Digital vs. Physical
Late last year, I got an mp3/video device. Without naming names (the brand isn't the focus of this post), it's one of the best available now - huge capacity, video capability, etc. Theoretically, it's the poster child for not using physical media (CD/DVD). I’ve been interested in this product for quite awhile now – no more road trips with piles of CD cases bouncing around the car, no more trying to decide in the morning what I wanted to listen to on the long commute to work. Now, I could have thousands of discs at my fingertips, no matter where I was going, and I could listen to whatever fit my mood. Great!
As I’ve spent about 4 months with the device, through daily commutes and two trips both national and international, I’ve certainly experienced the positive aspects listed above. But I’ve also realized some other things: batteries need to be recharged, I don’t like watching video on a 2” screen, I don’t like the effects of compression, I’m annoyed by the lack of information that accompanies purchased downloads, and ironically, I’ve started to bring CDs in the car because it’s quicker to simply put the disc in the player, than to plug in and scroll through 3,000 albums to get to the one I want to hear. That’s way too many choices before I’ve had my morning coffee!
Ironically, downloading music is designed to get music that people might not have heard before to the public in a quicker and more accessible way. However, once you have it, you might not know any more about it. I recently purchased a download and have been listening to the record repeatedly for a few weeks, amazed by the drumming it featured. “Who is this guy?” I thought. I scanned through the pages of my player, only to see a small jpg of the cover, which I couldn’t even really tell what was on it. This single jpg, and the band name and title were all it posted; essential yes, but who was the drummer? It was this moment where I longed for the gatefold LP jacket – featuring giant pictures, liner notes, creative design, imagery to match the music, creating a memorable experience – not just ‘a song.’ Oh, yes, and the name of the drummer could easily be found on most packaging.
Convenience is a fine thing, and music and video on the go is certainly useful, but physical material serves a larger purpose – it acts as a reference guide, it supports the design and concept of the content, and its serves as a physical reminder of something we cherish – much more effective than an ambiguous sea of 1s and 0s.
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