Despite the ease of streaming, physically owning the media you love can bring a deeper connection to music, film and the world.
Streaming services for music and movies have quickly become the most popular form of media consumption. However, there’s a certain je ne sais quoi that comes with building an accumulated personal collection.
“I heard a quote years ago, ‘There’s no romance in looking at someone’s iTunes library,’” Kyle Cook, co-owner of Hitt Records in downtown Columbia, said.
Since opening in 2012, Hitt Records has kept physical media present. To Cook, browsing through records can pique a customer’s interest and spark conversations in a way that online streaming can’t.
“It’s like this really, really great way to get to know someone and have conversations about music,” Cook said.
Buying and collecting physical media has the power to build real communities among a dying medium. Whether people go to stores like Hitt Records in search of the final Beatles vinyl for their collection or simply to browse a cool place, they have the ability to come together and share a common interest in music with their peers.
“We all listen to music, and we all hang out and enjoy music together,” Cook said. “I think that has a communal force to it that I think is positive, as opposed to dividing.”
The novelty of owning the things you love instead of just seeing them on a playlist can be exciting in a world that has become largely digital. Instead of hitting shuffle, browsing a store allows consumers to scavenge and explore.
Jesse Slade, the owner of King Theodore Records in Columbia, believes that owning physical copies of media is more meaningful than finding it on the internet.
“If you purchase something or invest in it, you’re a lot more liable to ingest it,” Slade said. Physical media stores attract customers by giving them a community where they can interact with like-minded individuals and connect over shared interests.
“People come to me (and) we’re just constantly nerding out and talking about new things,” Slade said. “It’s just kind of what we do here.”
Although music and film can be consumed by simply clicking a remote or tapping a button, there’s an unrivaled community that physical media brings.
