Thoughts and suggestions please

audphile1

... you’re not supporting artists or the industry by purchasing used CDs and used vinyl records ...

That’s true. What’s even worse is when people buy the used CD, rip it, and then return the CD to the store for credit on another used disc.

I’m unable to find stats indicating gen Z and millennials are buying new CDs and records.

Understood. You previously stated:

Physical media is a very niche market at this point targeting old school audiophiles. It’s the reality.

But the data doesn’t seem to support your "reality." The 2022 study by Luminate (quoted here by Inside Radio, itself an authoritative source) states:

... vinyl album sales ... were driven by younger women, with 34% of female buyers in the Gen Z category, while 62% of male buyers of vinyl were Gen X-ers or Millennials (31% for each).

It also states:

What’s driving those sales is not classic catalog titles, which might attract those older male consumers, but rather current releases, sales of which are up ...

Musicweek.com cites Key Production’s claim:

The proportion of people listening to physical music (vinyl, cassette and CDs) is greatest amongst those aged 18 to 24 ...

It also references Vinyl Alliance research that shows:

Generation Z is now the driving force behind vinyl’s current popularity ...

If you look at the top-selling LPs, it does look more like a Gen Z playlist than one by we old codger audiophiles. Here’s this week’s data.

audphile1

Physical media is a very niche market at this point targeting old school audiophiles. It’s the reality ...

Intuitively, that would seem true. But if you go visit a record store or two you'll likely find younger people outnumber "old school audiophiles." Further, if you consider that brand new record pressing machines are back in production, and pressing plants have been acquiring them and adding capacity, it seems unlikely they'd commit to such an expense for a customer base that's dying.

Vinyl album costs are in double and triple digits.

So?

If you are a serious collector and add up your yearly spend it will begin to look like one hell of a streaming front end if you spent this money on components.

But it isn't an either/or proposition. An audiophile can buy physical media. And stream. And enjoy both at very high fidelity. And talk and chew gum at the same time.