Forget Spotify and its perpetual music recommendation engine, the people have spoken and physical media is making one heluvah comeback. And we’re not just talking about vinyl, the sales of which have been on the rise for some 19 years now. Both CD and cassette are seeing surges in popularity as the world decides to press pause on streaming and get back to actually owning music again.
According to MusicWeek, the sales of vinyl are set to surpass CDs in the UK by the end of 2026. Now, this is an interesting stat as vinyl sales have easily passed CDs the last four years in a row. However, CD is having its own resurgence thanks to K-Pop: the popularity of BTS’ ARIRANG on CD has meant that vinyl has a real physical rival again. Couple this with Taylor Swift using the format to her advantage, releasing four CD editions of The Life of a Showgirl in 2025, and those digital discs are very much back in business.
The key here is the demographic that are buying up these albums. It’s clear that there is something about collecting music that has really caught the attention of Gen Z — those born between 1997 and 2009, who are classed as the first digital native generation — and Gen A, who were born from 2010 onwards.
In 2024, Key Production found that the age group that was listening to physical music (vinyl, cassette and CDs) the most was those aged 18 to 24. Skip to 2026 and nearly half (46 per cent) of Generation Alpha are preferring to listen to physical music.
While the rise of these older formats may prompt some parents to head into the loft and dust of their old hi-fi separates, there are a number of brands that are helping physical media fans listen to the music the way they want to.
Seasoned record enthusiasts will wince at the amount of suitcase record players on sale on the high street. But it’s clear these are skewed to a younger generation. Thankfully, there are some trusted brands that have released budget players that sound and look great (one of which we speak to after the jump).
Here are our picks:
Record Players
Simply one of the best budget turntables around right now. It offers the best sound quality at this price and looks good doing it, too.
A fantastic-looking record player that sounds superb for the price. New drive technology offers up better accuracy, while there are some superb tech inside to reduce vibrations.
A fantastic entry-level player that offers both sound and style on a budget. This is belt driven and has a pre-amp built in.
CD Players
This superb CD player offers up the ability to play your discs in style. There's a 3.5mm jack on board to hook up headphones, as well as built in Bluetooth 5.3 support.
Coming in a variety of really fun colours, this portable CD player is something of a looker. To make sure the audio coming out of it is top quality, there's a Cirrus Logic CS43198 DAC inside, as well as Dual SGM8262 Amplifiers.
If you are looking for a CD player that has both substance and style, then the Ruark Audio R-CD100 is for you. It is a beautiful piece of kit with its fused walnut finish. This one does need to be paired with equally brilliant Ruark 100 Series of products — but what a pairing it is.
Cassette Players
This is a lovely product by Fiio. It's been crafted meticulously with full aluminium alloy and CP13's dual-tone casing has a 'zero' visible screws design, which makes this one sleek device.
We are big fans of We Are Rewind. The company manages to blend retro with the contemporary. Its cassette players offer Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity, as well as a 3.5 mm audio input. And there's some 12 hours' playback. Look out for the myriad limited editions, too.
You've got to love a bit of see-through tech and that is what you get with this Tomashi Portable Cassette Player — a smart see-through gadget. It offers decent audio playback, Bluetooth 5.1, a 3.5mm earphone jack and that all-important belt clip.
To get an understanding of what it’s like to be on the forefront of this retro renaissance, T3 spoke exclusively to the co-founder of We Are Rewind, Romain Boudruche, about embracing the physical world and just why people are choosing tape over streams.
We Are Rewind are at the forefront of the physical media comeback, offering gadgets that don't just play your cassettes but look and sound fantastic while doing so. Its latest release is a limited edition collaboration with Pink Floyd, which celebrates The Dark Side of the Moon with an exclusive Bluetooth Cassette Player inspired by the album's iconic artwork. Here we speak to Boudruche about the rise of cassette listening and just why we are all feeling a tinge of nostalgia for all things physical right now...
T3: The shift toward physical media has grown from what seemed like a brief nostalgic trend into a massive, multi-billion-dollar cultural movement. What do you think is driving this and is there a particular demographic you are seeing buying We Are Rewind products?
Romain Boudruche: I think people are looking for a more intentional relationship with music. Streaming gives us access to almost everything, but sometimes that abundance makes listening feel disposable. Physical formats slow things down and actually "own" something. They encourage you to choose an album, spend time with it and create memories around it. That's something many people have been missing.
What is particularly interesting for us is that our audience is incredibly diverse. While we certainly have customers who grew up with cassettes, we are also seeing a surprisingly large number of people in their twenties discovering the format for the very first time. For them, it is not about nostalgia; it is a completely new, tactile, and refreshing experience making them nostalgic of a time they never knew.
T3: We all seem to be going through a ‘digital fatigue’ right now. But do you think there is an us vs them mentality when it comes to the physical/streaming debate, or do you think both can co-exist happily?
RB: I do not see them as competing worlds. Streaming is an incredible discovery tool that I use every day. However, when I truly love an album, I want to own it physically. They are simply different experiences. Listening to a cassette is much more intentional. You do not skip tracks every thirty seconds; instead, you listen to the album the way the artist intended to tell their story. I think that is why physical media feels so rewarding today.
"We do not simply add a logo to one of our products; we try to create an object that feels like it belongs to the artist's universe."
Romain Boudruche
T3: How do you balance nostalgia and new technology when creating We Are Rewind products?
RB: That is one of our biggest challenges. We are not interested in simply making replicas of vintage products. We want to preserve what made them emotionally special while removing the technical frustrations. That is why our cassette players feature Bluetooth, rechargeable batteries, and modern electronics, while still keeping the authentic mechanics and analog sound of the cassette. We respect the past without being trapped by it.
T3: How important do you think is the physical act of choosing a cassette in the music listening experience?
RB: I think it is essential; it is part of the ritual. When you pick up a cassette, you are making a conscious decision and committing to an album rather than an endless feed of songs. There is also something special about holding the artwork, reading the lyrics, and hearing the mechanical click when you press "play". All of these small details become an integral part of the listening experience.
T3: Congratulations on the Pink Floyd X We Are Rewind release. This marks another fantastic band partnership — how do these come about? Do you have a wishlist of people to work with and how much are these things collaborative?
RB: Thank you! For us, collaborations only make sense when there is genuine creative alignment. We do not simply add a logo to one of our products; we try to create an object that feels like it belongs to the artist's universe. With Pink Floyd, for example, every design decision and creative asset we developed was inspired by the Dark Side of the Moon universe. That is what makes these projects so exciting. As for a wishlist, there are plenty of artists we would love to work with, but we always prioritize collaborations where music, design, and storytelling come together naturally.
T3: Is there a particular music memory you have that has stayed with you? Maybe the first cassette you bought, or the first time you saw a particular band live?
RB: Being born in 1988, I belong more to the CD generation. However, before I got my first CD player, I clearly remember borrowing my older brother's cassette player to listen to his mixtapes. He is a musician and used to record a lot of Beatles and David Bowie covers, as well as the Starmania rock opera. I would sit alone in my bedroom, listening to those cassettes over and over again.
"I think every format has its own story and emotional value."
Romain Boudruche
T3: Vinyl has made a comeback, tape has made a comeback — the next step is a Minidisc resurgence, surely? In all seriousness, is there a format from the past that you would like to see get more attention?
RB: Who knows! The Minidisc did not quite achieve the success we thought it would at the time, so perhaps its moment has come. Ultimately, I think every format has its own story and emotional value. For me, cassettes remain unique because they are not just a playback format, but a creative one. You can record, exchange, and make mixtapes, which makes the experience highly personal.
That spirit of creativity and sharing is timeless, and I think that is why the cassette continues to resonate with so many people today.
