The Return of Physical Media: why people are coming back to the hard copies of their favourite films, music and shows
There is nothing compared to that feeling, right? That feeling of physically holding your favourite art in your hands – whether it be an album, a beloved childhood film, or perhaps that one TV series that always seems to cheer you up when you feel down in the dumps. That feeling of seeing your favourite art sit proudly in your home…even if it may be tucked away out of sight in a drawer. That feeling of knowing – knowing that your favourite art is yours to keep. Forever.
However, in the past couple of years, that feeling has seemed to have vanished. Disappeared. Gone without a trace; physical media – such as CDs and DVDs – have gone without a trace. They have all been replaced. Replaced by streaming services.
Over the past decade, we have left the realms of physical media for the never-ending online world of streaming. A world that has indeed become an integral part of our lives; it has impacted the way that we engage and view content, providing convenience and on-demand access to a variety of film, television, and audio options that cannot be found anywhere else – including exclusive content. For instance, the Netflix original series “Stranger Things’, which as of this year, ahead of the highly anticipated final season premiering from November 26, has earned the streaming service a revenue of over $1 billion since its debut in 2016!
Despite everything that the successful world of streaming can provide, there is still something it cannot offer – and it is that feeling. That feeling of physically enjoying and owning and enjoying a DVD, CD, vinyl, cassette tape, or even a VHS tape is something irreplaceable. Physical media is irreplaceable and is the reason why many of us are slowly returning to the hard copies of our favourite media. This includes myself; since late 2024, I brought out my old CD and DVD players and began to build up my own personal collection of CDs and DVDs (Taylor Swift albums and all the Harry Potter movies included) Indeed, everything old is new again. However, collecting physical media is certainly not about conforming to a latest online trend, nor simply about the ‘aesthetics’ or visual appeal, but instead, a cultural shift. Physical media is slowly shifting its way back into our lives. But why?
Firstly, even though major streaming platforms such as Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime remain highly popular amongst people, they come with many downsides. Primarily, one of them being the rising costs of many of these streaming services. In September 2025, Disney+ revealed their price increases of subscriptions; a standalone monthly subscription without ads, it has increased from $15.99 to $18.99, and for an annual subscription, an
Increase from $159.99 to $189.99. With the Australian average household having at least 3 accounts for streaming services – and paying at least $492 per year for these services on average – streaming indeed costs a lot!
Due to these high costs, in the middle of the ‘Cost of Living Crisis’, people are starting to step away from streaming and seek other alternatives. One of these alternatives include going back to physical copies of movies and television shows. In recent times, I have visited many op-shops – or rather ‘thrift’ stores – in my local area, purchasing DVDs in good condition for only $1 or $2 each! Now that’s a bargain! Physical copies of media are away more affordable, aren’t they?
Another reason for physical media’s gradual comeback is also due to its guaranteed ownership. When streaming our favourite music and movies on many popular platforms, we are only paying for a license to access them. Even if we do not have to pay a subscription to access video and audio via streaming services like YouTube and Spotify, there are still ads…and no one likes ads, right? When it comes to ownership on a streaming platform, we do not own anything. The streaming platform does, meaning that they can do anything they want with movies, music and TV shows on their platform. They can even take things off from their platform, due to issues such as contracts and licensing deals. Currently, for Netflix, major blockbuster and classic films including Back to The Future, Clueless, and 10 Things I Hate About You are to be removed soon in December! You can imagine that this will lead to distraught viewers trying to find another platform that has one of these films! However, if you own these films on a DVD or VHS format, you can enjoy them whenever you want, wherever you want, without any fear or threat or erasure anytime soon!
Thirdly, because of nostalgia. As mentioned earlier, everything old is new again, and that seems to be the case for many forms of physical media. Popular artists such as Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, and Olivia Rodrigo have fully embraced vinyl as a part of their music production, offering their fans a sense of nostalgia. Nostalgia, indeed, sells. It reminds us of simpler times. It takes us back to better times. Better times before technology rapidly took over. In a digital age as of today, nothing ever stops or slows down. With technology quickly advancing at the blink of an eye, sometimes we want to take a step back, rather than a step forward. We long for the past. Young people, including myself, have never truly experienced eras such as the 80’s, 90’s and 2000’s firsthand, but through forms of physical media, there is that possibility to experience fragments of it. Physical media allows us to reconnect with more meaningful and simple moments!
Nevertheless, physical media provides us with that feeling – a feeling that cannot be truly replaced. A feeling that we love, cherish and long for. A feeling that streaming can never replace. A feeling as to why people, little by little, are coming back to the hard copies of film, television and music. Nothing will ever replace that feeling. Never.
Ruby C, Year 9