I'm a music lover. Spent my entire life embracing sounds, artists and the equipment used to enjoy it. I've had genuine love for each new and supposedly game-changing format. I can see why the digital format is rocking the universe. But I would be remiss if I didn't admit when I think of the best ways to listen to music, it goes back to where I started: the vinyl recording.
I think it's unfortunate that vinyl has become something of a rarity. Vinyl remains a great way to enjoy music. Put down that iPad for a second and take a look at five reasons why vinyl is better than any other music format.
There's a greater chance you'll explore new forms of music.
Go into iTunes or open your Tidal account and you go straight to the tune you want. Ariana Grande, the new one from Mariah or that tune you heard from this old group called the Rolling Stones, you put what you want in your cart and download.
At the record store, you might end up buying something you wouldn't have otherwise. A big part of the vinyl experience is finding something outside your comfort zone. The Belieber could discover 70s soul! The Britney Spears fan could learn why Cher is forever!
No one spends hours in a digital music store. In today's world, we're more interested in the Adele video that's getting millions of hits on YouTube. At the record store, time can fly while you explore amazing album art or unique artists like Captain Sky. You might drop some cash just to hear the sounds.
Think 30 years from now. How many people will you come across looking for Drake or Maroon 5? Not many. Digital is indeed forever. But that also means it will always be available. While you won't even be able to legally sell your MP3, the collector can sell that vinyl record.
Anyone with a vinyl collection has brokered a collection that can't be found anywhere else. For a solid comparison, your digital copy of the Beatles "Yesterday and Today" will never make you money. In 1996, a vinyl copy sold for $38,800.
Vinyl – as well as earlier formats like tape and 8-track — doesn't have to be loud. CD and digital music are artificially engineered formats that can't be louder. It's why so many people in public with headphones have their music so loud you can hear it across the street. Digital is a flat format transferred to a file that loses texture and depth. If you need proof, play a digital version of a song and then the vinyl version. Note which sounds better without having to turn the volume up.
And the debate goes on. Your digital music does indeed have that clean sound, but it will never have that rich, mahogany-warm spirit you get from vinyl. Audio compressed digital is designed to lose something. You can go 56 and have room for more music, go the standard 128 or go as high as 356 for a better sound, but sacrificing storage space.
As vinyl was engineered to be listened to under specific circumstances with no compromise, it will always sound as good as the originators intended it to.
This Guest Blog was written by Jessica Kane, a music connoisseur, an avid record collector, and a writer for SoundStageDirect.