Why Vinyl?
Streaming services are massive right now with most of an artists numbers coming from services like Spotify, Apple Music, and Youtube. The ease of listening and the access to music at any time in any place makes it hard to argue against using streaming as your primary listening medium. I use Apple Music daily for listening in the car, at work, or on my walk to class. It really is the easiest way to consume music. So why buy and listen to music on vinyl?
I listen on vinyl for a few reasons. The first reason is because vinyl just sounds better. I know, I know people have been saying this for years but it is true. The sound reproduction on vinyl is just better than any other listening medium because the music is uncompressed. This basically means that the music didn't have to have any data stripped before being pressed. A CD can only hold so much information and that causes engineers to compress files so that they fit on the CD. The same goes for streaming. Streaming files are compressed to take up less bandwidth so that streaming is faster. Vinyl doesn't require a digital file to be compressed therefore the sounds produced by the record are going to be as close to the original organic sound that the artists intended to produce. If you want to go more in depth with this topic I found an article for you to check out https://www.npr.org/2012/02/10/146697658/why-vinyl-sounds-better-than-cd-or-not .
The second reason to listen to vinyl is to support the artist. It takes an unfathomable amount of streams to make any kind of income as an artist. The streaming industry really doesn't compensate artists like they should because they have to split the money many ways between themselves, the artist, the label, songwriters, session artists. The money gets split and the cost to stream files is much less than it costs to make a record, a CD, or a cassette tape so the payout it much less. The song or album file basically just takes up server space which is paid for by the streaming service and that's why their cut is so big.
Buying records means that you are paying for the physical piece of music. You are buying an album that you can hold in your hands... which is really the coolest thing ever when you think about it. You own a piece of the artist essentially. They put all of their energy into this thing that you now get to hold in your hands. This is my favorite part of the whole vinyl experience. It feels good to know that you are helping the artist make a living off of their craft. Sure, the money still gets split but a much larger chunk of the money goes to the artist. This is a much bigger deal when it comes to independent artists or artist signed to indie labels as most of the money is going directly into the artist's pocket.
In regard to the thought of owning a physical piece of music, that means you also get to see ALL of the art that comes with the record. I am a huge packaging nerd. I love seeing the posters, inners, sleeves, and labels. I mean, there is a reason why the Grammy's have a category for album packaging... it's a massive part of making an album. Haven't you ever listened to an album because you thought the cover was cool looking? That's essentially why vinyl packaging is so important. The creativity that an artist gets to show in their packaging goes beyond music, it aids in creating their image. It's another look into their mind. I am also very concerned about keeping all of my album packaging together when I buy records. I make sure that all of the inners and sleeves stay with the albums because it adds to the feeling to me. What do you do with yours?
The last reason that I am going to talk about in this post is the feeling of community and adventure that you get from collecting records. Sure, you can order records on Amazon (I don't advise this because it takes away from the hunt). Going to the record store is like going to music heaven. The record store is a place to dig crates for hours, talk music with people who share common interest, and to discover new music. I couldn't even tell you how many times I have been recommended great music from visiting my local record store. As you become a regular the employees begin to know what you like and you start to build a friendship with the store owners and you start to feel like you're part of something bigger. It's like being part of an extended family. Yeah, going into a record store for the first is a little intimidating, but what isn't the first time? The community and the friendships built around collecting records is why the medium sticks around like it does... why it's the best way to listen to music.
I'm from Kansas City, Missouri where the music scene is pretty strong and our record stores are great. If you're ever in the area Mills Record Company (https://millsrecordcompany.com/) on Broadway is my favorite spot. The employees are the best, their selection is vast, and they have a beautiful shop dog Conway that's there to greet customers daily. Who doesn't love a good shop dog? Other places I frequent are Josey Records (https://joseyrecords.com/josey-records-kansas-city/) which has a really good used selection and a massive inventory and It's A Beautiful Day which is a Deadhead run shop full of band tees and a pretty small but usually good selection. If you're from somewhere else, let me know where your favorite record stores are in your area!
I listen on vinyl for a few reasons. The first reason is because vinyl just sounds better. I know, I know people have been saying this for years but it is true. The sound reproduction on vinyl is just better than any other listening medium because the music is uncompressed. This basically means that the music didn't have to have any data stripped before being pressed. A CD can only hold so much information and that causes engineers to compress files so that they fit on the CD. The same goes for streaming. Streaming files are compressed to take up less bandwidth so that streaming is faster. Vinyl doesn't require a digital file to be compressed therefore the sounds produced by the record are going to be as close to the original organic sound that the artists intended to produce. If you want to go more in depth with this topic I found an article for you to check out https://www.npr.org/2012/02/10/146697658/why-vinyl-sounds-better-than-cd-or-not .
The second reason to listen to vinyl is to support the artist. It takes an unfathomable amount of streams to make any kind of income as an artist. The streaming industry really doesn't compensate artists like they should because they have to split the money many ways between themselves, the artist, the label, songwriters, session artists. The money gets split and the cost to stream files is much less than it costs to make a record, a CD, or a cassette tape so the payout it much less. The song or album file basically just takes up server space which is paid for by the streaming service and that's why their cut is so big.
Buying records means that you are paying for the physical piece of music. You are buying an album that you can hold in your hands... which is really the coolest thing ever when you think about it. You own a piece of the artist essentially. They put all of their energy into this thing that you now get to hold in your hands. This is my favorite part of the whole vinyl experience. It feels good to know that you are helping the artist make a living off of their craft. Sure, the money still gets split but a much larger chunk of the money goes to the artist. This is a much bigger deal when it comes to independent artists or artist signed to indie labels as most of the money is going directly into the artist's pocket.
In regard to the thought of owning a physical piece of music, that means you also get to see ALL of the art that comes with the record. I am a huge packaging nerd. I love seeing the posters, inners, sleeves, and labels. I mean, there is a reason why the Grammy's have a category for album packaging... it's a massive part of making an album. Haven't you ever listened to an album because you thought the cover was cool looking? That's essentially why vinyl packaging is so important. The creativity that an artist gets to show in their packaging goes beyond music, it aids in creating their image. It's another look into their mind. I am also very concerned about keeping all of my album packaging together when I buy records. I make sure that all of the inners and sleeves stay with the albums because it adds to the feeling to me. What do you do with yours?
The last reason that I am going to talk about in this post is the feeling of community and adventure that you get from collecting records. Sure, you can order records on Amazon (I don't advise this because it takes away from the hunt). Going to the record store is like going to music heaven. The record store is a place to dig crates for hours, talk music with people who share common interest, and to discover new music. I couldn't even tell you how many times I have been recommended great music from visiting my local record store. As you become a regular the employees begin to know what you like and you start to build a friendship with the store owners and you start to feel like you're part of something bigger. It's like being part of an extended family. Yeah, going into a record store for the first is a little intimidating, but what isn't the first time? The community and the friendships built around collecting records is why the medium sticks around like it does... why it's the best way to listen to music.
Image from 90.9 The Bridge
I'm from Kansas City, Missouri where the music scene is pretty strong and our record stores are great. If you're ever in the area Mills Record Company (https://millsrecordcompany.com/) on Broadway is my favorite spot. The employees are the best, their selection is vast, and they have a beautiful shop dog Conway that's there to greet customers daily. Who doesn't love a good shop dog? Other places I frequent are Josey Records (https://joseyrecords.com/josey-records-kansas-city/) which has a really good used selection and a massive inventory and It's A Beautiful Day which is a Deadhead run shop full of band tees and a pretty small but usually good selection. If you're from somewhere else, let me know where your favorite record stores are in your area!
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