Let no one lie to you that CDs are things of the past. Even the upwardly mobile in Europe and other Western countries are collecting CDs. And, in fact, supermarkets, petrol stations, and music stores are still stocking CDs, which means that the compact discs just like vinyl and cassette tapes will always be romanticised for many years.
What Are CDs?
You probably have a surface meaning of what CDs are. But do you know what they are and how they work? CD is an abbreviation for compact disc, which is a digital disc data storage format that was developed Sony and Phillips. And they’re mainly used for audio and data storage. If you’re thinking that CDs fall within your generation, then you’re outright wrong. CDs were first released in Japan 37 years ago in March 1983. They are certainly bigger than current storage devices and formats, considering that they are 4.7 inches in diameter but the mini-CDs are fairly smaller with a diameter of 2.4-3.1 inches.
Era of Digital Music
Remember the audio tapes? The biggest casualties of the introduction of the compact disc were the good old music tapes. But wait, the revolution in the digital era continued and led to the introduction of Apple iPod and iTunes. It’s worth noting though that iPods came after MP3 and other audio formats had been tried and tested. Anyway, I hope you’re old enough to know what an iPod is. The iPods came with ultimate entertainment and threw compact discs out of the market in a way that couldn’t even be compared to. CDs made audiotapes disappear. And poof came smartphones. Many people stored and listened to music and watched videos on their cellphones, making the fall of CDs even more evident.
Also, there were flash disks and memory cards where people stored virtually every new video and audio. In no time, YouTube and other video platforms entered the market, signalling another fall in the use of compact discs. Today, people are storing data, and watching videos and listing to audios online or in the cloud.
CDs Comeback
Believe it or not, music CDs are making a big comeback. No one knows who’s spurring on the return of CDs and their older sister vinyl records. Remember that newer generations of laptop producers are not including CD drives in their devices. But still, physical media is on the rise when it comes to listening to music. What’s surprising is that it is the youth and not the then “yuppie generation” who have fallen in love with CDs. Like Unibet, which gives offers lots of games and offers, CDs may just be returning.
YouGov, a UK statistical agency millennials make up 10 per cent of all CD sales in the United Kingdom. In the US, physical media appear to be scoring higher. CNET reports that CDs and vinyl records contributed to about 12 per cent of revenue, whereas downloads in Apple iTunes stood at 11 per cent. Surprisingly, the recent spike in the use of CDs and vinyl may not be related to music.
Yes, some of the youth of today may be buying CDs to use at home, but most just want to stock them in their libraries. It may be that the vinyl records and CDs look stylish and vintage to the current generation. Just go to any social media, and you’ll see many people collecting and posting CDs like never seen before.