Much has been written about the demise of physical media. Long considered the measure of technological progress in audiovisual and computing fields, the 2000s saw this metric seemingly rendered ...

We discuss which physical media is still hanging on in a digital world, and why, with a Houston record store owner and an area DJ. Physical media used to reign supreme. Before today's digital ...

Over the course of more than a decade, physical media has gradually vanished from public view. Once computers had an optical drive except for ultrabooks, but these days computer cases that even ...

In an age of ever-present digital convenience, it may seem strange to turn back to physical media. That seems to be precisely what's happening, though.

To many of us, CDs and records are relics of the past. While they were once collected by our parents and grandparents to access music, the widespread use of the internet has given birth to digital ...

In an era dominated by streaming services and digital libraries, physical media is quietly making a comeback. In 2025 alone, U.S. vinyl record sales increased by 8.6%. Physical album sales also ...

Book sales are up, and Barnes & Noble is expanding again, with nearly 70 new stores opened in 2025 and roughly 60 more planned for 2026. At the same time, independent bookstores are multiplying, vinyl ...

“Subscription fatigue,” frustration with streaming content changes, and a desire to collect rare finds are all boosting old-school physical media. The trio of 20-somethings who were happily sifting ...

Young woman browsing CDs in a retro-style record store - Phynart Studio/Getty Images The youth yearn for the past, or at least for the physical items it produced. Evident in online trends on TikTok ...