Gen Z-ers are showing off their extensive CD collections on TikTok: ‘i have spotify premium and still love collecting cds’
Gen Z-ers are taking to TikTok to show off their extensive and impressively curated collection of “vintage” CDs.
On July 3, Freya (@fre.yuhh) showed off her collection of CDs, both purchased and burned.
“pov: you start collecting and burning cds because your car doesn’t have aux or bluetooth & now it’s an obsession that drains your bank,” they write.
According to the 10-second video, Freya’s collection, some of which is displayed on an aesthetically pleasing stand, includes everything from alternative rock and metal rock bands like Radiohead and Deftones to pop mainstays like Katy Perry and Britney Spears.
While CD sales have dropped approximately 93 percent in the last 20 years, many Gen Z-ers have found enjoyment in their collectibility.
“Digital streaming services have dominated for more than a decade, with vinyl ticking upward year over year since the mid-aughts. CDs have enjoyed no such resurgence. But they have drawn a devoted user base of young adults who came of age long after the CD’s heyday,” the Washington Post reports. “These are the self-proclaimed CD people, a small but devoted group that continues to love the compact disc and hopes for a renaissance.”
‘Once you start, there’s no end’
Many creators have taken to Freya’s comments to articulate their envy over her collection as well as their desire to start one of their own.
“Honestly wish I collected CDs instead of vinyl. Much less draining on my bank and easier to take care of and store,” @el__solano lamented. To this, Freya replied, “It’s such a cheap way of getting media im so glad i started on them.”
In response to @whoj4z‘s request for any advice on starting a CD collection, Freya wrote, “Make sure you have a good player, and always check in charity shops!! ebay is always very good for refurbished albums and a cheap way of collecting.”
“I have spotify premium and still love collecting cds,” @3vanescente revealed.
“Once you start, there’s no end,” @janfebmar777 claimed.
Sarah (@the_wannabe_alt), on Aug. 2, proudly showed off a wall of their alternative, glam rock CDs.
TikTok creator @musicboxtalks, on July 9, shared a glimpse into their collection, which appears to include Hole, Sade and 2Pac, along with their once-coveted Philips MC235B Micro Hi-Fi Shelf System, which debuted in 2007.
For many young collectors, part of the appeal of CDs lies in their affordability in comparison to vinyl.
“At Amoeba we never saw a stark drop-off in interest in CDs, just some lighter years as the spotlight shifted to LPs,” Jim Henderson, the co-owner of California independent chain Amoeba Music, told Pitchfork. “We expected less interest than ever coming out of the pandemic quarantine period, where streaming and vinyl sales spiked. But it really hasn’t played out that way.”
On July 7, Morgan (@m_orga_n) posted a video organizing their CDs, like the Sunday’s 1992 album Blind and Boygenius’s The Record, which debuted this year, in an acrylic case.
“Yaaaay! New home for my cds,” they wrote.
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