FEATURE:
The Needle and the Damage Undone
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Why Generation Alpha’s Appreciation of Physical Music Is a Sign of Positivity
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WHEN reports and statistics…
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come out regarding the growth of physical music and how formats like vinyl are rising in popularity, it is always cause for celebration! However, I guess there has to be a note of caution at times. Even if vinyl sales have increased, it is still expensive buying the format. It is not as accessible and inexpensive as digital music, so one wonders whether a lot of those who buy vinyl are still getting most of their music from sites like Spotify. I do feel that buying albums on vinyl is an activity that is more of a luxury. That you can only do a few times a year. Unless you have more disposable income, in which case you can do more often. However, it is good that record shops still exist and they are seeing more and more customers coming through their doors. Even if formats like cassette and C.D.s are doing well and still popular, the amount they sell are far lower than they were decades ago. A lot of people might not have a device to play a C.D. or cassette, so perhaps they are not as desirable as vinyl. Streaming is still a big part of many people’s lives, especially the younger generations. Even if you do not get the same listening experience and sound quality, there is something easier about accessing songs through streaming. You can get albums there and do not have to worry about physical storage or overspending. However, against the temptation of the digital world, Generation Alpha are investing in physical music. This article from The Line of Best Fit highlights a new study that provided promising and positive findings:
“From more than 2000 respondents, 46% of those born after 2010 say they're listening to CDs and vinyl, suggesting a generational shift back toward tangible music experiences.
The research, conducted by music manufacturing agency Key Production also revealed that more than half know how to use a CD player, with a smaller amount of familiarity with a record player; these are skills once thought to be fading with older generations.
While Generation Z has helped grow a resurgence in physical music sales in recent years, the latest findings suggest Gen Alpha is also playing a role. In 2024, the UK saw the first increase in two decades, a 1.4% rise in physical music, with vinyl sales continuing to grow and CD sales declining more slowly.
The survey also points to a shift in how families are approaching music and technology. 20% of parents say they prefer their children to listen to music on smartphones, with most favouring physical formats”.
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The survey does not necessarily say Generation Alpha are buying C.D. and vinyl. However, the way they are experiencing music is not as you’d expect. In a previous feature, I feared how young music fans would get their music. I grew up listening to cassettes, C.D.s and vinyl. I was listening to physical music and I balanced digital and physical at a point. At the moment, even though I listen mostly to digital music, I still prefer physical music and have a collection of C.D.s. I think, when I get my own place, that is very much the dream: to have room for physical music. It is encouraging that this trend has occurred. One would think that the modern age would see the youngest music listeners seeking out music through streaming. I did not expect that many young parents to have much of a C.D. and vinyl collection. I guess they would be in their forties perhaps. My sort of age. That would track. However, you do wonder if this will continue. Will the next generation keep up with physical music or will it go the other way? I do think there is a general appreciation of physical music. Generation Alpha connecting with their parents’ music and also growing up at a time when modern artists offer their albums through vinyl and C.D. There is a combination of encouragement from the parents for the children to listen to physical music and a natural curiosity. I think the price of vinyl might mean that the very young are not able to afford them. C.D.s are generally inexpensive, so that will probably be a first step for many young fans. They can then graduate to vinyl.
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If C.D. sales are not as healthy as that of vinyl, I think that will change. Encouraging too that nearly half of those surveyed – Generation Alpha rather than their parents – know how to use a C.D. player. I guess they are not as common as they were. I think every house needs to have one. The possible slight decline in C.D. fortunes might mean the players will be less widespread than you’d hope. I think we need to address that as vinyl is not going to be affordable to very young listeners. That temptation to go back to streaming. However, the fact their parents have C.D.s means they have exposure. Also, that combination of Generation Z helping in the physical music revival and Generation Alpha continuing that. It is also good for artists. How new listeners will be buying music more. Many might argue it is only a minor triumph. How streaming still plays a massive role. That is true, though many would not have predicted a few years ago even that we would get findings like this. Further studies and polls would reflect what Key Production found. I do think that a reliance on streaming is damaging. I am guilty of it. Artists not being paid fairly. The algorithm employed mean we are fed a very narrow window of music. We get too used to getting too much music for very little. I know physical music is expensive, though we should all invest more in it. It is vital that we do not live to see a day when physical music dies. Vinyl sales news means that won’t happen, though you always worry that a young generation will favour streaming. This news that came along is a positive sign. The more they are around physical music and the more common it is, the more they will build up a collection and pass this on to their children. We cannot pass playlists and music libraries down the ages. We need to have albums on C.D., vinyl and cassette. Things are not as good as you’d hope regarding percentages and the way Generation Alpha are interacting with music, though it is very much a step in the right direction. We cannot predict how things will go decades from now, but let’s hope that physical music connects with and is played…
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BY the next generation.