In this new age of technology, digital music has completely taken over. Most of us use apps like Apple Music or Spotify to consume our music—and why wouldn’t we? They contain an almost infinite amount of listening material within a few clicks of a button. In this article, I would like to look at the positives and negatives of physical vs. digital media.

One of the biggest positives of digital music is saving money. Things aren’t getting any cheaper, and if we can find a cheaper way to do something, most of us will do it. Most music streaming services run around $10 a month, which is about the price of a single CD! Another positive is the space it takes up—or lack thereof. CDs take up space, but with digital music, you can have all the music you want in a confined space.

A positive of physical music is the personal connection you can find within an album. There is no other feeling like holding a physical copy of your favorite album. Pretty much all CDs/Vinyls that you will purchase will feature bonus material inside, such as artwork, lyrics, or even bonus music content! Another positive is the support you can show to your favorite artists. It’s no secret that Spotify takes a much larger portion of revenue away from an artist than buying a CD will. The final and most important positive is the music quality. The quality on a Vinyl record is something you just can’t get from digital music.

A big negative with digital music is the distraction it can cause. The temptation to look down at your phone while driving to pick /skip a song is extremely dangerous. With a CD, you can much more easily change songs safely.

Overall, if you are on a budget, I would recommend sticking with digital media. However, if you want to support your favorite artists, or just listen to music at a higher quality, consider picking up a physical copy of your favorite albums!