The Rapid Rise (& Fall) of the CD

 Do you own or rent your house (or whatever you live in)? Streaming is in effect 'renting' the music, and the cost never ends, and will surely increase. I have a fairly large collection of both vinyl and CDs, but just bought an entry level streamer this week because of the wide variety of music it brings. As several others have said in this thread, it's all good as long as we are happy listening to the music.

I've been into audio since the 1970's so I've seen audio formats come and go . . . and come back again. Every time I travel to a new city, I search out audio and record shops. In every case, the owners have told me the primary group that buys LPs are 12-34's and at least half don't even own a turntable; they buy the records mostly to support the artists and hope someday to have something on which to play them. At my local used record and CD shops, I actually see people of all ages shopping for both. Perhaps my town is unusual but I don't think so.

I just love looking at a stream.  The art work and the production credits... makes me want to cuddle it does. 
I have a ton of physical media.  I have always wanted my own music store and now I feel like I live in the middle of one.  People freak when they see it.  I still have never heard anyone say, Wow!  Look at your download collection!  

Enjoy the music my friends~

I still have never heard anyone say, Wow!  Look at your download collection! 

@vinylvision1 But you’re kinda missing a lot of the point of streaming.  I don’t care how large your current music library is, it’s just a fraction of what’s available to stream, and there are worlds of new music to be heard that you’d never hear otherwise.  And that’s the point — finding worlds of wonderful new music rather than playing the same stuff you’ve already heard over and over again.  Not saying that’s not rewarding as far as it goes and I still do that as well, but that’s as far as it goes.  The ability to effortlessly explore and find unlimited new music is the most exciting and rewarding thing I’ve experienced as an audiophile of over 40 years.  Ignore that to your own detriment. 

For most of us the technologies are not mutually exclusive.  Some have dispensed with their CDPs altogether but I think most still have players and may spin some CDs.  And the difference between CD, CDs ripped to a server, downloads , and a streaming service are not that great.  Vinyl is different, not necessarily better, but one that has a lot of extra musical factors at work.  Same with Reel2Reel.  Surround sound is the one format that (regrettably) is headed for extinction .