vinyl

A Guardian feature reports on the growing return to physical media, with fans explaining why they are buying CDs, DVDs and vinyl again. Reasons include keeping genuine ownership of music and films, protecting access if streaming services remove titles, supporting artists more directly and resisting algorithm-driven recommendations. The piece captures a wider mood that digital convenience has come at the cost of control over what people own and choose.

Music and film collectors are increasingly buying physical media such as CDs, DVDs and vinyl records as an alternative to streaming services. The pull is a desire to escape recommendation algorithms, own their libraries outright and avoid content disappearing from platforms when licensing deals lapse. Supporters say discs and records offer better quality and a calmer, more deliberate way to choose what to watch or hear.