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🇵🇱 Poland /Technology

Young people are fed up with streaming. “Cultural prestige” becomes a new form of rebellion

From Rzeczpospolita · () Polish

Translated from Polish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • John Lewis recorded a 96% increase in searches for CD players from July, while Luminate reported a 16% rise in CD sales.
  • Young buyers say CDs offer better value and a more tangible listening experience than phones or streaming, while vinyl has become less affordable.
  • Experts see the trend as part of a broader Generation Z interest in retro technology and a reaction against frictionless streaming.

Compact discs are returning to fashion, and young people are helping drive the revival. British department store chain John Lewis reported a 96% increase in searches for CD players since July, with many popular models now sold out.

The interest is also visible in music sales. Luminate said CD sales rose 16% this year, compared with a 2.4% increase for vinyl. HMV reported selling 10% more CDs year on year, helped by artists who include exclusive content on the format. Vinyl’s price is another factor: according to The Guardian, records cost nearly three times as much as CDs on average.

I like them because they are cheaper. They are much more compact than vinyl, and I think they have better quality than a phone.

· 14-year-old HMV customerThe teenager explained why she preferred CDs to vinyl and phone-based listening.

Tom Morgan-Freelander, deputy editor of technology magazine Stuff, said he had noticed a clear increase in interest in CDs over the past two years. He believes buyers are turning to the format because they no longer want to listen to music through their phones and want better quality at a relatively low price.

Richard Farnell, who runs a music shop in Manchester, said CD buyers are getting younger. Record labels have pushed up vinyl prices, he said, making the format largely inaccessible to this age group. Customers at an HMV store in London included teenagers and people in their twenties.

It gives me a different experience. I feel as if I am listening to the artist’s work. It makes me happy.

· 27-year-old HMV customerThe customer described the emotional appeal of physical music.

A 14-year-old customer said CDs were cheaper, more compact than vinyl and offered better quality than a phone. A 27-year-old man said physical music gave him a different experience and made him feel as though he was listening to the artist’s work.

Experts described the comeback as part of a wider retro-technology trend. Katrina Mills of John Lewis said interest in physical music formats was growing, while brand strategist Alexi Gunner called the return a form of rebellion against streaming platforms and wireless playback on identical smartphones. The appeal, he said, lies in restoring a tangible, sensory quality to listening.

Streaming platforms and wireless music playback on identical iPhones have taken the tangible, sensory quality out of listening to music.

· Alexi GunnerThe brand strategist framed the return to physical formats as a reaction against streaming culture.
About this summary

Originally published by Rzeczpospolita in Polish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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