Despite the growth of streaming services, CDs, DVDs, and vinyl are finding new fans in today’s audiences.
by Alycia Roocroft, Najma Hussen, and Zainub Alam
In recent years, physical media has been making a return. CDs, DVDs, and vinyl records, once seen as outdated in the age of streaming, are finding new life in the collections of young people.
We explore why physical media is being revived, what it offers that digital platforms don’t, and whether this resurgence risks becoming another form of overconsumption.
To understand this shift, we first spoke with Dash The Henge’s Tim Harper, an independent record shop owner who has witnessed the renewed interest in vinyl firsthand.
From his perspective behind the counter, Tim reflects on why younger generations are returning to physical formats and how record shops have become cultural spaces as much as retail ones.
We then spoke to Dani, a student and collector, to hear directly from a young person engaging with physical media today. They share their personal relationship with collecting, discussing the balance between genuine appreciation for music and film, and the pressures that can come with owning and accumulating physical media in a social media-driven culture.
Featured image by Zainub Alam.