If you grew up as a Rock and Roll fan in the 90s, you probably have dozens of CDs still in your room. You take a look at them and you start to remember the good old days when you invited your friends over to listen to the latest album from your favorite band from a CD player and you are all vibing to a music experience so pure and sensual that it is downright tantric.
It is no secret, however, that digital streaming of music has become the new go-to medium for streaming tunes. Though it is convenient because of the sheer variety of selections that are made available to you, you definitely should not rule out still buying CDs. Why, you may ask? Because when you buy a CD, your intention is not simply to listen to the music, you want to have an authentic experience that cannot be captured by digital streaming. Having that said, here are the top reasons why you should absolutely still buy CDs.
They Provide A Timeless Experience
The first good reason to bring CDs back is it gives you the best possible experience when you want to focus intently on the music and not be distracted by anything else. Imagine this — you are in your room and you are using your favorite music streaming app to listen to the Exile on Main St. album by the Rolling Stones. You are completely lost in the music and you are having the absolute time of your life. Suddenly, a notification bell rings … you take a look at your phone and you find out that your mom wants you to come down because the meatloaf is ready. The moment is spoiled and the song has lost its momentum.
By replacing those digitally streamed albums with good old-fashioned Rolling Stones CDs, you can focus on the music and the vibe alone. The good thing about a CD player is that unlike a phone or a laptop, nothing else is happening in the background that can distract you. You can just close your eyes, not worry about the new cat video that was just posted on social media, and just focus on the awesomeness of the tunes that you are listening to.
They Sound Better than Digital Streams
This is an obvious one. When you are listening to a song through a digital streaming service, no matter how good your internet is, you are still listening to a digitally compressed file that is highly altered. The sound quality simply cannot match that of a CD, wherein the music is native to that CD alone. You do not have to fetch the music from the internet meaning it simply will not be as degraded as when you stream it.
Ideally, you want the music that you are enjoying to sound as authentic and as close to a live performance as possible. As of right now, you just can’t do that over the internet.
Buying a CD Shows That You Are a True Fan
A less tangible but equally important reason to bring back CDs is that the act of buying them was not just about listening to music, it was an entire subculture of Rock and Roll in general at the time. Anyone can subscribe to a streaming service and listen to a song because of the sheer convenience of doing so, but only a real fan who respects the band that was an integral part of his or her adolescent life would take the effort to go to a store, find the latest albums, and buy them with cold hard cash. It is not just about enjoying the music, it is about making an effort and in turn, making a statement. Not to mention the fact that CDs are also more financially rewarding for the bands.
So there you have it. Many people will tell you that CDs are dead, but they are wrong. If you want to have an experience that music streaming cannot give you, go to your favorite music store’s website, buy a CD and find out what it really means to be a true rock fan!