Listening to music on vinyl. Not on Spotify, not on CD, but on "vinyl" – I'm going to list the charms of deliberately enjoying this analog and old-fashioned way of listening to music, which is still unfamiliar to many.
Artwork and Packaging:
Records typically come with large artwork. The album jacket, back cover, and lyric booklet allow you to enjoy the art expressed by the artist, which can be a means to understand and feel the music more deeply.
Listening to the Entire Album
Records are generally produced as complete albums. Therefore, listening to the entire album is encouraged, allowing for a clearer understanding of the story and themes intended by the artist.
The Joy of Collecting
Records are very popular among collectors. There's the pleasure of following an artist's discography and the joy of finding rare items.
Tactile Experience
Handling records is a manual process, with the tactile experience of setting the needle and spinning the record. This allows for a more active engagement with the music.
Analog Warmth and Sound Quality
Records are an analog medium, and their unique warmth and rich sound quality are appealing. You can enjoy the depth and rich tones specific to records that cannot be fully replicated by digital audio.
Going to a town where records are likely sold, to buy records.
Discovering a new hobby by record store hopping: on a day off, getting off at a station you usually don't, and buying a record based solely on its cover without having decided what to buy beforehand. Wouldn't that be a wonderful way to spend a day off?
Interior Decor Becomes More Enjoyable
Nothing looks better next to a record player than a houseplant.
A day that starts with watering your indoor plants, feeling the gentle sunlight.
It's strange how it makes you feel like some minor annoyances are just melting away.
Discovering Genres that Sound Better on Vinyl
Since you make the effort to go to an unfamiliar town and buy records based on their covers, you'll naturally end up listening to genres of music different from what you'd hear on Spotify with your smartphone.
For example, big band music that evokes 1960s New York.
