The recent album release of Wings Over America was released in both vinyl and as a CD. Additionally, NBCNews airs an ad on Roku about a vinyl collector. Yes, vinyl is still being purchased, and yes, Wings Over America is not the only vinyl album still being released. And yes, people still collect them for that vintage feel. CDs, though, seem to be *the* preferred mode of buying an album–if not directly online from a music store. All of this begs the question: “Is vinyl dead?”
On one hand, vinyl can not be and was never meant to be portable, unlike CDs. Vinyl has to be recorded to–guess where?–a CD, and then transferred to the device you want them on. Additionally, vinyl is played on big, clunky record players and are not able to be played elsewhere, really. These record players are heavy! Not only that, but a bump in the road while being played in the car, would cause the record player to skip, if not scratch, the record.
On the other hand, vinyls are fun to display and they definitely have an authentic feel, a crisp, sort of “this was recorded live in the studio”/”this is definitely a live recording” audio quality to it not found in today’s digitally remastered CDs. They can be played backwards where fans might discover a secret message…
Of course, doing this wrecks the turntable at times, which then leaves vinyl useless and unable to be played. CDs can be played on multiple devices, so if one breaks, you always have back up. Digital copies from music stores can be placed onto your new music device should you put the old one through a washing machine, like I have on a number of occasions.
Whether you think that vinyl is dead or not, these pros and cons are sure to trigger passionate debates amongst music lovers.
Featured Image Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
