With the rising popularity of iTunes in recent years, many people are enjoying the convenience of having entire discographies on their phones. But with vinyl records making a comeback, some debates have arisen as to whether CDs, cassette tapes and records are better than digital music.

Senior Courtney Green is one student who prefers physical music formats, her favorite being vinyl records.

“I think vinyl is the best,” Green said. “It’s more real than digital music, and I like being able to have it in my hands.”

Junior Johnathan Springer disagrees, favoring iTunes.

“I like digital because you can have more of it without having to be confined by a disc or storage space,” Springer said.

Sophomore Zachary Wagner also prefers listening to digital.

“You can have a wider variety and it’s so much cheaper,” Wagner said. “It just sounds cleaner than a CD.”

Even though some students can hear the difference between digital and physical, other students like freshman Brittani Park cannot.

“Digital music is easier because it’s always on hand,” Park said. “To me it all sounds the same.”

Springer favors digital but can hear a difference.

“A record has a little more life to it than your phone,” Springer said.

Though some students appreciate the portability of iTunes or Spotify, some still prefer having a CD or record.

“It really makes you appreciate all the songs on the album as a whole,” Green said. “You have to view it as a whole instead of just picking individual songs.”

17hnorris@usd489.com