GEN ZERS ARE CANCELING SPOTIFY AND BUYING CDS INSTEAD—HERE'S WHY

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“I realized I had a decent collection of music, knew how to access CDs, buy music for an iPod and own it,” one told Newsweek.

A number of Gen Z and millennial music lovers are walking away from Spotify and other big streaming platforms, opting instead for CDs, iPods and other forms of physical media in a bid to reclaim a sense of ownership over the tunes they love.

The shift, which has been playing out across TikTok and other platforms, reflects a wider generational backlash against digital overload and subscription culture—and a renewed appetite for slower, more intentional ways of consuming media.

"I decided to leave streaming platforms because, one day, I realized that I already had a decent collection of music, knew how to access CDs, buy music for an iPod and actually own it," Amity, a New York-based creator who posts under the handle @thebrooklynbruja, told

Newsweek. "It was something I did my whole life and still partially did as an adult, so I decided to fully commit to letting go of streaming services."

The move away from streaming is not about rejecting technology outright, but about choosing limits. As more young people speak openly about burnout, decision fatigue and constant online noise, physical media—once dismissed as outmoded—has begun to feel newly appealing.

Among digital cameras and books, CDs, MP3 players and even Walkmans offer something mass streaming does not: permanence, individuality, focus and a tactile connection to culture that cannot be revoked with a policy change, a rise in prices or a deleted account.

In a TikTok video, Amity shared "a day in the life of someone centering physical media over streaming services like Spotify."

The clip shows them listening to a CD on a portable blue player and dancing to the music through wired headphones, the latter having become a big trend among Gen Z in 2025. The caption acknowledged that more "efficient" options exist—MP3s, iPods, ripping CDs to a computer—but made clear that efficiency was never the point.

Amity, who prefers to keep their full identity private, is 30 and grew up before streaming services dominated music consumption. They said their relationship with physical media has deep roots, shaped by childhood habits that were gradually sidelined by the instant gratification of platforms such as Spotify. Over time, however, those platforms began to feel less liberating and more draining.

"Listening to music this way made me realize how bad my decision fatigue was when selecting songs on streaming…The inability to listen to a full album without growing bored," Amity said. "Physical media brings me back into myself and allows me to be present for the music I’m experiencing, unlike streaming, which takes less thought, effort, patience. Giving me the same effect as doomscrolling.

"Physical media and collecting other things from my childhood such as toys like Tamagotchi became ways to do that and brought me so much healing," Amity added. "That’s when the idea to post about love for and collection of physical media was born."

Amity holds a CD player, left; and Apple Music and Spotify apps are displayed on an iPhone. Credit: GETTY IMAGES

The appeal of physical media extends beyond nostalgia.

For many young people, it is a direct response to the growing feeling that digital culture is built on access, not ownership. Songs, films and shows paid for through subscriptions and held in clouds can disappear without warning, licenses can expire, and platforms can change terms overnight.

"We’re all waking up to the fact that we basically own nothing," Amity said. "Not movies, shows, songs, art, games—it’s all borrowed in a place that it can be deleted forever despite paying for it."

That sense of impermanence has collided with a broader cultural mood.

Gen Z, often described as digitally native, is increasingly vocal about the downsides of being constantly connected. Alongside trends toward flip phones, film cameras and analogue hobbies, the resurgence of CDs and MP3 players reflects a desire for media that demands attention rather than fragments it.

While the trend is still somewhat niche, similar posts documenting the shift away from streaming have also gained attention online, underscoring how much the sentiment has spread.

On January 26, creator @kindaknitting shared a blunt declaration—“Leaving Spotify has changed my life"—pointing to cost as a major factor, noting that subscriptions can quietly add up to hundreds of dollars over time, while CDs are often cheap and plentiful in thrift stores. The message has resonated amid a cost of living crisis that has left many Gen Zers re‑evaluating recurring expenses and the value they get in return.

Elsewhere, @agirlandherhandbags posted an aspirational, aesthetic clip of themselves burning music onto iTunes drives, with on‑screen text reading: "2026: The year I cancel my Spotify subscription and start owning media."

"It speaks on the fact that many people feel a lot like I do," Amity said. "Ready to return to some of our roots, put down our phones and live in the moment with media we actually own."

But as streaming remains the dominant mode of consumption, physical media is unlikely to replace it entirely.

Spotify told Newsweek that it believes a growing interest in physical media can coexist with streaming services, but that recent in-house data suggests the platform is still as popular as ever with younger users. 

"We continue to see very strong engagement on Spotify, and Gen Z is one of our most active and engaged audiences," the spokesperson said. "According to a 2025 survey of 8,400 respondents across 19 global markets, 75 percent of Gen Z users report feeling satisfied with their time on Spotify…63 percent of Spotify playlists created so far in 2026 were created by Gen Z users.

"We believe physical media and streaming can coexist and often complement one another. Our focus remains on building the best experience for listeners while supporting artists, creators and authors by deepening their connection with fans."

Still, for a growing subset of listeners, choosing CDs over algorithms is not about rejecting the comfort and convenience of modern technology, but about reclaiming agency in a media landscape that increasingly feels endless and intangible.

"I think it’s proof that we are stepping away from centering streaming as the only form of media consumption," Amity said.

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