For several years, I have collected vinyl records, and I now have 41 records in my collection. I consider myself a collector of many items symbolizing things I love: model Formula 1 cars for my love of racing, polar bear paraphernalia to represent my favorite animal and so on. For me, vinyl records are another way to express my love of music; however, this has made me only part of a growing trend of physical media. 

According to Taylor Corporation, LP sales reached 43.6 million units in 2024, marking the 18th consecutive year of growth. This growth is expected to continue, with Taylor Corporation forecasting 65 to 70 million units of vinyl sold in 2035: a dollar value of $5.5 to $6.2 billion.

This mass consumption of vinyl records follows an increasing trend propelled by social media, where many people are stepping away from the digital age in favor of older, physical media including vinyl, CDs and DVDs. In an age where many of us find ourselves tempted by likes and clicks, physical media gives us a moment to slow down.

The ritual of pressing play on a CD or dropping the needle on a vinyl record may be just what we need in this generation, where the ease of apps like Spotify and Apple Music allows us to skip songs as we please. Physical media forces us to consume albums front-to-back, exactly as the artists’ intended, another reason why I appreciate physical media. 

However, the extreme consumption of physical media, particularly vinyl, presents a question about sustainability and environmental effects. According to United Record Pressing, vinyl records produce approximately 1.9 thousand tons of carbon dioxide for every 4 million records manufactured, an alarming statistic considering how high vinyl production and demand is currently. 

Some artists, like Billie Eilish and Coldplay, are working to combat the environmental effects of vinyl production by using recycled materials in their LPs; however, this trend is not widespread. If the projected increase in vinyl production is true, hopefully more artists will implement solutions for the issue of extreme carbon emissions. 

While it may be a little excessive, the aspect of collecting different vinyls—whether they be limited edition pressings that are signed by the artist or a simple old black vinyl—provides another reason to consume physical media. I personally have grown my record collection out of an urge to collect my favorite artists and albums, and I find joy in the search for more limited pressings.

Although the growing trend of physical media presents some challenges, it ultimately provides some positives in the digital age. Where many of us would typically scroll through TikTok and Instagram Reels, we are instead putting in a DVD and watching a movie. Instead of shuffling on Spotify to find the perfect song, we are listening to vinyls and CDs front to back, top to bottom. You might just find your new favorite song by not skipping through the B-side.

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Mady Kiser at [email protected].