If you’re anything like me then you’re also constantly listening to music. Like many people, most of the music I listen to comes from streaming services. This means that I’m able to listen to anything at any time and I love that. However, my favorite way to experience music is on vinyl. Here are four reasons why vinyl is the best.
1. It’s iconic
While some people say the “vinyl revival” is due to nostalgia, but this simply is not true. Most of the vinyl purchases are made by younger generations which means they would not have any personal connection to vinyl. However, this doesn’t mean that the historical significance is not one of the reasons to buy these records. Vinyl records changed not only the music industry but also how culture is exchanged as a whole.
Early versions of the record player such as a phonograph have been compared to a printing press because of the way they changed how information and ideas have been exchanged. The music industry and our world would be a very different place without it. Therefore, being able to use and understand something that has impacted our culture that much is a really cool experience.
2. It can be a social experience
Although I could buy my vinyl records online (and I sometimes do), one of my favorite parts of having these records is the collecting part. One of the ways I build my collection is thanks to my older family members gifting me all of their old albums. This not only exposed me to new music but it also gave me a different kind of connection to my loved ones. On the other hand, the second way for me is to go to the store and talk to the people there about music. In the process, I often learn something new and make new friends.
3. It’s cool to own physical copies of music
Similarly to the clothes we wear, the things we own help define us. This is also increasingly true in a world that is mostly digital. Hence, having a physical thing just seems to be more meaningful. Personally, music is important to me and making space for it in a physical form is a reflection of that. When people come into my room, my record collection becomes a conversation. Also, going out of my way to own a record makes me feel closer to the music I love.
4. It can be an active experience
As many people, sometimes I just need to press play on my phone and zone out. However, having an active experience while listening to music has brought me closer to it as a whole. Listening to vinyl records involves more effort than a streaming service. Buying the records, putting them in the player, flipping them over at the end and cleaning the vinyl is all a part of the experience.
Doing this means a few things. First, it makes me more present while listening since I must pay attention while doing this. Putting in the effort also makes me more appreciative of the music.
While I do not plan on getting rid of my Apple music subscription any time soon, listening to vinyl records is a meaningful experience for me. And with vinyl records soon outselling CDs, I am not the only one who thinks so.
Featured image from Sara Rolin via Unsplash.
