via Unsplash+ (Ave Calvar)
Between the constant deletion of films and series on streaming services—remember the sudden removal of “Westworld?”—and the “cloud anxiety” consumers feel with regard to the security of their online purchases, digital home entertainment does not offer much for d*e-hard fans of a specific artist or medium. The convenience of streaming is not a worthy substitute for having a hand-picked collection that captures one’s individual taste and, to a certain extent, one’s identity.
Music fans have figured this out in recent years. Last December, economist Will Page predicted that record labels would gross over $1 billion solely in vinyl sales by the year’s end. Furthermore, according to a Music Week report, in 2024 alone, Gen-Z was the “driving force” behind vinyl, cassette, and CD sales.
Musical artists and record labels have taken note of this shift. Just ask Taylor Swift and the 36 vinyl variants of her recent album “The Tortured Poets Department.” which offer far more for the consumer’s experience than what Spotify and Apple Music have to offer. There are lyric booklets, exclusive live versions, and behind-the-scenes demos that provide insight into the songwriting process, giving fans a greater sense of connection to the music.
If the rise in vinyl popularity has proven anything, it’s that Millennial and Gen-Z consumers are unsatisfied by the anticlimactic and impersonal nature of the streaming experience. Fans want something tangible that can accurately reflect their adoration for the art that speaks to them. It’s high time that the film and television industries take advantage of this shift as well.
Why Music Fans Crave Physical Media
Millennials grew up when vinyl sales were beginning to plummet. Meanwhile, Gen-Z consumers are digital natives, having been brought up with little to no recollection of the world before the iPhone. So why are these younger generations fascinated with a more “retro” approach to media consumption?
In an interview on KUNR radio, 18-year-old Zoe Castillo claimed that having her own personal collection of records, CDs, and cassette tapes has given her a “deeper connection” with her favorite music: “It’s also something you have to cherish. It’s a deeper part of your love for music than [what] you can get with your phone.”
The resurgence of vinyl sales has also brought about a renewed interest in album artwork and the visual creativity that comes with packaging a record. The many aforementioned variants of Taylor Swift records are a prime example of how the increased creativity has incentivized fans to go out and buy multiple editions, thereby boosting sales even further and justifying the more expensive cost of vinyl production. Of course, Swift’s vinyl variants have also sparked criticism for having little to no real variation and for being a ploy to stay on top of the charts.
The accessibility of streaming and omnipresence of social media may make musical artists like Swift, Beyoncé, and Billie Eilish feel ever-present in our lives, but it’s the tangible experience of collecting their records and attending their concerts that actually makes fans feel closer to these artists and to their music.
What the Film and Television Industries Can Do
Saying that streaming has impacted the film and television industries in ways they find troubling is the understatement of the century. Marketing needs to move mountains and orchestrate "Barbenheimer" level events to convince people to leave their homes and pay to watch a film at a theater. Meanwhile, actors and writers deserve a new payment and residual structure that better reflects the state of streaming. Media executives watch their once-reliable avenues for monetization eroding from beneath them, scrambling to adapt their companies to the new era with a myriad of disastrous and confusing anti-consumeristic decisions.
So, on top of the challenges folks in these industries face, the consumer is not being adequately served. Subscribers of Netflix, Max, and other services voice concerns about the disappearance of their favorite programs from their libraries of content. The vast majority of the treasure trove of bonus features and behind-the-scenes featurettes—once a highly enticing part of a DVD/Blu-ray purchasing package—is only accessible via short clips for YouTube and social media, if at all.
The online passion for services like the Criterion Collection illustrates that there is a market out there for cinephiles and television fans to have their own version of the vinyl boom. Criterion, which boasts a library of classic and contemporary prestige cinema, has both a physical collection and a streaming service, proving that the two can coexist and prosper even within the same company. Although Criterion caters to a specific crowd of academic and intellectual film lovers, their collection provides their audience with exactly what’s missing on the mainstream services.
These consumers want to geek out on the experience of what it takes to make their favorite projects. They want those director commentaries, those early costume sketches, and those behind-the-scenes windows into the wizardry of visual effects. These bonus features help cultivate a greater following, providing film and TV lovers with an incentive to purchase a physical copy that they can call their own. Reviving high-quality Blu-ray and DVD packages can provide a permanent solution for the consumer who turns on Netflix one day, only to find out that their comfort program has left the service forever.
The music industry provided fans with a solution to their insatiable hunger for more from their favorite artists. The subsequent rise in vinyl production—in conjunction with the continuation of streaming—has paid off for the artists, the executives, and the consumers. Who’s to say that Hollywood couldn’t benefit from a similar kind of return-to-form as well? The only way to know for sure is through investment in this solution.
Stay up to date by following us on Facebook!