As a young millennial, I often remember the repertoire of music (whether cassette or CD) that my father had. That love of collecting music transposed over to me as I grew into a teen. Heck, I still have a vast CD collection. But, in 2006, something hit the world that later on devastated the art of collecting music. Spotify….

What Went Wrong?

My guess is that people are continually being persuaded by convenience. (Wow, good guess, right?) Streaming services are preying on the impatience of todays Average Joe. They saw an opportunity and took it. Which, good for them and all, but it just doesn’t feel right in my opinion. I’ve just become so stagnant the past year or so when it comes to finding new music. It’s too easy, too accessible. Where is the thrill of the hunt? Where are the nuances you get with different tapes, tape players, stereos? It doesn’t exist. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a current subscriber to Spotify’s services and I’m so happy to have access to whatever I want whenever I want, but I just need a change of scenery.

“We’re Not Gonna Take It”

“…No, we ain’t gonna take it!” My 2001 VW is equipped with a great stereo system with a tape deck. Why wouldn’t I take advantage of that? Technology exists for me to still play my phone and stream music if I choose, but that’s not fun! So I’ve started hunting for cassettes. As pictured, my first haul went well. (Not to mention the CCR and Sinatra tapes I grabbed as well.) Man, does it just feel fun! I got goosebumps from how it sounded. Quite frankly, it sounds just as good as today’s digital media. So if you’re a collector of sorts, love music, and are tired of the big bad business taking your money and sapping your joy, start hunting! Whether it is cassettes like me, records, or cds (lets be honest, we don’t need 8-track), just do it!

But Why Hard Copy vs. Digital Streaming?

Why would it even matter either way? Well, back in the day, buying albums put money in the pockets of the people directly involved with the music. Yes, they do still get royalties from streaming services and are paid accordingly for it. But your money spent also lines the pockets of those who didn’t partake in the artistry of the music directly, or even remotely for that matter. You’re just paying for an infinite mix-tape. (Still an amazing feat.) Now, now… you’re saying “Yeah, but these cassettes, records, cds were already purchased and royalties paid, they don’t see the money now.” Well, you’re right, it may not matter today. It does support record shops who want to preserve this music the way it was originally produced and enjoyed. Is that not a worthy cause to get behind? Not to mention the feel you get from pulling the album out of its receptacle, poppin’ it into your stereo, and just feeling the music. Or the thrill of searching the record stores for that next score. TLDR of my rant is this: streaming services are a must have for the accessibility, but why let the old ways die? For the sake of fun and preservation, start a collection. You never know what you’ll get out of it.