‘Algorithms make everything predictable’: why the CD is making a comeback
As John Lewis reports a 96% rise in searches for CD players, music fans share their reasons for ditching streaming CDs appear to be having a resurgence. John Lewis said searches for CD players are up 96% since July, while another report on trends in music and film this year found that CD sales are up 16%. With this in mind, we asked music fans why they favour discs over other formats, and if it is a new preference…
Key points
- John Lewis reports a 96% rise in searches for CD players since July.
- Another report found CD sales are up 16% this year.
- Music fans cite ownership, supporting artists, and avoiding algorithms as reasons for choosing CDs.
CDs appear to be making a comeback, with John Lewis reporting a 96% rise in searches for CD players since July. Another report on trends in music and film this year found that CD sales are up 16%.
The Guardian asked music fans why they favour discs over other formats, and whether it is a new preference or a lifetime habit.
Longtime collectors explain their preference
Andrew Wales, 67, from London, owns well over 10,000 CDs. He says he has always preferred owning music in physical form and does not need Spotify. Much of the classical music he listens to is available only on CD, and he bought his first CD in 1991.
Neil Cumming, 53, from Gloucester, has several hundred CDs and buys them mostly to support small indie and folk bands. He says streaming means you are basically renting the music, and he enjoys the ritual of selecting a CD and putting it in the machine.
Algorithms make everything predictable, but everybody’s taste is kind of random.
— Asha Varadharajan
New listeners and the appeal of limits
Gabriela Crowley, 32, from San Jose, California, started listening to CDs only over the last year. After having a baby, she found vinyl too bulky and inconvenient, so she began using an old CD player given by her father-in-law. She says CDs help with the paradox of choice that streaming brings.
Asha Varadharajan, 65, from Toronto, has owned her CD player since 1999. She says the patience required in listening to a CD makes songs memorable, and that algorithms make everything predictable.
