Why Do People Still Buy Vinyl Records?

Some people claim that vinyl sounds better than digital formats and will shut their ears to any arguments to the contrary.

There is plenty of evidence out there supporting these claims, especially when you compare pre-compression era recordings to modern mastering.

There are also people who will tell you that a digital format such as a cd will never have the same sound quality as vinyl.

Most of the proponents of that argument base their pinions on the earliest examples of said format, conveniently ignoring the fact that quality has increased significantly since the 80s.

Personally, I have heard more depth and musical detail in vinyl than in digital formats.

Most of the time… I’ve had a few experiences where I was really impressed with a digital copy over its vinyl cousin.

I’m a professional musician and I pay pretty close attention to music when a critical opinion is required.

As for convenience, there’s no doubt that digital wins.

When I’m out running errands or heading to and from work, I plug in to my DAP and happily go about my business.

Likewise, if I’m puttering around the house cleaning and doing laundry or working out, it’s super easy to hit shuffle and get moving.

But when I really want to sit and listen and enjoy my music, I go for my records.

Vinyl requires a certain level of engagement.

You can’t throw a record on shuffle and forget about it.

You need to go flip that thing every 20 minutes and choose what you’re going to listen to next.

You reach without needing to look for an old, well-worn favorite whose sleeve has seen better days or you flip through you collection and find something you haven’t listened to in a while.

Maybe you’ve got a friend over our perhaps a date and you share the experience with them.

The covers and inner sleeves are meant to be looked at.

Often you get a sense of what sorry of music you’re in for based on the artwork.

The point is that you’re staying involved in the music rather than it just becoming background noise.

There are the trendy ones.

The hipsters who buy into vinyl because it’s “retro” and they think it’s cool to have something that’s outdated. I’m glad they’re into it!

The hipsters that are spending their money on records on related paraphernalia are fueling a resurgence in the vinyl industry and that means good things for guys like me who love records.

I don’t think that either cds or vinyl records are better. They both have their merits and benefits. I do have my own preference though!