Bonus Video: Are vinyl records here to stay?
Added 2024-04-29 07:45:04 +0000 UTCHey everybody!
Please enjoy this bonus video for April, which is all about the resurgence of vinyl records!
Why now? Are CDs still relevant? Is this Gen-Z's doing? And is Taylor Swift to blame?
Thanks for a great topic suggestion Heath!
Enjoy folks :)
E.
Comments
I love vinyl but I am finding it is getting too expensive to keep up with regularly in terms of purchasing so I've bought significantly less vinyl, even used, than I did even a couple years ago. It's my favorite format but everything costs so much these days. As for CDs, I don't buy them a lot, but I do use them from time to time, as my car has a CD player. I like CD's and always have, and the one time I really tend to buy them is when a local band I like comes out with a new EP or album on CD. I used to be an active musician in my local scene and still have friends and former bandmates who are, and I think it's really fun to have a little CD collection of their music, plus it supports them directly. Either way, I always tend to prefer physical media of some sort over streaming. I've been thinking about trying to get the main studio albums of the beatles on CD, as I don't have the funds to do so on vinyl, but I still want to own their music.
Tyler Piper
2025-10-26 06:30:09 +0000 UTCI always enjoy these intellegent conversations about the state of music! For me, it's not really about if vinyl is better than cds/streaming. It's more about an analog experience vs. a digital experience. They are both valid. About 5 years ago, I started to collect cassettes again because I actually started to miss how they sounded, but I didn't have a working player for decades. So, I bought a fancy refurbished JVC unit from the late 90s on eBay, and it's hooked up to my modern Bose sound system, and wow, a quality tape deck can really sound good. It has a different warmth than vinyl, but it's worth experiencing. Elliot, if you ever get into tapes you might actually be pleasantly suprised how good they can sound on a decent system!
Scorpio 2
2025-07-20 22:29:01 +0000 UTCNoel Gallagher once said, "Vinyl is the poor man's art collection. I love that. I love holding the sleeve in my hands, studying the artwork, reading the liner notes and lyrics, and of course, displaying my favorites. It just makes me feel more invested and the whole experience more personal. Almost like the physical copy tells the whole story of the album, whereas streaming only gives you a glimpse. Just think about Sgt. Pepper's and the impact the artwork had when it was released. I like how seriously they took it and that some artists and bands still do today. I don't know if you've heard of the documentary "Squaring the Circle". It's the story of Hipgnosis, the art design studio that created album cover artwork for Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Paul McCartney, just to name a few. It's definitely worth a watch!
Andre Laemmerzahl
2025-01-28 19:53:25 +0000 UTCI’m 47 and got into vinyl for a second time about six years ago. (When I was a kid I listened to my parents’ records as well as those that I borrowed from my uncle’s *extensive* Beatles collection.) For me it’s the ‘purposeful listening’ aspect of putting something on and strapping myself in for 20 minutes or so until a side is complete. I wrote up about how I got into vinyl here: https://andrewdoran.uk/blog/2018/10/12/vinyl-explorations/ I tend to buy records for the same reasons as you Elliot, i.e. either because I really want to own it and hear it on vinyl or I want to support an artist. I’ve recently started buying CDs again. It’s been fun ‘crate digging’ for bargains; this weekend I picked up seven albums I’ve always wanted for just £12. I’ve also bought big box sets on CD where the vinyl is either not available or is prohibitively expensive. For example, the John Lennon super deluxe editions of Plastic Ono Band and Imagine are superb, with so much detail in the books that form part of each set for you to read as you listen. They are beautiful things. I’ve also re-ripped my collection in a lossless format to a network drive and use Plex to listen to my collection when I’m not at home, safe in the knowledge that it can’t be removed on a whim by an artist or the streaming service.
Andrew Doran
2024-05-31 22:58:49 +0000 UTCHow lovely! Thanks for sharing :)
Elliot Roberts
2024-05-30 06:09:50 +0000 UTCGen Z here! My record collection started in 2010 when I was 7 years old. My grandma had just passed away, and because I was already an avid Beatles and solo McCartney fan, my grandpa gathered her albums up and gave them to me. These precious first pressings were the greatest gift I have ever been given, and have given me a lifelong love for physical media, especially music. As I child I remember struggling to find New on vinyl and how disappointed I was when my dad told me that vinyl wasn't really made anymore. I remember driving past the original Tower Records location with my dad and being so mad people did not appreciate vinyl and let such a historic place close down. I love Taylor Swift and I love that she has helped vinyl come back. Folklore and Evermore on vinyl are such a special experience. Makes me feel like my grandma must have with her albums, the excitement is something else.
Stella Lampe
2024-05-30 05:54:14 +0000 UTCas a gen z who started collecting vinyls around 5 years ago a lot of this rings true. despite also collecting cds i have around 3 times as many vinyls as i do cds (about 87 vinyls and around 30 cds). i started with a crosley record player but now use audio-technica with sony speakers. most of the vinyl collectors my age also still use crosley because it is costly to upgrade and if your not playing your records often it makes sense cost wise to stick to a cheaper model. most of my records don’t get as much usage as i would like them too. they mainly sit on my walls in my record shelves as decoration. its hard to find time to play them especially with streaming so accessible. i started collecting to feel a deeper connection and make a commitment to the music i love. i also have adhd and struggle with object permanence. owning a physical album means its something ill never forgot about even just temporarily.
Kelsey Serkin
2024-05-28 20:45:21 +0000 UTCRecently bought a Lo-Fi record player- i have owned records (only in the hundred or so) since the 80s, recently I bought a 1955 radio/record player - valve. I replaced the orignal record player with a 70/80's Technics record player and added a stereo to mono mixer/preamp. The sound is loud but it is a great fun thing my wife and I and sometimes with friends play records and drink and eat and have conversation.
James G
2024-05-21 01:33:27 +0000 UTCfor me I combine music with digital and physical always fun to hunt down your favorite music with records and, CDs I have an on going collection right now.
Reed
2024-05-17 07:50:19 +0000 UTCI got into records a few years ago (before they got super expensive) and now have basically every record I absolutely needed to get. I get the other albums on CD and even have a CD player in my car too. So I think both are cool!
Luke McDaniel
2024-05-05 22:35:04 +0000 UTCHello Cd Collector here and i am trying to expand my listening experience besides cd's granted i can't really afford vinyl so i offset that by exploring 8 track and cassette
Sam
2024-05-02 16:29:04 +0000 UTCI also pre-ordered the Paul McCartney one hand clapping. 👏😀
Scott Schoverling
2024-05-01 14:36:51 +0000 UTCOh that’s super fascinating!
Elliot Roberts
2024-04-30 13:05:26 +0000 UTCit's funny you mentioned the album variants because in k-pop, that happens with cds and not with vinyl. kpop cds rarely come in jewel cases in k-pop but are more book-like, and they'll have dozens of versions. one of my favorite groups put out a 5 song ep last year that had 17 variants. the albums also come with trading cards, so it really all becomes so gamified and encourages people to buy many copies of the same variants of the same albums to get the cards they want.
baylee
2024-04-30 01:16:12 +0000 UTCI didn't manage to score tickets for the multiple ticket allotments but then about three days before the concert, they announced a bunch of "obstructed view" seats for $65.00 where you couldn't see the back of the stage (only the catwalk bit). I managed to get a couple of those!
Elliot Roberts
2024-04-29 22:47:07 +0000 UTCNice!
Elliot Roberts
2024-04-29 22:45:31 +0000 UTCThanks Heath!
Elliot Roberts
2024-04-29 22:45:20 +0000 UTCWhat I want to know is how you saw Taylor Swift for 65 dollars?!
Lisa
2024-04-29 22:37:12 +0000 UTCI loved that you talked about pre-ordering the new one hand clapping vinyl because so did I and it's actually the first record I've ever pre-ordered!
rhycno
2024-04-29 17:19:22 +0000 UTCFantastic video Elliot..glad my talking points helped.! I have (in storage) a large CD collection that I slowly stopped playing..ended up only playing in my beat up mazda..have been buying vinyl for nearly two years.. I love nothing better than sticking on Beatles album and listening with headphones or visiting my local record shop and having a chat with the very cool owner . Cheers Heath
Heath Bradshaw
2024-04-29 10:59:59 +0000 UTCI always appreciate a Taylor Swift critique from a Swiftie. To be a fan of her’s is to also be cognisant of her shortcomings.
Elliot Roberts
2024-04-29 10:31:10 +0000 UTClove the Video Elliot! i agree with a lot of things, as a collecter of Vinyl, CD's, Cassettes and even 8 Tracks (with a far off goal of a reel to reel player) i love buying used vinyl, i have actually made a vow to never buy vinyl online, vinyl feels like such a physical medium of music to just buy online, though i might have to break that to get the One Hand Clapping Vinyl. i try to buy used as to both support businesses and i love the novelty of an original pressing, i can count all the brand new vinyl ive bought on one hand, but i have well over 50 records. i love when they have names on them of previous owners, it shows love and the fact someone enjoyed something so much they felt as though they should put their name on it. Music is all about passion and the human connection, and buying used is keeping the cycle going. thank you for the wonderful videos!
Grove
2024-04-29 08:23:42 +0000 UTCAs a Swiftie, the endless editions are incredibly annoying, not only from a consumption perspective, but what Taylor’s store will do is release the variants for a “limited time” and create artificial scarcity by only allowing fans to order for 48 hours to order at a time. What is equally frustrating is we will never get an Anthology version of TTPD, or Midnights (Til Dawn) version (the versions of the albums with all the tracks on them, not just a subsection of tracks). (/rant over) Great bonus video though! 💛
Sarah Parker-Shemilt
2024-04-29 08:12:50 +0000 UTC
