Tony Van Veen is the CEO of Disc Makers and has some important thought about why physical media like CDs and vinyl are still important in a streaming world, especially for artists who sell records at shows.  I agree with this 100%:

I occasionally hear from an artist who tells me “I’m not making CDs anymore because my fans tell me they have no way to play them.” It saddens me when I hear this because those artists are missing out on a huge opportunity.

It is true that not every fan in 2019 has a CD player, just like they may not have a cassette deck or a vinyl turntable. But there are still plenty of fans who do, and who would like to support their favorite artist. I go beyond the income generating ability of physical media and explore how and why CDs, vinyl, and merch can help you connect with fans in a way no stream ever can.