Yesterday I found an Instagram account of a girl that goes through her late father’s record collection. I mean, just the thought of my kid getting to know a part of me better through my music collection fills me with utter joy.
Damn, that’s a cool account. What is the username? I’ll enjoy checking that out.
Do you think this idea holds if people owned digital collections or is the physical format necessary? Imagine a world without streaming where we buy digital copies unique to us. Do you see the same potential for discovery? I lean to yes based on the analogy of a journal. Reading my dad’s journal in hard copy is richer but digital notes would enlighten as well.
thanks! That she alphabetized them before listening is gold! I look forward to following her journey.
To clarify, I didn’t mean Spotify. I am thinking of owned digital collections - say albums bought on Bandcamp, ebooks purchased. These all come from shelling out money and so are a true collection. The vinyl is a better format for her insta for sure. Just a thought I see as worth exploring.
Vinyl's revival isn't just about nostalgia—it's an act of rebellion against our digital lives. In an age of infinite streams, owning a record is like planting a flag in the physical world that says, "This music matters to me."
Who could have predicted that in 2024, the most radical act of cultural consumption would be buying something you can actually hold?
An act of rebellion indeed. Against the corporatism of music. I never forgave the music industry for its assassination of vinyl in favor of CDs. It literally happened overnight. So they can go to Hades with their desperate declining streaming. Most of us buy used vinyl now anyway, which profits them none.
Humans need ritual. Music and ritual are primordial. The ritual required to play an LP has meaning. Buying vinyl without having a turntable is an act of hope.
I especially like buying vinyl for smaller indie bands that I like. I either buy them at the show or through Band Camp. I’ve been searching for a breakdown of the economics of music distribution and what each means for artist revenue. I’ve spoken to musicians who both loved and hated Spotify at various levels of success. It’s a really interesting topic anyway
Fascinating! I’m in my late 30s and have purchased all sorts of formats. Most recently I’ve gotten back into minidiscs! Other than nerding out I do attach significance to the idea that I am supporting the musician by purchasing their vinyl - I tend to go to their own sites to ensure they get the cash. With the erosion of other income streams it feels like a good way to ensure they can continue to make records. I’ve noticed records often (increasingly?) have lots of add-ons like signed cards, exclusive die-cut sleeves or marbled vinyl, which add to the experience and collectibility.
You hit the nail on the head. I have all three of the collector boxes of The Lord of the Rings films. They contain both the original theater release and the extended versions and they each have an awesome collectible: The Argonath Pillar of Kings in The Fellowship of the Ring, Gollum in The Two Towers and Minas Tirith in The Return of the King. I have them displayed on the top of my roll top desk and can admire them everyday. However, if I rewatch them, I tend to stream them.
As for vinyl albums, I have a couple of trunks full. Your article might inspire me to get them out. You can’t replicate the vinyl experience. For example. I was and am a huge Elton John fan and his Goodbye Yellow Brick Road double album was a prime example: the artwork, the fold open cover with art and the lyrics. I would put them on my turntable, sit back on my bed and listen to it with my big headphones while I looked over the cover.
The one other thing that I think was lost with the disappearance of vinyl is the concept album where the entire album was themed. You really need to listen to the entire album to get the full experience of the music: examples - Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon and Styx’s Kilroy was Here and Paradise Theater, The Alan Parsons Project’s I Robot and Gaudi.
I buy Blu-rays, and DVDs if the film isn't on Blu-ray, all the time, but for reasons different than why I might buy a record.
Music seems well-preserved, and it's easy to find nearly any song that has ever been recorded that has survived.
Movies are another story. A large number of films are simply unavailable to watch. I'm not talking about lost films, which of course can't be watched, but rather films that still exist but aren't available on a streaming platform. Many also aren't on physical media, making them effectively impossible to watch. Those that are available on Blu-ray or DVD often go out of print.
I buy movies so I know I can always watch them. If a movie is taken off a streaming platform, you can’t see it until another platform picks it up, if it ever does. This is especially common with older films. I read that Netflix only has about 30 movies available that were made before 1981.
When a physical release goes out of print, you either can’t find a copy at all, or seller’s want hundreds of dollars for the disc. I’d rather buy it for $20-30 today.
Censorship is another risk. Who’s to say “problematic” films won’t be edited— Fantasia is an example of a film that already has been— or pulled from circulation.
Yet another issue is music. Songs that are licensed for a film sometimes have to be removed from future releases for some kind of rights issue, so a streaming version might have a different song, or songs, than the theatrical and some home media versions.
100%. So frustrating not to be able to see or buy even recent movies. As I am partly into Chinese movies the physical unaltered conservation is a real point I haven’t fully thought about yet.
Great article. Thanks for writing it. Absolutely, the pieces are parts of our cultural significance. I treasure my 2,000 pieces of vinyl as a part of me. I also rarely play them, though I do own rather nice equipment; another part of my identity. 99.9% of my music is listened to via Apple Music. They both exist finely together and provide a complete circle of music identity. I embrace where we are and anticipate where we are going.
Sure, some of the artwork looks tremendous in those dimensions. But I like a little crackle and pop in my diet 😉
I must also acknowledge the importance of liner notes in elevating the listening experience. Stories about where and how the music came to be, where the release sits in their career and what they might be trying to get it with this record. From the likes of jazz scribe Nat Hentoff to labels including Numero Records and Analog Africa. You rarely have that knowledge to hand in the flotsam and jetsam of file world.
I’ve had a similar vinyl journey since getting my dad’s old turntable and record collection, and I’m in the same age group as you. I haven’t had tangible association with music other than CD’s, which are packaged in garbage plastic. Maybe if they’d packaged CDs with the same care they did records, I’d feel differently. But to me physical media was just the crappy plastic CD case, or my trusty but spartan iPod, and the art of vinyl wasn’t apparent until later.
Many diverse and talented artists are “sticking it to The Man” by recording their own, designing their own funny merchandise, and selling directly to people online, in many formats as well. This guy at Five Times August seems to have figured out successful alternatives.
Maybe I’m in the weeds, but does anybody know of any kind of Kunaki for vinyl manufacturing for one-offs or very short runs?
The cost of micro-runs (~10 copies) is so high, and not every artist has the budget for a minimum run of 300, or wants all that inventory sitting around.
I don’t mind waiting 6 months or longer. It would be fun to have a few vinyl formats of my music, but not at a $100+ per unit cost, which is what I’ve seen. I might do it eventually at that price, for fun, and craft my own hand-made cover, but not anytime soon.
Streaming platforms have become more a reflection of the totality of music, movies, shows, than of any individual listener’s perceived preference. It's at once as depressing and draining as spectacular and awesome. Compression quality inconsistency alongside the excessive cost of lossless options is a significant con tied to lack of ownership. Dolby Atmos among other 3D options can be incredible - with a dedicated state of the art set up (good luck with that!).
Streaming sacrificed a focused relationship with a particular work for convenience and the novel (if not creepy) ability of "the algorithms" to suggest what you like, or even 'need', to hear. It's not just music. Movies, dating, work. Every aspect of our lives has been affected and is often entirely driven by, for better and worse, the nature of our glowing binary beasts.
I collect Blu-ray movies and concert discs / Criterion Collection. For stereo music I try as much as I can to buy direct from BandCamp in .WAV or .FLAC. Unfortunately very few labels appear to be releasing 3D mixes on disc.
Vinyl is tempting if not only for its soul-tingling "mysterious warmth" but I'm too distracted lately to start.
Yesterday I found an Instagram account of a girl that goes through her late father’s record collection. I mean, just the thought of my kid getting to know a part of me better through my music collection fills me with utter joy.
Damn, that’s a cool account. What is the username? I’ll enjoy checking that out.
Do you think this idea holds if people owned digital collections or is the physical format necessary? Imagine a world without streaming where we buy digital copies unique to us. Do you see the same potential for discovery? I lean to yes based on the analogy of a journal. Reading my dad’s journal in hard copy is richer but digital notes would enlighten as well.
the account is @soundwavesoffwax.
To add to your question, I think it is obvious that if the girl would just go through a spotify library it would not be the same at all.
thanks! That she alphabetized them before listening is gold! I look forward to following her journey.
To clarify, I didn’t mean Spotify. I am thinking of owned digital collections - say albums bought on Bandcamp, ebooks purchased. These all come from shelling out money and so are a true collection. The vinyl is a better format for her insta for sure. Just a thought I see as worth exploring.
That’s so cool! Followed!
Vinyl's revival isn't just about nostalgia—it's an act of rebellion against our digital lives. In an age of infinite streams, owning a record is like planting a flag in the physical world that says, "This music matters to me."
Who could have predicted that in 2024, the most radical act of cultural consumption would be buying something you can actually hold?
An act of rebellion indeed. Against the corporatism of music. I never forgave the music industry for its assassination of vinyl in favor of CDs. It literally happened overnight. So they can go to Hades with their desperate declining streaming. Most of us buy used vinyl now anyway, which profits them none.
Humans need ritual. Music and ritual are primordial. The ritual required to play an LP has meaning. Buying vinyl without having a turntable is an act of hope.
I especially like buying vinyl for smaller indie bands that I like. I either buy them at the show or through Band Camp. I’ve been searching for a breakdown of the economics of music distribution and what each means for artist revenue. I’ve spoken to musicians who both loved and hated Spotify at various levels of success. It’s a really interesting topic anyway
Fascinating! I’m in my late 30s and have purchased all sorts of formats. Most recently I’ve gotten back into minidiscs! Other than nerding out I do attach significance to the idea that I am supporting the musician by purchasing their vinyl - I tend to go to their own sites to ensure they get the cash. With the erosion of other income streams it feels like a good way to ensure they can continue to make records. I’ve noticed records often (increasingly?) have lots of add-ons like signed cards, exclusive die-cut sleeves or marbled vinyl, which add to the experience and collectibility.
You hit the nail on the head. I have all three of the collector boxes of The Lord of the Rings films. They contain both the original theater release and the extended versions and they each have an awesome collectible: The Argonath Pillar of Kings in The Fellowship of the Ring, Gollum in The Two Towers and Minas Tirith in The Return of the King. I have them displayed on the top of my roll top desk and can admire them everyday. However, if I rewatch them, I tend to stream them.
As for vinyl albums, I have a couple of trunks full. Your article might inspire me to get them out. You can’t replicate the vinyl experience. For example. I was and am a huge Elton John fan and his Goodbye Yellow Brick Road double album was a prime example: the artwork, the fold open cover with art and the lyrics. I would put them on my turntable, sit back on my bed and listen to it with my big headphones while I looked over the cover.
The one other thing that I think was lost with the disappearance of vinyl is the concept album where the entire album was themed. You really need to listen to the entire album to get the full experience of the music: examples - Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon and Styx’s Kilroy was Here and Paradise Theater, The Alan Parsons Project’s I Robot and Gaudi.
Thanks for the nostalgia!🙂📀
I buy Blu-rays, and DVDs if the film isn't on Blu-ray, all the time, but for reasons different than why I might buy a record.
Music seems well-preserved, and it's easy to find nearly any song that has ever been recorded that has survived.
Movies are another story. A large number of films are simply unavailable to watch. I'm not talking about lost films, which of course can't be watched, but rather films that still exist but aren't available on a streaming platform. Many also aren't on physical media, making them effectively impossible to watch. Those that are available on Blu-ray or DVD often go out of print.
I buy movies so I know I can always watch them. If a movie is taken off a streaming platform, you can’t see it until another platform picks it up, if it ever does. This is especially common with older films. I read that Netflix only has about 30 movies available that were made before 1981.
When a physical release goes out of print, you either can’t find a copy at all, or seller’s want hundreds of dollars for the disc. I’d rather buy it for $20-30 today.
Censorship is another risk. Who’s to say “problematic” films won’t be edited— Fantasia is an example of a film that already has been— or pulled from circulation.
Yet another issue is music. Songs that are licensed for a film sometimes have to be removed from future releases for some kind of rights issue, so a streaming version might have a different song, or songs, than the theatrical and some home media versions.
100%. So frustrating not to be able to see or buy even recent movies. As I am partly into Chinese movies the physical unaltered conservation is a real point I haven’t fully thought about yet.
Great article. Thanks for writing it. Absolutely, the pieces are parts of our cultural significance. I treasure my 2,000 pieces of vinyl as a part of me. I also rarely play them, though I do own rather nice equipment; another part of my identity. 99.9% of my music is listened to via Apple Music. They both exist finely together and provide a complete circle of music identity. I embrace where we are and anticipate where we are going.
I read an article last year that said almost half of vinyl buyers in the US do not own a record payer, which blew my mind. So you are not alone.
https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/10/23/how-superstars-and-heritage-acts-hijacked-the-vinyl-revival
Sure, some of the artwork looks tremendous in those dimensions. But I like a little crackle and pop in my diet 😉
I must also acknowledge the importance of liner notes in elevating the listening experience. Stories about where and how the music came to be, where the release sits in their career and what they might be trying to get it with this record. From the likes of jazz scribe Nat Hentoff to labels including Numero Records and Analog Africa. You rarely have that knowledge to hand in the flotsam and jetsam of file world.
Love that snap, crackle and pop. And back in the day, you had to read liner notes to know anything about the artist or his recording.
Exactly. A guide but not the guide. Still room to find your own place in it all.
I’ve had a similar vinyl journey since getting my dad’s old turntable and record collection, and I’m in the same age group as you. I haven’t had tangible association with music other than CD’s, which are packaged in garbage plastic. Maybe if they’d packaged CDs with the same care they did records, I’d feel differently. But to me physical media was just the crappy plastic CD case, or my trusty but spartan iPod, and the art of vinyl wasn’t apparent until later.
Both that turntable and the records are likely very valuable today. But don’t sell. The value to you of your Dad’s music is priceless.
Many diverse and talented artists are “sticking it to The Man” by recording their own, designing their own funny merchandise, and selling directly to people online, in many formats as well. This guy at Five Times August seems to have figured out successful alternatives.
https://www.fivetimesaugust.com/#
Excellent article!
Love my vinyl collection- 2200+ LPs & >600 singles.
Check it out here:
https://www.discogs.com/user/Beachbeatle1/collection
I just started buying more CDs too. Tapes are next. I’m tired of this “content” and “streaming.” It’s just not real. Can someone say “matrix.”
Maybe I’m in the weeds, but does anybody know of any kind of Kunaki for vinyl manufacturing for one-offs or very short runs?
The cost of micro-runs (~10 copies) is so high, and not every artist has the budget for a minimum run of 300, or wants all that inventory sitting around.
I don’t mind waiting 6 months or longer. It would be fun to have a few vinyl formats of my music, but not at a $100+ per unit cost, which is what I’ve seen. I might do it eventually at that price, for fun, and craft my own hand-made cover, but not anytime soon.
Streaming platforms have become more a reflection of the totality of music, movies, shows, than of any individual listener’s perceived preference. It's at once as depressing and draining as spectacular and awesome. Compression quality inconsistency alongside the excessive cost of lossless options is a significant con tied to lack of ownership. Dolby Atmos among other 3D options can be incredible - with a dedicated state of the art set up (good luck with that!).
Streaming sacrificed a focused relationship with a particular work for convenience and the novel (if not creepy) ability of "the algorithms" to suggest what you like, or even 'need', to hear. It's not just music. Movies, dating, work. Every aspect of our lives has been affected and is often entirely driven by, for better and worse, the nature of our glowing binary beasts.
I collect Blu-ray movies and concert discs / Criterion Collection. For stereo music I try as much as I can to buy direct from BandCamp in .WAV or .FLAC. Unfortunately very few labels appear to be releasing 3D mixes on disc.
Vinyl is tempting if not only for its soul-tingling "mysterious warmth" but I'm too distracted lately to start.
Buy 80% of vynil at live shows. Money well spent, artist well supported.