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cassette eras, many younger people are drawn to cassettes for their small, charming appearance, curious to hear what they sound like. For this group, old music might not hold much appeal, but a cassette from an artist they already know and love is often the hook that gets them interested. Cassettes have returned to the music scene not just because of nostalgia, but because they%u2019ve started to carry new creations. This shift is what has allowed a seemingly retro format to reenter the contemporary music landscape.The Tangibility of Ownership in MusicAs more and more young people come into contact with vinyl records and cassette tapes, one can%u2019t help but wonder: why is physical music becoming popular once more?Jim Chang believes it may be because young people have never really experienced what it means to %u201cown music.%u201d He recalls what first drew him into the world of vinyl: on one hand, it was having access to quality audio equipment, which encouraged a more discerning approach to listening; on the other, it was the simple joy of %u201cowning%u201d an album.For digital natives, music is intangible, something borrowed from the cloud. Listening to physical formats becomes a novel experience. With social media amplifying trends, whenever a celebrity or influencer shares their vinyl collection, it often sparks waves of imitation and prompts more artists to release physical merchandise.Jim Chang emphasizes that the value of physical music lies not just in the object itself, but in how it invites listeners to experience the album as the artist intended, from the emotional arc to the context of the whole work. The lyric booklet can be flipped through, and the names of songwriters and composers become visible; %u201cthe full weight of a singer%u2019s effort is carried in it.%u201dIn contrast, listeners on streaming platforms often consume music one song at a time, making it harder to grasp the complete structure or concept behind a work. For many artists, then, a physical album isn%u2019t just a product; it%u2019s a work 032033Melodies Made Tangible