Recently, Spotify reported a record number of subscribers. The streaming service says the surge in users can be attributed to several factors, including its free tier. Other streaming services such as Apple Music and Netflix are also reporting increases in their subscriptions.
This type of news shouldn’t surprise anyone, streaming content has long been established as king of all media, but it’s not all peaches-and-cream with the streaming services. There’s a term associated with the streaming market known as “churn rate.” Summing up the term, it means a consumer will subscribe to a service for a certain period, for example to watch, “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” on HBO Max, and then once the season is over, they drop the subscription.
Conversely, with physical media, once someone buys a record, CD or Blu-ray disc, they typically keep those purchases so they can build a content library.
Physical Media Produces Intangible Emotional Connections
Dealers looking to form relationships with their clients can leverage the allure of records, as well as CDs and Blu-rays, Ultra Blu-rays, and DVDs to become a resource to help maximize the playback of all these forms of media.
A good example of the bond between enthusiasts and physical media can be seen in this newly released video from the YouTube channel Drumeo. In the video, the drum education channel goes into a record store with Chad Smith of The Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Chad is seen walking around the store picking up his favorite records and recounting stories about each of the records that sparked his initial interest in music. Chad’s reactions to these records are not uncommon. Physical media and vinyl often illicit these types of responses from fans. Streaming media while convenient and readily available, doesn’t produce the emotional connection that vinyl does.
Dealers looking to tap into the intangible connections with physical media can start by setting up turntables, CD players, and Blu-ray disc players in addition to streaming boxes and digital media systems to cover all the bases. The best part about today’s generation of turntables is they perform better than ever and they offer connection versatility.
Yes, dealers can still take the audiophile approach by installing a high-end turntable, a phono preamp and amplification, but companies such as Victrola and Sonos provide installer-friendly modern wireless connectivity solutions. Additionally, there is an ever-growing number of turntables that include built-in phono preamplifiers and factory setup with pre-fitted phono cartridges that ship from the factory already aligned.
These turntable products deliver near-turnkey setup flexibility to pair with AV receivers, integrated amplifiers and multizone audio components.
Regardless of what type of physical media the user favors, the important takeaway is today’s consumer has the best of both worlds at their fingertips with accessibility of streaming content and the performance and value of a new era of source components.
KMB Communications hosts a podcast called AV Trade Talk. Listeners can check out the podcast to learn about the latest happenings in the custom installation electronics industry. To listen to the KMB AV Trade Talk Podcast, click here.