Smelling the time-worn sleeves, feeling the delicately pressed records, hearing the stylus trace the grooves, seeing the plethora of albums paint the room, tasting each genre from blues to classical — this represents music at its fullest. Generation Z is reviving vinyl to experience music as it used to be heard. 

Eve Monsees, Antone’s Record Shop co-owner, confirmed the number of people in Austin buying records has increased continuously over the past decade.

 “It was so interesting to watch the fact that … people wanted to have something physical in their hands,” Monsees said. “Not just passively streaming music, but actually holding something. Reading the liner notes. It’s a more personal experience.” 

Monsees said the thrill of showing each other records, interacting with other customers or the charm of owning an album as decor makes vinyl personal.

“If it’s something that you really like, you want to have more of a commitment to that sound,” Monsees said. “There’s different people who buy for different reasons. But ultimately… it’s something special.” 

Radio-Television Film freshman Elli Hicks said records offer a level of authenticity, especially with the sound. She associates listening to vinyl with films from the 1800’s. Hicks said Vinyl encourages listeners to slow down and savor every second of the finest musical experience. 

“With music you can time capsule a moment from however long ago in that disc,” Hicks said. “More people are understanding the level of fun (vinyl) can bring and the difference compared to headphones.” 

Raoul Hernandez, assistant professor of instruction, said Generation Z cares about experience over “stuff.”

“So why would you want the stuff?” Hernandez said. “People have such a close relationship to music, they have to own part of it. You don’t own something on Spotify, it can be on your phone, but it’s not yours.” 

Hernandez said people need a physical manifestation for their love, “and that’s legit.”

“An album that you bought on vinyl, you prop it up at home, and it’s art, you see it,” Hernandez said. “It’s a part of you.”

Listening to Def Leppard’s Hysteria on both Spotify and vinyl, Hernandez said he preferred the record’s sound.

“It’s hard to say why it sounds better diffused into a room, but it does. The way it travels in space, the way it bounces off,” Hernandez said. ”You hear the grandeur of it.”

Hicks said vinyls provide listeners with a recording of a special moment in time, making it a personal and special experience.

If you can’t hear it live, hear it on a record because, as Monees said, “Sometimes the imperfection is what’s appealing in a digital world.”