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Is Physical Media Making A Comeback?
No, but it should
Much is being made of the sales physical media at the moment due to a slight shift in the overall downward trajectory in recent years. Vinyl is doing well again after decades of indifference, with most new releases getting a vinyl release instead of a CD release today. Books are also doing exceptionally well. Despite insistence from commentators digital and ebooks have never surpassed print sales. The continued existence of bookshops — even thriving in the case of the independents — is a testament to this. Many is the think piece that argues this is a sign of a shift in public attitudes toward internet culture, social media and streaming. Tired of paying for incomplete subscriptions that has stratified media rather than made it more accessible, the general public are returning to DVDs, CDs, Books and Records.
Sadly, that isn’t true. Cinema attendance is still down, DVDs and CDs, while performing better lately, still aren’t anywhere close to their peak with most studios not even bothering to put their latest product out on physical media, and while Books are having their best years ever, this is due to an uptick in the cost of a book but also, it isn’t new stuff that sells. Publishing houses make the majority of their money from their back list. Newspapers have scaled back print runs with many going completely online. Vinyl has…
