Rec | PHYSICAL MUSIC

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streaming services are very cool and all, and they have definitely allowed me to discover artists that i probably wouldn’t have otherwise, but having a physical copy of music - an album, single, or a mix - is extremely important to me. i find comfort in knowing that no one can really “take” the music away from me in the event that spotify crashed or something. also, with vinyl, especially, having a physical copy of the music forces you to take care of it and pay attention to it. you can’t just mindlessly listen to a record because you have to get up and flip it over, and then carefully place it back into its sleeve. if you make a mixtape, you have to sit and think about what songs you want and what order you want them in. if you walk into a music shop, you can‘t (or at least most of us can’t) just go in there and buy any album(s) on a whim - you have to be selective, because you’re spending money on it. also, i just enjoy the experience of going to a record store. the smell of the old albums, sifting through all the bins and shelves, chatting with the owner - it’s an experience that will always be so lovely to me, and one i would never have if i solely depended upon my phone for music. i just believe that streaming services have allowed us to become mindless consumers of media. we take it all for granted and aren’t as intentional about any of it as we used to be. i suppose it’s another form of overconsumption. once again, i am extremely glad of what the platforms have allowed me to find, and i don’t think they’re evil, i just think many folks have lost sight of how music is supposed to be treated.

@carolinebreeden

Oct 1, 2024

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