Physical media is coming back in style

Local shop owners say younger consumers are looking for alternatives to streaming services.

By MICHAEL VINSICK
For the MVI

In recent years, specifically post-COVID 19 pandemic, Generation Z and a mixture of older and younger generations have sparked a new trend in entertainment: owning physical copies of favorite music and films.

While online storefronts contribute a significant portion of physical media sales, classic businesses like record stores and vintage pop culture galleries still have a substantial role in driving the reignited desire to own physical copies.

One location, The Madman’s Moustache, is seeing an influx of younger patrons requesting vinyls, CDs and even 8-track tapes. Located in Perryopolis, the record store houses a variety of genres, from rock and metal to jazz and soul.

Owner Mike Weinstein acknowledged that younger people, especially Generation Z, view collecting physical copies of their favorite music as something exciting and new. He expects DVDs and films to follow after music.

“They’re embracing CDs and records. They’re embracing cassettes,” Weinstein said. “We haven’t seen a big, big move towards DVDs, although at some point I think we will. Right now, the pursuit of sources that aren’t streaming is primarily audio as opposed to video. There’s a reason for that.

“The percentage of people that watch a movie twice is lower as opposed to a person that listens to a tape, a CD or an album. Of course, you listen a lot of times as opposed to movies, where some of us enthusiasts will watch something a couple times, but for the most part, we watch it and dispose of it.”

Weinstein also shared his thoughts on the digital landscape for music and film. He stated that online rentals are designed to get consumers to spend more money for less access.

“You know what? There may be tech overload in the world,” he said. “One of the drawbacks of streaming is that you listen to one song at a time. I used to tell people that it’s like buying and reading one chapter of a book.

“Of course, our demographic of 35 and older is on their second round of changes. When we first opened this store 22 years ago, we witnessed a lot of people trading in their albums for CDs. Then 10 years ago, they started trading in their CDs for albums. Now a lot of them are going back because of the cost, the fact that CDs are a lot more durable, you don’t have to flip it over, et cetera.”

Weinstein isn’t the only one who expressed support for local businesses and artists. John Proffitt, owner of Mom’s Basement Records, is an avid vinyl record collector himself. He and his fiance run the record label from the basement of their home in Brownsville.

Proffitt described an unintentionally shared testament with Weinstein, where he believed that Generation Z and younger generations are experiencing something fun, new and exciting when collecting physical copies of their newfound favorite music.

“The younger folks that are buying physical media are riding a fun, exciting ‘new wave’ of popularity with physical media,” Proffitt said. “You have more and more huge chain stores selling vinyl now, as records are a part of pop culture these days. There’s also tons of online retailers that make it very simple to find whatever you’re looking for.”

Proffitt’s label primarily works with punk and metal groups and musicians, most of whom are local. He expressed that the best way to support artists from either genre is to buy from local stores and businesses, which both provides a direct line of support to allow for creative liberty and aligns with the anti-corporate, anti-establishment ideals of punk and metal communities.

“A lot of us in this punk rock scene buy physical media directly from independent record labels and bands because it’s the best possible way to support them. You can pay $20 to $25 for one record and that’s the equivalent of thousands of streams, so unless a name is huge, there’s next to no money in digital music.”

Proffitt’s home is a large collection of records from a variety of punk and metal subgenres, most of which has been sourced from local businesses and record stores. He mentioned conducting digital purchases strictly through a website called Discogs, an entirely community-driven site where individual sellers can post their vinyl records and other physical copies without the interjection of corporate entities.

“I try to buy most of the records I want directly from the record label or directly from the band,” Proffitt said. “Whenever that isn’t an option, I buy records off of Discogs. It is the best thing that a music collector could ever ask for.”

Proffitt’s collection is limited to vinyl records. Don Spagnolo, owner of Remixxd by Steel City Galleries, has a vast collection that ranges from vinyls and 8-track tapes to guitars to sports trading cards and jerseys. Located in Belle Vernon, the gallery store offers signed and unsigned releases from artists old and new. Vinyl records and physical copies of music have become popular amongst younger patrons.

“As far as vinyl, I think we’re getting a mix of people getting back into it and younger people with the new releases,” Spagnolo said. “People like to own something physically, and it’s cool with the artwork and everything. I mean, that used to be a big part of it back in the good old days. Now there’s some pretty iconic art that’s coming back on the covers. And I think it’s a way for people to show support for the artist in a way other than just going to concerts or streaming. It’s a way you can monetarily support the artist.”

Spagnolo acknowledged that newer pop artists such as Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift have introduced many of their younger fans to the concept of vinyl records and CDs. Spagnolo expressed that limited-time signed releases became collectors items that younger generations look for.

“For us, the biggest thing is that they’re doing a lot of signed releases now. And that’s our business. Between signed releases and the variants, like what Taylor Swift does, she’ll do exclusives for Target and Amazon and Walmart. It’s something for people to collect. So there’s a lot of reasons why. That’s driving the new stuff.

“Certain old stuff sells, but others don’t sell if we were to give it away for free. So the market is kind of picky as to what people are into, but it’s definitely making a comeback.”

Whether a record store, vintage gallery or record distributor, all the owners of these local businesses shared one sentiment: people are tired of renting digital media that lacks security of ownership. Younger generations, especially Generation Z, seek to own their music and films in a world that is becoming increasingly rental and digital focused, where the security of always being able to watch or listen to favorite media isn’t guaranteed.

With streaming platforms removing classic films and music for licensing and other legal concerns, people are beginning to return to older methods of listening and viewing to finally have ownership and the benefits that come with it.