Why is Physical Media Back?

Thank you for supporting the channel: https://awesomepedia.org/support

Why is physical media back in an age of streaming and infinite digital choice? From vinyl records and cassette tapes to CDs and DVDs, formats once declared obsolete are finding new life. This video traces their return while asking bigger questions about ownership, memory, and the meaning of the objects we surround ourselves with.

I go to Sweden in search of old CD and cassette players in my parents’ house, and dig through charity shops looking for vinyl records and CDs. Along the way, I revisit some of the thinkers who can help explain what’s happening – Marshall McLuhan’s idea that “the medium is the message” helps us see why vinyl records matter in ways beyond sound quality. Zygmunt Bauman’s “Liquid Modernity” gives us a framework for understanding why DVDs still hold value in an age of streaming. Big Sounds from Small Peoples contextualizes how cassettes opened up new avenues for creativity and cultural expression, and Mihály Csíkszentmihályi’s The Meaning of Things helps us think about hoarding, collecting, and why objects in our homes often carry more weight than we realize.

This is not just about nostalgia – it’s about resisting disposability, reclaiming intentionality, and finding meaning in formats that demand more from us than a tap on a touchscreen. Whether you’re into vinyl, CD collecting, cassette culture, DVD libraries – or even iPod modding – this is a story about why physical media still matters.

Have you started collecting physical media – or did you never stop? Drop a comment below! And if you enjoyed this video, consider sharing it with a friend.

🎵 ALL MUSIC USED WITH PERMISSION 🎵

SUBSONIC EYE: https://subsoniceye.bandcamp.com/
Aku Cemas (01:10 + 07:55)

HUSSALONIA: https://hussalonia.bandcamp.com/
No To Some (01.30)
We Just Can’t Give This Stuff Away! (03:15)
I’ve Been Here Before (06:20)

HELLSTAR.PLUS: https://hellstar.plus/
GIRL MODE (18:00)

TOBIAS KARLEHAG: https://tobiaskarlehag.bandcamp.com/
Stay (14:00 + 30:30)

STREAMBEATS / Senpai Music Group LLC: https://streambeats.net/
Harris Heller - Path Less Traveled (00:00 + 28:30)
Nightshift (08:35)
Noir By Day (10:05)

INCOMPETECH: https://incompetech.com/
Beauty Flow (11:50)
Del Rio Bravo (07:30)
Envision (20:40)
Limit 70 (15:30)
Sincerely (24:35)
Smoth Lovin (23:10)
Tyrant (21:45)
Vibing Over Venus (01:50)
Loopster (04:00)
Welcome to HorrorLand (04:45)
Call to Adventure (19:35)
Ethernight Club (27:00)
Infados (29:20)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/b...

📖 SOURCES 📖

The Chaos Machine: The Inside Story of How Social Media Rewired Our Minds and Our World by Max Fisher (Though not directly referenced in the video, this was my main source for the first section on social media and dog training)

Understanding Media and The Medium is the Massage by Marshall McLuhan

’Plugged in’: technology and popular culture by Paul Théberge

Big Sounds from Small Peoples: The music industry in small countries by Roger Wallis & Krister Malm

Liquid Modernity by Zygmunt Bauman

The Meaning of Things by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi & Eugene Rochberg-Halton

Physical media sales statistics from the RIAA: https://www.riaa.com/u-s-sales-database/

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction
01:27 CD - the thrill of the hunt
06:08 digging up old physical media players
08:34 VINYL - the medium is the message
13:06 a quick message from me
13:53 CASSETTE - creation & curation
18:00 travelling and bribing
18:56 DVD - liquid modernity
24:27 HOARDING
28:28 conclusion

If you’ve read all the way to the bottom of the description, please consider supporting my work financially at https://awesomepedia.org/support