Buying records in 2023 might seem like a strange hobby.
In the era of Spotify and YouTube where music is effectively
free, why would I spend money on vinyl?
== 1. I enjoy the intentional, physical, nature of the medium.
I don't believe it _really_ sounds better than digital. Some
people will tell you so. Maybe my speakers just aren't as good.
Instead, I enjoy the fact that when I choose to put on a record,
it's a choice to:
* Listen to the songs, in the order the artist intended
* Commit to being close by (to flip it every 10-15m)
It's just more of an experience. Of course it helps that I do
have pretty good speakers; if I'm hosting a dinner party, I don't
have a comparable bluetooth speaker (and my receiver doesn't
take aux-in), so it's the only way to get good music!
Speaking of hosting: picking out the records for a dinner party
or game night is a fun, special, form of DJ-ing. You have to read
the crowd, know your tracks well, etc. It's high-stakes DJ-ing
compared to being able to hit "skip" every couple songs on a
shuffled Spotify-recommended playlist :)
== 2. I enjoy _owning_ the music
It feels like we rent everything these days. Music, TV shows,
heck you can even get subscription services for cars!
There's something nice about truly owning the music. Knowing
that it'll be there in years to come (even if Spotify goes
under) provided the equipment to play it still works.
About 5 years ago there was a trend for records to come with
a digital download code. I wish they still did (so I could
keep digital copies).
== 3. Records have artwork beyond the music
It's so fun getting to open the record and see all the artwork
associated with the album that doesn't make the cover art
thumbnail. So much thought gets put into the back cover, the
inside (if a bifold), and the lyric book. Sometimes there's
even a poster. These details are fun.
== 4. I enjoy supporting the artists
Last but maybe most importantly, I buy vinyl to support artists.
I know Spotify pays very little, so when I love a band I'll
buy their album on vinyl as a way of supporting them (even if
I still listen to them 90% of the time on Spotify).
I feel fortunate to have enough income right now to consider
inflated vinyl prices as a "small donation" to a band (I mean
$40 records? it's getting wild out there).
