Before the era of Spotify, you may have utilized the groundbreaking 90s technology of CDs to listen to your favorite bands. But many of these collections have been abandoned to our attics or a thrift store in favor of online streaming for music entertainment. However, like the vinyl resurgence, Coastal Homeworks thinks there are five good reasons to dust off those CDs because they're starting to make a comeback.
CDs are Growing in Popularity
The Recording Industry Association of America reported that US CD shipments rose by 47% in 2021 (46.6 million) from 2020 (31.6 million), with revenue that rose from $483.2 million to $584.2 million. This marks the first time CD sales have grown in 15 years, although it still doesn't compare to the year 2000 when nearly one billion discs were shipped. However, it's still exciting to witness more music lovers moving towards the CD. Today's most popular artists, like Adele and Taylor Swift, make their albums available on CD, which pays them better than Spotify streaming.
You Can Listen to your CD Anywhere
Once you've bought a CD, you're free to do whatever you want with it! Whether you want to take it to any car with a stereo or rip the digital 16-bit files for storage on your computer or phone, you'll have access to music even without an Internet connection. The limits of streaming require Internet access, which you may not have on subway commutes, plane flights, or in rural areas. But with CDs and their files, you'll have your favorite album's songs always ready to go. Another limit of streaming services is they lack the full library of many artists, and you're also at the mercy of artists who may decide to remove their catalog from a platform due to licensing agreements.
New CD Players Are Excellent
It's easy to take your CD anywhere you’d like when you have a portable CD player. No, we’re not talking about your ’95 Sony Discman; older tech results in lower laser precision, resulting in skips that ruin your sound quality and listening experience. Modern CD players, both portable and stereo, will sound far superior compared to anything you had in the 90s, due to a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) that changes digital data to analog audio and then sends the sound to your amplifier. DAC is included in the majority of modern stereos and portable players so you can enjoy the crisp sound from your CD for many years to come.
CDs offer Hidden Gems of Music
Are you looking for a limited edition album or a special recording session? You likely won't find it on Spotify but on CD or vinyl! There are many hidden gems, from famous acts like Prince to a local band from your hometown, that are impossible to find digitally but can often be found hidden in your local thrift store. All it takes is a bit of digging to unearth a surprise. You can also research your latest mystery finds or hunt for something in particular through sites like Discog. If you want to resell your finds, a rare CD pressing will be worth more.
CDs are More Accessible Than Vinyl
Vinyl is currently undergoing a renaissance, and we think the CD resurgence is coming quickly. Although vinyl owners love to chat about the superiority of their product, we think CDs hold up well. They're more financially accessible to a wider range of people due to the lower costs across new or used albums. Just like vinyl, CDs come with booklets and artwork in their packaging, if not even more than vinyl. It's also far easier to store and transport CDs over vinyl due to their tiny size; you can have 3 times more CDs than vinyl and still have leftover space. If you damage a vinyl sleeve, it'd be tough to fix the damage, and may be easier to buy a whole new vinyl record. But in case of your CD's plastic cover breaking, it's easy and cheap to replace the case.
Don’t Ditch Your CDs
So many people have written off CDs, but we don't think it's time to say goodbye. They strike the perfect balance between vinyl and music streaming for anyone who wants to own a lot of physical music without paying too much money and still support the artists and local thrift shops they love. Here at Coastal Homeworks, we offer audio-visual equipment and integrated systems like CD players, stereos, and speakers that will highlight the sound in all your favorite CDs. If you want to participate in the CD resurgence, contact us today to begin!
