Some interesting stats from Discogs

We r spoiled here in developed countries.... most of the world doesn’t have streaming services at all, even countries with good working internet.... of course physical media will be in use and the reason is not it’s better somehow.  

Physical media, lp’s and cd’s are better than streaming any day of the week. You at least own the music, it is all yours forever. Plus, imo, it plain sounds better. Please show me the tubey magic contained in a stream! I’ve listened, its NOT there! Nothing can compare to an all analog lp from yesteryear recorded on tube equipment, its all there, a feast for the ears. I almost forgot cassettes! They can and do sound terrific on the right machine. Play mine on my vintage and mint Aiwa AD F-770 micro-grain dual capstan 3 head cassette deck. A futuristic deck made in 1983....heaven. I even still have and use a mint kenwood minidisc recorder! Lots of fun! Oh, and we must not forget the 5 analog tuners still in use, remember those? Sound fantastic!

Funny how folks just argue for the medium they are most comfortable with. They all can sound great when optimized. Just enjoy your music in the manner that you are most comfortable with. I happen to stream because today’s streaming gear and technology makes the experience far from computer like. Much real innovation is being poured into this technology right now and the sound quality can be just wonderful. No doubt. Every month innovation is helping to deliver great sound with streaming.

In the end I stopped spinning CDs because I am enjoying all the new music I would have missed if not for streaming. Such a Joy!

@grannyring “In the end I stopped spinning CDs because I am enjoying all the new music I would have missed if not for streaming. Such a Joy!”

100%. This is the greatest benefit of streaming. I signed up with Rhapsody (now Napster) about 20 years ago when it was one of the first on-demand streaming services launched. Streaming has come a LONG way since then, but what’s remained constant is the exposure to tons of artists and musical genres I didn’t even know existed.

This might seem dumb to some, but often when I find a “new to me artist” on a streaming service, I then start searching to find if any of their titles were released on vinyl. I just like owning something physical, I guess. Makes me feel more connected, invested when I have this chunk of plastic in my hands versus a disk drive of 1’s and 0’s.

No, not dumb at all, bjp9738. I think a lot of people do exactly that. I've listened to a lot of music for the first time through my streamer and then hunted it down on cd and vinyl. The streamer sounds great, and I won't get into an argument about "what sounds better/best," but there is something about ownership, and about the tactile and very visceral experience of going through a collection, removing the disc, and playing it. We're not just ears, and that physical connection you mentioned is, for me and many others, a vital part of enjoying the music. The vinyl revival is at least in part of renewing or establishing for the first time that connection.