Will physical media take us back to the future?

Is a return to analog the way to a better future? While vinyls, DVDs, and CDs might be considered ‘vintage’ to some, for others it’s a way to fight against subscription fatigue.

Price hikes, licensing battles, and storage issues can make music, films, TV shows - and even your own photos - inaccessible. And sometimes without warning, your comfort watch might just vanish from all streaming platforms.

So what does agency look like for the modern consumer? And how has the expectation -- that you own what you pay for -- shifted so dramatically?

To answer that question, digital archivist K.D. Kemp and culture writer at The Cut, Cat Zhang , join the show to break down how physical media and buildable tech could empower us to envision a better future.

Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.

Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluse For handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at . See pcm. for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy