Physical media is enjoying an unlikely revival in Australia, with a new generation of buyers driving renewed interest in DVDs, discs and vinyl. Hard copy collectors and sellers say the people walking through their doors today look very different from those of a decade ago, and that something about owning a physical item is steadily drawing customers back.
For one independent reseller, the change is striking. Jarrett Gann, a hard copy collector and seller, said that if you had asked him ten years ago, the average age of people walking in was probably 40, 50 or 60. Now, he said, it has dropped to around 20 to 22, as younger buyers discover the format for themselves and start building collections.
Part of the appeal, he said, is that streaming services simply do not have everything. Hard copies can also include unique features that streaming leaves out, such as press kits and production notes tucked inside the packaging. He pointed to one storybook style edition that contained the press kit for a film along with detailed production notes.
The market has also widened considerably. Those in the trade say there has never been a better time for physical media in Australia for a consumer ordering online, thanks to a wave of boutique labels producing special editions and rare titles that were once very hard for collectors to track down.
It is not only about collecting rare items. Melbourne's last DVD rental shop is experiencing a rebound, and there is also an outlet in Carlton, an art house space, drawing customers back to the idea of renting rather than streaming. One reason is simple cost, with subscribing to every streaming service adding up to more than renting only what you actually want to watch.
The other draws are harder to put a price on. Customers talk about the pleasant surprises that come from browsing the shelves, and about the value of a recommendation from a real person rather than an algorithm. Many describe the experience as simply more rewarding than scrolling through a menu at home on their own.
There is also a social side to it. At these shops, people turn up in groups, keen to talk about movies and share their experiences, and wanting to watch films together again. No one is predicting that CD and DVD stores will suddenly reappear across the country, but there is clearly something about owning an item, or owning the experience of getting it, that more and more Australians crave.