Dear John Tefteller,
Thank you for your article “AI, the End of Physical Media, and the Future of Record Collecting” in the September 2026 issue of TST. I wholeheartedly agree with your point of view. Many other voices, including Rick Beato on YouTube, have echoed it. It also needs to be mentioned that digitizing everything in our lives is environmentally destructive: data servers burn fossil fuels and command support from a large part of the power grid.
In the age of .mp3 and ebook downloads one thing that is lost is pride of ownership. Having a physical copy of a piece of media indicates that it is special to you, that it is valuable enough to take up space in your home. I sometimes scan eBay for CDs of my favorite digital albums (I collect individual volumes of Naxos’ cycle of Haydn symphonies) because I want physical copies of them.
In terms of keeping all of the music I’ve accumulated over the years, I admit that I’ve become something of a minimalist and have gotten rid of much of it. Life is short, and as time goes on I’ve become more and more intentional about what media receives my attention. I’ve also made the effort to cherish that media which is important to me, and preserve it in physical form.
Thank you again for your excellent article.
Brandon Byrne
Brown City, MI
Brandon Byrne is a ragtime composer, performer, and scholar. Max Morath said of Byrne, “Brandon’s unique compositions display unparalleled gifts and hidden virtuosity. His music reflects the past and challenges the future. His playing will touch your soul.” For a full list of his compositions, please visit his website.
