ABSTRACT
As streaming music service subscriptions quickly become a primary channel for listeners, how are previously popular channels—namely physical artifacts of music recordings—complemented or replaced? A survey with qualitative responses was conducted with streaming music subscribers to understand if physical media such as compact discs are still used, if music collections exist (if not, how they were discarded), and if subscribers plan to purchase physical artifacts of music in the future. Results indicated that most subscribers still owned physical recordings; unwanted physical recordings were usually donated or given away. A majority did not plan to purchase more physical recordings; however, expansion of collections, nostalgic engagement, and a preference for tangible formats were some future purchase reasons by current subscribers. The results reflected consistencies with earlier studies examining audiences of recorded music.
