Vinyl records and other media in the digital age
At a time when music, video games, films and other forms of entertainment have gone digital, it is quite surprising to learn that online marketplaces still sell millions of vinyl records every year. In fact, according to recent data, sales added up to around 5 million last year (Forbes). This figure does not even take into account the millions of vinyl records that are sold offline, as second hand sales. Prices of vinyl records are also bound to rise, as they are starting to be treated as collectables, unlike CDs and other media.
CDs, tapes and other media
Although vinyl records are not likely to die out given their prestige, CDs just might. In fact, CD sales have plummeted in recent years, both when it comes to music CDs and CDs used to store video games or movies. Cassette tapes, on the other hand, have already become a thing of the past, and the question is whether this type of media will also assume some mystique and become collectible in the future.
From the practical side of things, there seems to be no future for these types of media storage. Remember when a video game used to stop working because the CD got badly scratched or damaged? Now people can rest assured that they’ll always be able to play games online, and even downloadable media is becoming less common, as people prefer to access online games, music and the like on the cloud, knowing that a company is responsible for ensuring that the product is easily available and functioning properly at all times.
