In a world where streaming has become the dominant force, one would believe the era of physical media would be effectively over; instead, the exact opposite trend occurred.
Physical media is experiencing a new life as we move further into the future. Despite the convenience of being able to listen to your favorite song with just the tap of a button, or binge watch your favorite TV show on your phone while on the train home from work, people are going down the route of the past.
Just two decades ago, the future of physical media seemed grim. Sales across almost all forms of physical media were on the decline: vinyl, cassettes, DVD, etc. The 2000s marked an era of transition, as the physical era was moving into the digital era. Most of the classic things associated with times of the past were no longer viewed as convenient, and it showed.
By the late 2000s and early 2010s, the rise of services like Apple were making it to the forefront of the media world. Devices like the iPod, iPhone, and MacBook became a staple for many due to their convenience for completing day-to-day tasks. With those devices came the introduction of a new platform for media consumption: iTunes. Now, people could buy anything they wanted with the help of a simple digital service, including songs, albums, movies, music videos, e-books, and more. It essentially made the purpose of going out to stores seem pointless.
Although the demand for the majority of physical media was declining, CDs remained popular. They were considered to be the most convenient form of physical media at the time, since you could use them in your car and took up minimal space. Even Apple’s early devices had slots where you could insert a disk to play music on.
As the late 2010s approached, so did the rise of streaming. Services like Apple Music and Spotify became the most convenient forms of music consumption, since you could listen to unlimited music with a simple subscription. In the realm of film and television, services like Netflix and Hulu became staples in the world of streaming.
On the other hand, what no one could predict is how physical media would experience a revival as the world began to adapt to a primarily streaming-based model of media consumption. Sales steadily increased going into the pandemic, and the growth has not stopped since. According to BBC, “The market for vinyl sales grew by 10%, with 6.7 million discs sold last year” in the UK during 2024. Even CDs, whose sole purpose was providing a convenient form of media consumption that was later replaced more efficiently by streaming services, increased narrowly in sales from 2023 to 2024 globally (324 million to 329 million).
So, why is this resurgence occurring? There are many factors that can be explained. Gen Z, surprisingly, has been one of the biggest driving forces of the physical media resurgence. From vinyls, to DVDs, to physical cameras, to CDs, all the trends can be attributed to Gen Z. Regarding vinyl, CNN mentioned: “Gen Z is playing an outsized role in the revival of vinyl sales, which have grown on average by 18% annually in the past five years.” The Washington Post mentions, “[Lloyd Starr], of Discogs, said Gen Z is a growing customer base for CDs. Gen Z are intrigued by a medium that’s ‘foreign’ to them,” he voiced, also adding: “For the younger generation, it’s vintage.”
A major reason why physical media is becoming such a hot topic again is because of collection purposes. For many, people find pride in immersing themselves in the relics of the past, which can explain the newfound popularity of old media styles among younger generations. Another reason for the rise has to do with streaming services themselves. Many streaming services consistently hike up their prices and make it more difficult for the average person to afford, driving many people back to physical formats instead.
Ultimately, the success physical media has seen in the streaming age is highly impressive and shows the true timelessness of the classics older generations grew up with. As new generations of people continue to grow, so will the success and appreciation of physical media. Instead of going with the classic saying, “in with the new and out with the old,” people have spoken by creating a balance of new and old.
