With technological advancements gradually maturing, people of today's society often forget about the past and look towards the future, but others try to keep the past relevant. By now, we all know about the comeback of records. I most certainly support it too. The organically crisp sound of vinyl is a nostalgia that can be unmatched. It's impossible to compare it to the synthetic feel of digital music, or the almost equally generic qualities of CDs. In fact, people are now fully realizing the question "Why buy CDs?" What are we going to do with them other than convert them to an mp3 format? Some may say they enjoy the packaging, which I do genuinely buy them for (digipaks, gatefolds, etc.) but that can't overcome the fantastically luxurious feeling of LPs.
What else could be contributing to this revival? What else could be defeating the CD format? Remember the cassette tape? Cassette tapes were the main music medium and reached their pinnacle in the mid-to-late 80s. Cassette tape sales didn't overcome vinyl sales, however, they were a captivating format because it allowed people to record directly to them. This lead to the conception of mixtapes. Mixtapes were a popular trend in the hay-day of cassettes: they could be made in the comfort of your home and could be given to anyone around the world. The cassette tape worked effectively as a portable medium that was convenient, durable, and cheap. Unfortunately, after the introduction of compact discs in the early 90s, sales plummeted and the CD took its place.
After the CD, the format of digital music came into the fold in the early 2000s. To this day, digital distribution and downloading is the top-selling marketing strategy for musicians and labels. What better way to distribute music, right? Music can be provided just with the click of a mouse and within a matter of a few seconds, your music is right in front of you. It has even been determined in an article by Ars Technica that at this rate, worldwide revenue from digital music will amount to that of physical music. I don't find this hard to believe, and even though I may look down upon the medium, I do occasionally contribute to the increasing scale.
Nowadays, whatever format you purchase depends on your taste in music, as always. However, everyone buys different formats; CDs, records, mp3s, and even cassettes. Though the idea of owning a cassette these days may be laughable to some, cassettes are remaining as a preference even to audiophiles, believe it or not. Like the crackles and pops of a record, the hiss of a cassette can be seen as a contribution to the music, not a distraction. It may be ignored in some circles; but whether you may know it or not, the cassette tape still thrives in music.
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