In Defence of the Compact Disc

Why the humble CD still deserves a place in your collection — even in 2025.

The Compact Disc’s Quiet Comeback

In the age of infinite streaming, the compact disc often gets dismissed as a relic of the past. But for those of us who grew up sliding discs into a stereo, there’s a certain magic that Spotify just can’t touch.

Far from dead, CDs are quietly experiencing a revival among collectors, audiophiles, and everyday music fans looking for something more tangible than a digital file.

The Value of Physical Media

When you own a CD, you own it. There’s no subscription fee, no risk of it disappearing from the catalogue, and no changes to the mix because of licensing issues. Streaming services can (and do!) remove or alter songs overnight. A CD is a promise that your music will be there tomorrow, next year, and in 20 years’ time.

And for those of us in the music industry, it’s about the credits too. You can see exactly who played what, who mixed it, who mastered it (hint: sometimes me), and all the people who made the record happen — details that are sadly missing from most streaming platforms.

A Counter-Cultural Choice

Owning CDs in 2025 is, in a way, a small act of rebellion against the “rent-don’t-own” model of music consumption. In a world where everything is beamed to us through corporate-owned platforms, having a physical collection is personal, independent, and uniquely yours.

Exclusive Releases and Rarities

Some artists still release albums exclusively on CD. Titles you simply won’t find on Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music, or anywhere online. Others have back catalogue releases that never made it to streaming at all. For the true fan, these discs aren’t just music. They’re cultural artefacts.

Affordability

While vinyl prices have skyrocketed, CDs remain one of the most cost-effective ways to build a music collection. Many charity shops and second-hand record stores sell discs for as little as £1. That’s entire albums. Not just a single track. All for the price of a takeaway coffee.

Robust and Ready to Play

Compared to vinyl, CDs are remarkably durable. A used disc from the 1990s often plays just as perfectly as the day it was pressed. There’s no internet connection needed, no batteries to drain (unless you’re listening on a DiscMan), and no wear from repeated plays. Treat a CD well, and it will last decades.

Collecting and Identity

Your music collection says something about you. Your taste, your history, and your personality. Browsing a second-hand record store is an entirely different experience from letting a streaming algorithm decide your next song. Each jewel case you pull from the shelf has a story, a memory, a place in your life.

A Tangible Connection to Music

There’s something deeply satisfying about holding an album in your hands, flipping through the booklet, and seeing the artwork as the artist intended. CDs offer a connection to music that’s hard to replicate through a glowing screen.

In Conclusion…

I’m not saying streaming is the enemy. Far from it. I use it every day, and it’s probably my main way of listening to music. It’s clearly the dominant format and will likely stay that way for our lifetimes (maybe!). But there’s something about a CD that streaming just can’t replace, and hopefully you can see why I think there’s still plenty of life in the old format yet.

So, if you’re planning to release music on CD, you’ll need a proper CD “DDP” master. This is the industry-standard format for duplication. Unlike sending an audio file, a DDP ensures the factory gets exactly what you intended, with the correct track spacing, CD-Text, ISRC codes and all the technical details nailed down.

It’s something I’ve been delivering for decades and if you’re looking to give your next CD release the best possible start in life, you know where to find me.