Why collect vinyl?

In a world where you can stream a large amount of music through services like Spotify, YouTube, iTunes, or my preferred method, Tidal, why would you spend money on vinyl records? Sometimes artists or record labels will remove their music from streaming services. If you are like me and want to listen to that artist it can be very frustrating.

In this day and age the way music is consumed is almost as an afterthought for a lot of people. It’s a background piece while attention is paid in another direction and people really don’t take the time to appreciate what the artists put time and effort into.

I have been buying and collecting physical media like cassettes, CD’s & vinyl records since I was about eight years old. I have always preferred to own a physical copy of music I love. I do prefer the sound of a record over everything else. I love being able to hold the album and look at the art, read the liner notes and have that tactile experience while listening to the music as it is intended by the artist.

I have found owning a record and going through all the motions that it takes to listen to a record makes the experience much more fulfilling and personal. You are put in a position where the act forces you to pay much more attention to the music and the message.

With vinyl being my preferred means of consuming music I have an ear that hears a difference. I can get a fuller soundstage while listening to a record. There are also a lot of newer pressings coming out by higher end record companies like Analogue Productions, Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, Impex Records and Music on Vinyl (just to name a few) that are putting a lot of effort into the highest quality mastering and pressing they possibly can to get the best sound quality possible. It is a good time for music lovers that want to collect vinyl and listen to a high quality presentation of what they love.

If you do decide that you want to start collecting vinyl I would suggest a step above a starter turntable set-up. You will immediately get a better sound out of any record you listen to. It doesn’t have to be something crazy expensive but even that step up will be very noticeable. I would also suggest buying albums you know you love. Something that you have zero skips listening to and want to listen to more than casually. It will give a more immersive and personal experience with music you love.

Just taking that time for yourself and spending it with something that will trigger emotions and memories in a way you can only get from a musical high or low is worth it to me. I found that vinyl makes me happy and I hope you find your happiness collecting your favorite artists on vinyl.