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AIBU?

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Original poster

AIBU to miss buying CDs and having a physical music collection?

121 replies

Greyblankie · 14/03/2026 10:25

everything is digital now, Alexa, Spotify, Amazon music etc … I miss buying actual albums, having collections, the art work, the different album covers, the thrill of having a physical collection of your favourite artists - the thrill of a new CD being placed amongst your collection …

Anyone else miss this? Do people actually buy CDs anymore?

OP posts:
JohnTheRevelator · 14/03/2026 21:09

I'm regarded as a bit quaint by some people as I still buy CDs.

Justletmemoveon · 14/03/2026 20:23

My DDs 17 and 14 have both recently got themselves CD players and love them. They’re both very into their music. Keep going with CDs if you want them!

Dontlletmedownbruce · 14/03/2026 20:08

I decided to clear out the old CD collection recently, intending to keep albums or anything sentimental but throwing out the rest. We had some awful best ofs and those free ones that came with the Sunday papers. They were all boxed in the attic. Along came DH to 'help' and we now have our CDs in a CD display in our sitting room.

YowieeF · 14/03/2026 19:56

I stopped buying CDs many years ago and started buying vinyl, I love it. Have a good variety of albums and enjoy listening to them and looking at the covers / inserts etc.
I get what you are saying - I love looking at second hand record shops.

Whatnameisif · 14/03/2026 19:51

I still buy CDs and books over digital music and Kindle books. I don't think I've ever bought music digitally actually.

Alexa drives me insane and I only tolerate her because my husband wants her. If we ever divorce she's going with him. I don't want to hear adverts. I don't want to pay a monthly fee.

Diversion · 14/03/2026 19:46

I love that I actually own my music and film collection, I buy CDs and DVDs often. I tend to buy a lot of pre owned DVDs and can often pick them up for a couple of pounds or so. When we bought our car I asked for a CD player to be fitted much to the amusement of the salesperson as I would prefer not to have my phone connected to my car. I do have basic Spotify and Prime but refuse to pay any additional fees. No connection issues, no risk of my account being hacked and I can watch a film or listen to music that I actually own whenever I want.

Elbowpatch · 14/03/2026 19:41

I recently dug out the CD player I bought in 1990 and was pleasantly surprised to find that it still works perfectly. I never had much of a connection with DVDs.

weareallcats · 14/03/2026 19:36

I don’t miss cds or videos/dvd but I like having a few special albums on vinyl (expensive, so I’m choosy). I will never have a kindle though - love physical books and the space they demand.

SemiRetiredLoveGoddeess · 14/03/2026 19:33

In a way..But l have more shelf room and a lot less dusting.

Laura95167 · 14/03/2026 19:27

I buy cds dvds and books all the time.. if you want then you can get them

HJC88 · 14/03/2026 19:23

We have a massive record collection, hundreds of albums, singles and CDs collected over 50 years (many of which are now stored in our capacious loft) but the joy of having the physical media is unsurpassed. Yes, digital is easy but vinyl, particularly, is tangible and special. Buy it if you want, you've always got it then even if digital streaming moves on to something else.

Philomel001 · 14/03/2026 19:23

YABU, I'm gen z, grew up with VHS and CDs, never had an issue with still getting them, I also collect Vinyls, if you want to collect you can.

Single50something · 14/03/2026 19:16

I love cds. You can obv still buy them. Its only the last year ive had a car that doesn't have a cd player and miss it. Considering getting a portable cd player for the car :)

SALaw · 14/03/2026 19:11

Just buy them then? They are available to you to buy so why deprive yourself if you preferred it?!

PickAChew · 14/03/2026 19:09

I do.

And DS1 does, though his are from charity shops.

AllaMova · 14/03/2026 19:08

I don’t buy CDs anymore, but I do buy vinyl and blu rays (only my favourites though, as we’re pushed for space!)

PropitiousJump · 14/03/2026 19:08

YABU because there is nothing to stop you doing this. I do.

Willsmer · 14/03/2026 19:06

Vinyl 33/13, 45s and maybe 78s.Don't forget cassettes. Way before CDs

Middleagedspreadisreal · 14/03/2026 18:50

I don't stream at all, have 3 large drawers full of cd's - in alphabetical order- play them often and won't change

AlleycatMarie · 14/03/2026 18:24

Buy vinyls??

lilkitten · 14/03/2026 18:24

My 15yo buys CDs and vinyl as he likes owning a physical copy. He thinks the adults are the strange ones for wanting to stream it - meanwhile all our friends are giving him their old CDs and vinyl as they're not listening to it that way

ThisSunnyBee · 14/03/2026 18:21

Can't bear the thought of all the plastic waste of the physical thing and all the clutter. Charity shops bin 10000s of them all the time, don't need to physically have it to enjoy the music etc

SuperBlondie28 · 14/03/2026 18:16

Yes. I still buy CD's and have a Denon 80s style mini hifi system in the bedroom. We have a HMV where I live too. I'd rather buy at HMV than Amazon. Or from Ebay/Vinted.

I also have a blu ray/dvd collection. Luckily I have space.

One thing I do not buy anymore is paperbacks. I love my Kindle and wait for the offers. The library is generally open when I'm at work before it gets mentioned lol

Enrichetta · 14/03/2026 17:44

SurferRona · 14/03/2026 16:32

Yes! As a teen in 80s/90s, I started off with a midi hi FI system (tape deck, radio, CD AND turntable!) but switched to separates as soon as I was self financing. Richer Sounds has been my go to for 35 years ish, always knowledgable staff, great deals and amazing quality. The experience of listening to music is hugely different for me at home vs on the go (buds) or in car. But I love music and hearing it in a quality sound really matters to me.

Oh, and six years ago, we moved CDs into soft pockets and our joint collection space for over a thousand (!!!) shrank considerably. I also have my own playlists on Spotify, but an artist will often tell a story through an album and listening to one or two tracks doesn’t give you the experience of that art as the artist intended. You could never get the story of The Ninth Wave or Lily Allen’s latest by picking out only the tune which immediately appeals. I like that I have to work sometimes at albums and over time experience them very differently. My home sound system allows music to nourish me, on the go or streaming is junk food, or a cigarette -or a quick scratch of an itch- for an immediate hit.

Show quote history

I agree. The difference a proper sound system makes is incredible, especially for classical music. Today it is possible to get much cheaper and quite compact systems that still produce great sound.

Anewerforest · 14/03/2026 17:24

I still buy cds and some of my old ones go back to the 1980s. Much better sound quality than streaming.

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