Music news: The rise of offline listening
It seems as though more and more people are turning towards alternative ways to listen to music, and are opting away from on-demand streaming.
Music News Blitz’s Nisha Cullen has a look at why this is happening, what the benefits and disadvantages of offline music listening are.
Vinyl revival
Before and during the lockdowns, vinyl records became incredibly trendy again.
The concept of having a physical copy of music skyrocketed, and many Gen Zs started collecting records.
The format of records and record players pre-dates Gen Z, making its resurgence in that age group incredibly unique.
I personally started my vinyl collection in 2021, with some modern artists, but also going to vinyl fairs and finding classics.
Benefits
Owning a physical copy of music is much more durable. If the internet were to cease to exist tomorrow, you would still own these pieces of music.
Today, many artists release new albums on vinyl in an almost collectable way. Whether it’s exclusive or limited edition pressings, this further increases demand.
Buying music from the artist will always directly benefit them more than a stream on Spotify would.
Listening to vinyl promotes more meaningful listening. You are choosing to play a certain album, and you’re enjoying the album as an entire piece of art, as opposed to picking and choosing which songs to listen to.
Disadvantages
With the trendiness of record collecting, people look for a trendy-looking record player.
Many of these record players are cheaply made, making them sound tinny, and they skip, ruining the warmth that listening to vinyl usually provides.
Also, the production of vinyl can be quite intensive for the environment.
Vinyl is made from PVC, a kind of plastic that takes thousands of years to decompose.
However, repeatedly streaming an album can be worse for the environment, and the durability of vinyl can be taken into account. They’re supposed to be kept and taken care of.
Nowadays, a lot of vinyl manufacturers opt for using a safer form of PVC that does not produce toxic byproducts during manufacturing.
iPods and MP3 players
More and more in recent years, iPods and other MP3 players have seen a resurgence.
There are many benefits to using an iPod for music, not just nostalgia or the increased interest of Gen Z in the Y2K aesthetic and era.
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Benefits
An iPod or MP3 is used for music. And that’s it.
No distractions, no ads - the minimalism of an MP3 player is certainly a benefit. No airs or graces, just music.
Having your music on a separate device can also be beneficial when it comes to storage.
I have about a hundred different playlists, but I have to offload them from my phone often due to storage.
With a separate MP3 player, you wouldn’t have to worry about phone storage.
Disadvantages
The main disadvantage when it comes to MP3 players is piracy.
Even when I used to have an iPod as a kid, I used YouTube to MP3 and would download music that way.
While cheaper for the listener, it doesn’t support the artists we are listening to.
Overview
More and more people are switching to the more classic ways of listening to music.
The lack of advertising and more mindful listening are definitely contributing factors to the popularity of listening offline.
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