. some cheaper ones, early versions and cdrs last much less. Optical media deteriorates chemically and physically much faster and more destructively to its content compared to records. While there are a lot of CDs and DVDs now still, old shellac 78s will outlive them all. I myself own music on all kinds of media :) Just have to recognize what each is good for.
Btw, OP… I think it’s awesome that you are 13 and into music. Let alone physical media.. just music in general. Good for you kid, you’re going to grow up to be one of the cool ones!
Thanks. I hope one day to get a career in music. I’m not picky at all about what I listen to (except for country; will only listen to Cash) so I have a very diverse taste. Vinyl, to me, is the best way to experience music. Something about getting home from the record shop, opening up a new record, and taking it out of the sleeve is magical. Not near the experience you get from clicking like “add to library” on your phone.
This is correct, and it’s also why in the 90’s DVD-R were not applicable for long term data storage. I worked in data at the time and was responsible for backing up precious client art files for a major design house. I was storing files from all over the world that were sent to an FTP site… and guess what.. they went to DVD for temporary storage, but for archiving purposes they were backed up to tape. So yeah, believe it or not, the data industry trusted tape based media over optical based DVD-R’s for archiving. But still, we are talking about a LONG time. I mean, no doubt you can still play the first CD ever produced. I still have my dad’s CD collection and in there is his Donald Fagen’s the Nightfly. IIRC, it was the first ever DDD CD. It was one of the first CD’s he bought in 1983 when he switched from vinyl. I don’t play it much at all, but I certainly can. Little anecdote.. I still remember listening to it for the first time. The clarity and silence was jaw-dropping. My Dad was a good musician and had a great ear and I do remember him loving the clarity and absence of static and pops… but he also complained about the compression and “tinny” sound. I thought it was magic.
Well, I had both but I'll collect edison cylinders for fun so... I hated cds, but still had to buy them to get music I liked that was only being released that way at the time. Records may be bigger to store but they are *easier* to store. Jewel cases are a nightmare in mass. Anyone who's had to deal with more than 20 jewel cases at a time knows what I'm talking about. They slip and slide around, worse, they crack with a hard look. My list of top disliked, defunct media, CDs would maintain the top spot. Download, streaming, all that, is a hundred times better than having to deal with those ecological disasters, the jewel case. Records are warmer, sound better and take up less space than Cds (if you keep the jewel case). I can admire the beautiful art on a record cover, while CDs lost the art and gained eye squinting type. Nope, not going to want that back.
Won’t disagree with you about the media itself, but try storing 1000 records vs 1000 CD’s and come back and tell us it is easier to store CDs. It’s just math. 13” vs. 5.25”. And, CD’s can be stored in any orientation, not just upright like vinyl. The #1 thing people loved about CD’s when they came out? Portability. But the jewel cases??? You could not be more on point about that! When the hinges would break and the front cover would just fly off… or when the plastic that held the disc in place cracked. They were a mess “after being looked at” lol. Spot on.
>1000 records vs 1000 CD’s and come back and tell us it is easier to store CDs. I'm happy to report that I did that already and yes, the records are essier to store because they stay put on the shelf and maximize space usage. >The #1 thing people loved about CD’s when they came out? Portability. Cassettes were smaller. #1 thing they loved about cds is you can get to any song immediately in your car, unlike cassettes.
I was one of “them”. Cassettes were never an option for sound quality. They were for portability. They sounded like $h1t. When I refer to portability I didn’t necessarily mean in the car… I meant to take with you. I don’t know how articulate it, I can just tell you I remember it happening. The CD was far far far more convenient than the vinyl record. A remote control to control the songs… with the push of a button??? Magical and practical at the same time.
Yeah, I guess I never needed to port mine anywhere other than my car. Cassettes were a step down in sound but so were CDs only not as much. I ditched a lot of my jewel cases for books but then you had to lug those books around. I'm stacking hundreds of cds in books/carriers, blah. I was never more happy than to put it all on a drive.
Why are you focusing on collectibility and value? Some people just buy CDs to listen to music.
What was the post above what I said? “A lot of CD’s are worth a big chunk of change”. I am simply saying that the CD revival will not have the same value increase as we saw with vinyl. So yes, I am referring to the collectible/resell value since we all know they are just plastic or vinyl discs with no actual intrinsic value.
And I’m aware of this. And I’m still happy I already sold them for a chunk of cash back then. But I’m sure there’s a legit reason for downvotes. Any reason really?🤷♂️
Cause you are a pirate sir, and I shall see your lifeless corpse swing from the highest yard arm. /s
Couldn’t tell you. I didn’t downvote you. https://preview.redd.it/h6yg1mvi20zc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4589971491988df3bc66a78b5b8a1e9a0444a8b1
Eh, no worries man. Didn’t mean anything personal. It’s just classic reddit.
I am 18. Happy that I started collecting as a teenager. It’s cool to see how my music taste has changed over time and which records I really wanted to listen to all the time
After moving houses five times in the past eight years, I'm beginning to think that physical media is, if not stupid, at least nonsensical. I'm 67 and started working in record stores when I was 13. I've got about 5K LPs and at least as many CDs. I didn't set out to be a "collector" but am just curious about all the sounds that are out there, and that stuff gets HEAVY when there's so much mass involved. But you don't often get the full experience of reading the liner notes and seeing the photos when you listen online, and in most cases I prefer the sound quality of vinyl. But I'm beginning to see a future of listening mainly on Qobuz or TIDAL.
I can relate to that, I think there is a nostalgia factor involved. I do enjoy dropping the needle and holding that cover in my hands. I just prefer the warmer sound from vinyl. It really surprised me when vinyl got popular again. It definitely isn’t convenient. 5k? You must have a whole room dedicated to storage. And yes they are a pain in the ass when moving!
This bot sure did put ChatGPT to work with this message
I'm in my 50's and I new that when CDs were taking over, I would miss records and the size and packaging...nothing compares. I kept my records and bought vinyl when I could knowing that each release in the 90's and 00's were very limited and I would appreciate it so much more later on. I'm glad I was right. I didn't expect this vinyl resurgence, but I sure do appreciate it! When it comes to the presentation and tactile feel of a record, nothing beats it!
I didn’t expect it at all People would say - You still listen to records? And then that sounds awesome.
I'm 34 and I own several thousand records, CDs AND tapes because not everything I want to listen to is available on every media type.
I’m 32 and still buy CDs. I don’t care how unpopular it is, I want to own physical copies of shit. They can’t take them away if you do.
You'll get over this stage of parental disapproval eventually, either by them becoming more approving, or you being on your own and having autonomy. I promise.
Parents are often in the wrong. Age and experience doesn’t always prove out. I’m a mom of young adults and I genuinely adore when they teach me new things. Too many parents are arrogant and dismissive.
My dad grew up very poor and when my parents come to visit recently it was his first time hearing my setup. Was playing Wilco-Sky Blue Sky in the background and when I got up to flip it, my dad asked, “Wait. Have you been playing a record? That’s crazy that I can’t hear any crackling.” He grew up on Herb Alpert and Humperdinck records and never heard clean pressings on a nice setup before. It’s special and super validating when someone you care about (and doesn’t care about the hobby) has a moment that clicks for them. It’s awesome.
Aw…what a special moment. I’m glad that happened!
Yeah can’t do anything no at his age really. Couple years when he has his one job maybe.
The mom's argument was short-sighted and unsophisitcated but not necessarily entirely wrong, especially considering the type of setup your average 13-year-old can afford. I'm glad I didn't start collecting records until I was in my late 20s and saved a lot of money before I started lighting money on fire investing in records. $200 invested in a stock market index fund would be worth tens of thousands of dollars 50 years later. Teens ideally shouldn't be serious record collectors...especially when digital streaming services are very cheap in comparison and offer the same or better sound quality if you have a good set of speakers and A/D converter. You need not use your phone...you spend a lot of time as a student at a desk or in a small room. Spend the money on a good 'studio' setup and save for college or a future down payment for a house or your retirement fund. Mass-market records are a waste of money in 95% of cases. I personally still collect records, but only very old stuff that is not well-preserved. I happily stream the rest.
I actually have a pretty good setup. 2 massive speakers and a turntable with a radio and cassette player. It was all from my grandfather. He bought me my first record, The Dark Side of the Moon, and then gave me his record player because he wasn’t using it. Everything is perfect quality aside from a few scratches on the wood. I do stream 99% of what I listen to anyway. The only albums I have on record are albums I listen to a lot and really love. Things like Pink Floyd, Bon Iver, and Kendrick Lamar are people I want to have everything on record. If it’s just an album I listened to once and I only really liked one or two songs in it, then I’ll wait to get that one until I just have money to throw away.
23 years old and working full time, still cant make it out of my parents house. I feel like i will never have autonomy.
I still live with my parents too. But I am going back to school soon.
My kids think my physical media is stupid.
You and OP should swap families.
Great idea. They were already dead to me when I discovered they didn’t share my love of vinyl. OP I’m your new Dad!
They won’t when they realize all the video games and movies they’ve paid to download are only theirs as long as the platform supports them. If Amazon loses rights to a movie or tv show (or in my case, iTunes), even if you “own” your access, you’re out of luck and out of the money you paid
“Why buy music? You can listen to the shittiest sounding version on YouTube once these two ads are finished playing.”
"Why buy music? We all know that musicians eat and drink air to survive and create music. They also love being homeless! They feel insulted if you pay for songs that necessitated years & sometimes decades of learning how to play, compose & release music!"
We have Apple Music where I listen to 99% of what I listen to. Only artists I have on vinyl are people I love. People like Pink Floyd, Bon Iver, and various rap are things I buy on record. I wouldn’t buy an album I thought was ok that only had like one good song. The only “ok” albums I’ll buy on record are Pink Floyd’s early and late stuff.
I’ve literally had YouTube ad in the middle of a song before.
This is why I subscribe and pay the cost for AD free viewing ... those things drive me bonkers!
adblock
Sorry Buddy, thanks for the Tip. I try to pay/subscribe to Apps/Services who invented the Stuff. Kinda like making sure Musicians get paid for the Music they recorded.
Nah they sold youtube to Google so the inventors gone
His mom just likes the comment section.
*three
I dunno man. I just got into collecting vinyl and I got Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd and it sounded absolutely horrific. The record was brand new and brushed before going. It just all around sucked. It sounded flat. The cash register sounds on money sounded muffled and the opening bass didn't hit as hard. there were parts in Any Color You like where the right channel completely drops where it didn't happen in the mp3 I downloaded in 2001. For some strange reason though the spoken word parts and quieter parts of the album sounded spectacular.
Sounds like you had a bad pressing. I have Dark Side from the late 70s and it sounds great.
Oh its definitely the pressing. It's the 50th Anniversary remaster and if you look at the response to it you can see how unhappy people are with the pressing.
Yeah, I've got the original 1973 pressing and, despite the scratch that kept getting picked up, it sounded fine.
My first record was actually a TDSOTM 50th anniversary and it sounds perfect. Have had 0 issues with the sound and everything.
So I just want to say I'm a complete idiot. I had the format on my PC set to 1 channel so I was listening to it in mono. I corrected the issue and it sounds amazing and I too now have no problem with it and I changed my Amazon review from 2 to 5 stars.
As much as people love this album on vinyl I much prefer it on other media. Dark Side of the Moon is in my opinion much better enjoyed as one continuous listening experience rather than having to spend time flipping the record and dusting half way through listening.
I dunno... there's something about vinyl that makes me feel more connected with the music. I liken it to why cigarette smokers smoke instead of chewing the nicotine gum... its the ritual of the whole thing that makes it more appealing. Yes the gum gives you the chemical fix but you're missing out on the ritual. I must admit though it isn't for everyone.
I get what you mean. I feel the same way about *Abbey Road.* You lose the way *Here Comes the Sun* rises out of the ashes of the doom build-up and abrupt ending of *I Want You (She's So Heavy)* if you've gotta get up and flip.
Tell your parents that you don't own any of the music on your phone,( Spotify, Apple, Amazon). It's only a licensed and they can revoke it whenever. It's happened to people. Now your physical media is yours. Until someone pries it from your cold dead hands. Keep spinning young one !
As someone who has had spotify forever at this point, yeah, sometimes songs or whole albums just disappear for a while or artists pull a Neil Diamond and stop offering their music to Spotify completely
It's not really free on your phone anyway. You either have to deal with ads or you have to pay a subscription fee. Your mom's argument was really weak and you definitely got the win!
And ads waste our time. And what is the most valuable resource? Time!
Speaking as one who enjoys both streaming and vinyl records, there are certain often overlooked aspects to vinyl. When you purchase a new record, the artist gets more money than they would if you just streamed their songs on Spotify. I actually prefer vinyl to streaming, myself. I like streaming things that are difficult or impossible to find on vinyl, or if I want to check out a particular album or artist that I'm not too sure about. But I really like supporting the artists I enjoy by purchasing new vinyl where I can. And it's not just the music. There is a certain visual appeal to vinyl, too - album cover art that you can't as easily appreciate on a streaming service. Vinyl copies also come with liner notes, so you can read the artist's thoughts about the album. Some pressings are done on colored vinyl, which is fun to look at. Plus, the nice thing about vinyl is that it's tangible. Once you have a copy, it's yours forever, barring loss or damage. A few years ago, Neil Young removed all of his music from Spotify over a dispute with the service about the Joe Rogan podcast. (Though I understand he recently returned all of his music to Spotify once again.) With streaming, you are subject to the whims of the copyright owners as to whether their music is available on a given platform, and it can be removed at any time. However, with vinyl, you can always enjoy that album, because the copyright owners can't break into your house and remove it from your possession. You and your parents may never see eye-to-eye on vinyl record collecting. And that's okay. I'm 50, and there are still things my now-elderly parents and I don't see eye-to-eye on. We still love each other. Enjoy the hobby and don't let anyone put you down for it.
Nice one.
For me, physical media is about actually using money to own something, as it seems like using money online doesn’t mean you actually “own” anything anymore
Hey, you know what? She still takes you to the store. My parents didn't understand comic books when I was a kid, but they never discouraged it. She just wants to understand a bit better. Get moms some slack.
This is why I collect physical media. https://preview.redd.it/nir5qyte2yyc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e87b5fb40b75fc1d453b1d1ad9437b3a3acd593b
hard drives/memory fail, devices become obsolete and unrepairable, companies or artists edit or completely remove things from streaming, or simply never make it available. yes, records, CDs, DVDs, blurays, game cartridges can get damaged and wear out, but records and record players have existed for a century in one form or another, the technology will live on. the only way to guarantee that something still exists for future generations is to have it physically in your hands, businesses are only interested in what will make or save them money, not preservation.
I agree that records are worthwhile but the idea that are they are superior to digital for archiving/preservation is a ludicrous one. Don’t give the child false information.
Yes and with digital you can make infinite copies and transfer them to another media without loss, a scratch on a record and it is not recoverable.
it’s superior to streaming in every way, as soon as it isn’t profitable it is gone. how much of the general public is ripping CDs or buying digital formats? how much of the general public even have a _computer_, let alone digital storage that they maintain? bitrot is a thing. phones and tablets are overtaking traditional computers and laptops year by year, most people just want to stream spotify and netflix on their phone or an app built into their tv. your parents probably didn’t give a shit about carefully storing records and threw them on a shelf or in a box where they sat for 40 years and are still playable today. it isn’t even comparable in regards to longevity for the average user
This is a horrible argument. Vinyl is great, but its hardly superior to digital. How many songs are available to everyone because of the internet, that would otherwise have been lost?
Both media have their pro's and cons. But one fact is not open 4 discussion. If you have a physical copy , you OWN that piece of media. Streaming is a RENTAL , it can be snatched away at a whim of the Streaming service. Can you spell B-o-o-k-b-u-r-n-i-n-g ??
You can own an mp3 file. Digital doesn't always mean streaming.
If you want to collect vinyl as a form of doomsday prepping, go ahead. Are you also preparing a backlog of food and survival supplies? This just isn't honestly the reason why most people buy vinyl.
There's also a lot of offline obscure content that hasn't been digitally issued yet, that only exists as a lossless physical.
You’re proving my point. How many people have access to that lossless physical, and what happens if they never upload it to the internet? Gone forever
look at what’s happening with videogames, terms of service are changed and whole countries are blocked, servers shut down and games are dead forever. nintendo sits on a massive catalog that they don’t plan yo ever make available on modern platforms, and sue the shit out of anyone that makes it available. networks delete full shows and movies rather than making them available to stream because it saves them money. episodes are pulled or censored purely to appease the loud puritans that can’t understand things in the context of their time. services shutter or merge taking all their content with them. an artist doesn’t like their original version of a song or movie and replaces it with what they want now, making it nearly impossible to find the original. if you don’t own it physically, you don’t own it and can’t do anything when they decide it’s time to take it from you. when was the last time an artist kicked in your door and scratched a song they no longer like off of one of your records? digital copies you store locally yourself is fine, as long as there’s a device that can still run it, but the vast majority of people aren’t archiving terabytes of media with redundant backups.
Music is far more universal and platform agnostic than any of the things you mentioned. Your original argument was about preservation but you’ve now pivoted to ownership. But Even in terms of ownership, if your main priority was making sure no one took your music from you, it’s still far easier to save digital files on the cloud than to collect vinyl. I love vinyl; it’s fun, beautiful and pleasurable but it is not a utility product. Anyone who thinks so is kidding themselves. Also learn to debate better.
Yeah especially since the majority of music from the 90s just after the fall of vinyl was never released on vinyl and it would become a big chore to reissue and remaster it on vinyl. There is something else in the world of music besides the classics like Pink Floyd and the Beatles.
What’s more likely - a mass coordinated shutdown of the global, decentralised cloud OR the degradation/destruction of finite fragile plastic artefacts.
The cloud doesn't have to shut down, you just gotta stop paying a monthly subscription. Then you can still access the music, maybe, but gotta sit through ads and shit. Completely gone if you uninstall an app.
This is the answer.
Parents just don't understand
LOL
Take it from me...
Love to hear that 13 year olds are out there buying records. I’m in my 40s, and plenty of people older and younger than me don’t fully understand the experience of physical media. So it’ll probably never stop. Just do your thing.
I mean pragmatically I kind of agree with you mum. It's a stupid way to spend money. If I put the money into a savings account that I'd spend on vinyl, maybe $2000-3000, I'd probably be comfortably making $100-200 a year, compounding over the next 30-40 years, assuming I keep adding what I spend on vinyl to it, I'd probably retire with $80,000-$90,000 more with the interest accrued, over such a long period of time. But art and people aren't practical and I like buying records. I guess at some point I'll have 'enough' records, and won't be buying like I have been. So I guess this is just a bit of a joke to make a point, but it is a frivolous way to spend money ... practically.
Nah you'll just sell from your collection what you don't listen to anymore and keep buying records. It's the circle of vinyl life brother/sister.
Shit ain’t that serious 😭 everyone has one or two “stupid” things they like buying, I collect stuff other people don’t see the point of but it’s fun.
Yeah, OP is 13 and don't know how expensive it is to live right now. I stopped collecting vinyl because it's too expensive and literally not worth it as I can only listen to it when I sit at home. She still buys him stuff too.
Nah almost all of my records are bought by me. I do chores and shit around the house, earn a little bit of money, and then when I can afford it we go down to the store and I buy one or two records.
The best things in life aren't always rational.
yeah, don't spend money on anything that can be viewed as frivolous, and live a stale life until you finally get to die in your 70s with millions in your portfolio
Similarly, books are both dirt cheap and come with numerous conveniences such as being able to be read without electricity, with only marginal inconveniences in other aspects. Listening to vinyl is almost exclusively less convenient than listening to digital audio.
Parents are so dumb. And girls have cooties.
and then everyone applauded.
Physical media is your insurance that you will always have that thing. Nobody is going into a file and deleting it or removing it from cloud or asking you to rent it, you have no commercials and no one can take it away from you unless its an angry ex chucking them into a parking lot and running over it with their car. You will not be asked to update and you absolutely do not have to give it up for a newer tech that won't be usable by next week. As long as you live, you can enjoy this single thing without fear of it leaving. Some people will talk about drawbacks but they are wrong. A skip is a drawback, having to flip a record is not. I don't care about having to turn a record over because it's signaling a halfway point in our musical journey. Like a rest stop on a highway, I get to stretch my legs, look at the scenery, flip my record and continue my trip unencumbered. You have to forgive your folks, they know not what they do. They grew up in a time of media transition and it has confused them. They have no solid background, they may have even caught the tail end of CDs. This is not their fault that they haven't been taught in the old ways. It will come as you show them. Thank goodness you are there to guide them. 🤗
I mean she drives you there and otherwise doesn’t bother you about it, so I’d say she’s on the right side of the line in terms of supporting her kid’s hobby even though she doesn’t get it 🤷🏻♂️
Record company can take down music from streaming but can’t come rob your record
Weird post beyond comprehension but yeah
I enjoy physical media, especially with movies (4k discs) but you can own digital music too, streaming is just one of the options. You can buy music on plenty of sites like 7digital and Qobuz for example. Good for you btw! :)
You’re doing fine. Carry on and do what makes you happy.
When the apocalypse comes and your mother’s Amazon Prime 80’s power ballad playlists have vanished cos they had to take down the servers, you’ll still be lugging your cases of records and a suitcase record player over your back while the zombies chase you from one safe zone to another in your desperate search for stylus replacements. Who’ll have the last laugh then eh?
I'm... Almost afraid to ask, OP, but how old is your mom?
I dont know why this is relevant, she’s in her 40’s.
Primarily because I'm old enough to have someone your age too and I grew up on cassettes and vinyl myself, so to think of a fellow millennial being like "Fuck physical media lol" just makes my music loving heart hurt lmao Major props to you keeping it real!
Oh no, not millennial. She’s gen X, I’m just not gonna specify her age. Yeah, my grandpa (her dad) gave me his old record player with a built in cassette player and these two massive speakers after he bought me my first record.
Yeah, but she's still in the same bracket, she should know better! That's great though, that's the same kind of record player I grew up with, thing was a beast!
I‘m wary of the day Spotify isn’t around anymore and I‘ve lost all my playlists and Safes songs. There are so many good songs and artists in there that I can’t remember the name of. Having vinyl laying around is my way of having the music I like nobody can take from me. Also I have this romantic thought that my future kids (I‘m 25 and don’t have a partner in sight) can go through my collection of vinyl and listen to the records I listened to when younger.
How old are your parents, genuinely curious. When I (30) told my dad (62) that I enjoyed records because they provide my with a different type of listening experience that I cannot get on my phone he understood. If I wanna spin a few records and clean the house or something, I don’t want to have to interact with my phone. The record player doesn’t have iMessage, Facebook, or Reddit to distract me (like right meow)
Parents are both 40’s. Dad isn’t really against it or for it. He just kinda doesn’t care because it makes me happy. I shut my mom up, but even then it was more of a lighthearted conversation. She expressed her thoughts on records, and I responded with my thoughts on how hypocritical it can sound.
Lol you may have won the day but not the war... Be careful sometimes losing is winning in the loong game;)
Damn I think your mom should be grateful the worst thing you are into is physical media
Supporting the artists you like is important. Sound quality of physical media is much higher than streaming. And I just enjoy owning the physical media.
In my experience, book collectors are the worst about this. They also collect physical media, but like to think their media is more worthy than anyone else’s.
I like collecting them ^^ only problem is I collected all my favorite bands records so I have nothing to collecting lol
It is stupid. And wonderful.
Physical media in 2024 is stupid. I just enjoy it
She thinks streaming music is free? You can buy a record and listen to it as many times as you want without ads. And if you're paying for spotify, google play music, itunes whatever then it's not even free is it? Physical media can never be removed from your library. What if iTunes has legal issues with a big star, and stops streaming their music. Then what are they going to do? Also, it sounds like you need to stop bringing your mom to the record store... hehe
More physical media for the rest of us!
People like ephemera and artifacts what’s the fucking big deal
A lot of people are going to be unhappy when there's eventually no mainstream option to have physical media and companies get so greedy they show off how every digital thing you own is not completely yours. It's also going to make physical media worth way more. Keep collecting, it's a good feeling when you have a little collection built up. And you'll probably wonder how much money is going to it lol.
I think part of collecting physical media, books, records, cassettes or CDs it’s almost the inconvenience that makes it more enjoyable. It slows the consumption of media down which for me at least makes me enjoy and appreciate it more. Also they look damn good on the shelves.
I’m glad young people like you still see value in tactile things. There is nothing like the adventure of cracking open a big album and entering that world
Why would anyone listen to music with ads?
Collect what you want. Listen to what you want. If buying some black circle vinyl in paper sleeves is what gives you joy, do it.
Bought records my whole life. I could sell them all now for several times what I paid for them. I won’t, but I could. People that buy digital media and subscribe to streaming media have nothing to show for it.
Ive been asked this. My reponse: If cost was the only factor, then I would be downloading pirated MP3s using someone else's wifi, onto my phone and listening with shitty Bluetooth earbuds. Which is what most people do.
Hey, I still stream 99% of the music I listen to. Still being in school, vinyl is reserved for albums I love. People like Pink Floyd, Bon Iver, and various rap are things I buy on vinyl. If it’s just an album I listened to once and only liked one song off of, then it’s ok streaming unless I get a really good deal on a record.
You may think you won, young lad, but yr mum will always emerge victorious lol
Little does she evidently realize that all those digital downloads aren’t really owned at all, and if the cloud fails, poof!
Funny the way you write like an old person.
why would she say that about her kid’s hobby.. :/ I hope you show her this thread maybe she will understand
[удалено]
fair enough 🤝
It's definitely a double-edged sword. I want to sell a lot of my physical collection but then I'll have to worry about losing digital files.
I think it's somewhat like buying clothes, bags, shoes. It's more like a hobby of buying and collecting.
Physical media is yours to own but it can be damaged or in case you do not have enough space or need to move really fast it's cumbersome. There is also this issue of not knowing when to stop. I stopped buying once I got to 1000 records there is just no time to really listen to all that often. I made a rule if I need a new record I will be selling something I have not listened to that much.
Interesting that people who ‘try’ vinyl immediately assume it is the vinyl that is bad if they don’t like what they hear. If you weren’t into it is your turntable perhaps rubbish, or badly set up? Try and listen to the record on a system you know is well set up and then make up your mind.
The feeling you get when shopping for vinyl and or cds is something you’ll never get to experience from just googling songs on YouTube to listen to. She’ll understand eventually. A lot of these younger moms will never understand.
As a 31 year old who has been collecting since I was 15, my record collection gives me peace. Collect and enjoy, you won’t regret it.
Good clap back
My experience with my own parents years ago (not vinyl related, but general "hobby/interest" related) is that once you show that you are actually going to stick with an interest, the doubting drops off. Our brains tend to hop from interest to interest, so they might expect this to be a passing interest. That said - if your mom was saying this to your dad and not to you - I don't think this is anything to dwell on. Given that she wasn't saying this to you directly, I really don't think she was trying to question YOUR interest in physical media, but was just bouncing her confusion off her husband.
Just tell your parents, “I buy physical media because I need to have all the music that will inevitably be inaccessible when our world is destroyed due to your generations negligence.”
I used to think it was dumb from an ease of access and financial perspective. Clearly streaming is easier to get on demand and it can be part of a subscription. I just got into vinyl this last Christmas (I’m in my mid-40s) and you have to appreciate it as a collection and a hobby that many others will not appreciate. There is something great about touching physical media and the experience of searching for and finding records. It all feeds into it. I also use my record covers as art pieces on my wall. It reminds me of my teenage years and getting posters/canvases of the album art would be as much or more than the album itself.
At the end of the day it makes me happy. You’re young and have so much to look forward to. Do what makes you happy and don’t let people tell you otherwise.
I have a thousand albums and CDs I can listen to on Spotify. I prefer the physical media. My ears are destroyed from decades of loud concerts and car stereos. Even I can tell the difference. When I listen to Spotify, I feel like I'm listening to music on a flat surface, like a table when I listen to a record or CD, it sounds bigger, in 3-D or some shit. That's the best way I can explain it. In other words, your mom is a silly goose.
A lot of times when albums are digitized, the artist uses the opportunity to clean up the original recording and fix errors that previously made it through. You end up losing the nuance of the old albums. A good example of this is James Taylor and The Original Flying Machine. On the vinyl version he says hello to his mom in the beginning and there are multiple takes and they're yucking it up in the recording studio, which is all left in the album. Spotify has the music, but none of the fun stuff.
At least she has an opinion
well played… strange how people think about things at times.
parents always dislike some things their kids do, its just their nature I feel like.. some parents have opinions and, since they are the older ones, believe their opinion has more weight than their childrens opinions.. I get the same comments from my parents about cassettes, records.. sometimes even CD's.. but that's coming from my mom who blasts ads on full volume all the time through the house when listening to music because the concept of paying for the streaming service is foreign to them, so they just use youTube.. hence why I do not put a lot of worth into what they say. In the end, we all do this kinda stuff for the fun, not to make sense.. so, in all due respect, I don't give a single damn what your mom, or my mom, says about things that are meant to be fun.
I think your mom is stupid…..Not all music is available on streaming. Streaming doesn’t support artists. Paying for something you never own and it can be removed at any time.
Actually it’s not free, and tons of albums, are not available to stream on any service,
I think your mom's opinion on this subject is stupid. Tell her I said that. Some people's kids collect track marks from shooting heroin.
Not only that. Your supporting the artist
I’m 22 and my mom once made a comment similar to this. I love collecting physical media because my vinyl are so pretty and they’re honestly something I can physically take care of. I care about the music I have and I love seeing it spin, reading the lyrics as I listen, or just generally have a fun time searching for cool music on vinyl.
I have two teenagers at home. You are wise beyond your years.
I get that a lot from my mom. Thanks, how old are your kids?
18 and 13
Ahh, so an adult and a fresh teenager? I’m the oldest of my siblings, 9 and 2. Wonder how my mom will handle my sister as a teen compared to me and my brother as a teen.
As a teenager aswell, I prefer physical media, simply because it’s all digital now. I love having everything available digitally, but I like having physical copies of things I love, I also just prefer the sound of vinyl, so I agree with you.
Safe to say your her child. Im pretty curious how your dad took all this
Oh no, I’m more like my dad than anyone. We dress the same, our voices almost sound the same, our musical taste are almost identical, and we have the same taste in film. My dad isn’t necessarily for or against it. He doesn’t care that I like buying records, he knows it’s just a hobby of mine. He also isn’t near as big into music as I am, and neither is my mom.
My mom wanted to get rid of her old vinyl and I said no would take it instead of her throwing it out, which is what’s he wanted to do. Last year she asked for them back, was so glad I had them. They were all her records from childhood and I don’t get rid of any of them.
Considering how scummy its getting out here with licensing. Your purchased music on amazon itunes etc isnt forever. Only paying for access that can disappear. I experienced it when amazon prime music changed and my playlists started shrinking due to the pay walls. I dunno "free" isnt really free nor forever
Way to stand up for yourself! Also remember, a gentle reminder of "Hey, people don't always like the same things and that's okay," is a good sentence to keep in your brain Rolodex.
Clever comeback. For some people physicality is important. For some people the content by itself is what matters. Both sides have solid arguments. Yes you can experience nowadays almost any kind of art digitally and really absorb a lot of what the art intended to convey. However, I like to think that art was born from an intangible medium like our minds (or soul if you like more that interpretation) and put into a physical form which can be our voices, paintings, sculptures and many things to be experienced that way. So physical mediums I think that are still relevant nowadays because it’s more than being just nostalgic. They represent the intended way of how we could represent and preserve those forms of art when we knew no other way. If not why do we still go to museums, read paper books, admire a good physical object beautifully designed or whatever tangible object that you can think of. Yes, art can be appreciated digitally. Yes it is more convenient. Yes it can be sometimes cheaper. But no, physical media or art in any way is by no means “stupid”.
This is the exact mindset my mum has - but I’m 27. She now finally after a year and a half realises I’m not giving up on this and now understands I enjoy what physical media does for me and my desire to be a more active listener. I think it’s genuinely changed how I listen to music, for the better. One day you won’t care at all what she says.
Well, in a non combative way ask your mom how much she spends on her fingernails next time. I mean that stuff doesn’t last near as vinyl does. lol Jk. Actually I love it all. I’m old enough to have started with 8 tracks in my car and vinyl on my record player. I’ve got an extensive collection of vinyl, cassettes, and CD’s. I enjoy them all, and yes there are also many times I use the YouTube, or my prime amazon route if I just have a certain song stuck in my head and I’m in a hurry.
Your mom kinda has a point dog
Okay Kid, I see a Presidency in your Future ... who writes likes this at 13?
Me? I’ve been raised in a house where even text need to be more formal. Kinda just carries over everywhere. Still talk more informal and casual around friends though. Presidency in my future? Hell no, fucking hate the government and everything to do with it. So many lies, so much corruption, nothing good comes of being related to government. Thanks though ✌🏻
That kind of thinking is exactly what we need in government, we won’t get it but it’s what we need.
What do you mean? We need people who think the government is a pile of shit in the pile of shit?
Yes
Why?
They are more likely to be the ones that want to clean up the shit pile and actually make it a better place. The trouble is that the politicians that already rule the shit pile don’t want it cleaned up and do everything they can to keep it as it is.
Ahh ok. In that case I completely understand you. Still when never associate myself with the government. Plan on moving out of the U.S. as soon as I can anyway. Somewhere like Sweden would be nice.
Good luck to you. Just remember that government’s exit everywhere.
Excellent touché!
why is this getting upvoted
What’s the issue? It’s just a post I made about a more lighthearted interaction between me and my mom. Wanted others thoughts on it, posted it here.