By Hugo Stelfox

We live in an age in which technology is rapidly evolving, and a computer or phone from just 10 years ago is seen as ancient. Why do people still listen to records when 40 years ago they were replaced by more convenient ways of listening to music like cassette tapes, then later CDs? Now we are in an age of streaming music where you have millions of songs at your fingertips. There are many reasons as to why people decide to divulge in this seemingly inconvenient and expensive way of listening to your favourite music.

One of the biggest advantages of vinyl is that it is an analogue signal which means that it tends to produce a richer sound and is more authentic to the original recording, despite needing amplification and there potentially being noise in the background. However, although they are digital, CD’s produce a more crisp and clean sound compared to vinyl. Both are far superior to streaming, which normally compresses the audio meaning it is lower quality. These days Bluetooth headphones are used most often with streaming and due to the limits of Bluetooth, the quality of the music is potentially hindered.

Listening to vinyl is not only about the quality of the music as most people do not mind sacrificing a higher quality of music for the convenience of streaming and Bluetooth. Many people see records as collectables and have vast collections, including limited edition pressings; original pressings for older albums; coloured pressings; and picture discs. For many older people, records remind them of their childhood and if you go into any record shop it is likely that you will find at least a few men in their mid-50’s, searching for the next piece of their collection or even just looking for a specific record that they listened to growing up and wanting to relive their childhood.

Alongside collecting records, one unique aspect of buying vinyl is the unique artwork that often comes with them. Music is a form of art and when you stream a song, at the very most, all you will see is the cover of the album that the song is from. Artists often include extra artwork in the form of posters, booklets of artwork and even the sleeve of the record. It helps enhance the listening experience as it often gives more insight into what the artist was trying to achieve through an album or song. If you look at a painting on your phone versus seeing it in person is like day and night, and this is the same with the album cover; having a physical copy of it on a larger and more detailed scale than a digital version makes it a captivating piece of art.

Personally, vinyl is my favourite way of listening to music, and although it is much more expensive and less convenient than streaming, I believe that the rich sound you get from vinyl is like no other and often makes me hear a song or album in a completely different way. The artwork of even the album cover is just so much more premium and impressive! To me, the magic of getting a new record and spinning it for the first time while looking at the artwork included or reading about how the album was made is a feeling like no other.