like many of the other responses to this post, I think that having physical copies of media ensures that there is some enduring access. It’s archival.
I would also add that having the physical copies enhances engagement with the media. This is of course a privilege bc physical media is usually more expensive than digital, but I do think that consuming Digital media is often more passive. Idk. I love my phone too (and Spotify and the internet archive and Gutenberg project). But after I started collecting CDs and physical books I became very interested in getting as much as possible out of them. listening to the same album in its entirety for weeks at a time. rereading a book (Seriously, I would rarely reread a book before).
Also lending the copies to friends is the best thing in the world. Like being able to share and then discus- or even just the sharing. Whether or not you get it back it just becomes a gift. Which is nice.
Anyways to blabber on this last point: I don’t think that you always have to personally own and keep forever all of the physical media you accrue. just going to a library does a lot of the same good (supporting local archiving + engaging with stuff my tangibly + media becoming communal). learning that many libraries still have VHS, CDs, and DVDs available to check out changed my life. ya.
Mar 9, 2025
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I have a pretty decent vinyl / VHS / cassette collection and I think actually owning media is going to be really important in the coming years. I have lots of thoughts on this.
1) I think it's a misconception that everything is digitized. There are certain albums and movies (especially movies) that are nearly impossible to find on the internet. There are lots of shows and movies that have been "remastered" or now being "upscaled" with AI that are completely changing the look and feel of the original work. (ex. Star Wars)
2) Having a physical relationship with your media changes the way you interact with it. Physically moving your body and going over to the shelf and having a finite number of tapes/records to look through is a completely different experience than the decision paralysis one can get from having unlimited choices. You also will have to dive into full albums instead of taking the weekly playlist.
3) You don’t need the internet to access it. You buy it once and if you take care of it - you own it forever. I don’t want to assume that the internet / streaming services as we know it them will be around forever and I don’t like the idea of a paying for a perpetual service that I will never stop paying for. Not to mention that all of these services serve as massive corporate data collection agencies that are constantly spying on you and selling your information!
It’s fun to collect things and see that old technology still has utility and save it from the landfill. It can be a lot of work (moving is a nightmare), and take up a lot of space, and it might be completely impractical but I don’t think we are supposed to experience everything in life through a 2 dimensional screen for the sake of convenience.
Jan 22, 2025
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While cleaning up the shed, my parents and I found some old cd's and a cd rack. We kind of have this idea that whataver is put on the internet will stay there and although, yes things can come back from the deepest or most abandont parts, just like all other things it somewhat decays.
So as of now, I got some cd's again (mostly secondhand). I'm not the type who then starts collecting and consuming for no reason. I'll probably get just enough for the rack to be filled. So my rec would be to think of your favourite genres or specific albums (or with any other media) and then get only those in physical media. Now whatever happens, you'll have it, while also not overspending or consuming <3
Dec 7, 2024
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I’m not off streaming, but these are some things I do to feel the fun in movies/music again and diverge. I’ve always kinda been a CD supremacist and saved/kept buying them, it’s never too late to start, for any medium!
- investing in some equipment like DVD, CD, cassette, etc players if you don’t have the old ones to dig out, or they’re too messed up. A decent DVD player is super inexpensive these days, avoid internet nostalgia up-sellers
- going to any random thrift store, including the “bad ones”, and really going through their book/CD/DVD inventory THOROUGHLY. Pick up what looks interesting, it’s likely something you already have in your digital library will be there for cheap and to own forever.
- patronizing remaining movie stores, they can be few and far between but the people who run them are usually very passionate about film. If you have one within a reasonable distance from you, it feels great to take a DVD back they recommended you or a familiar classic. Going to the movie store can be so fun and is something we’ve been deprived of since DVD’s decline. Same for music shops
- exploring obsolete mediums, if you end up getting a VCR you can find tapes for super duper cheap and watch a lot of movies and expand your library fast!
- movie or music or medium specific swaps if they’re in ur area, or trade with fellow enthusiasts anywhere you can find them, even online movie clubs
3d ago
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Mar 26, 2025
lowk live for the click clack sound. love being in a different place with cool hair.
May 4, 2025
this is the church that van gough painted in auvers-sur-Oise near Paris. It was a lot different than expected tbr, but very surreal still.
Jun 3, 2025