Brandon Bazemore
Professor Colombo Russell
Eng 101 Freshman Composition
October 29, 2025
The Importance Of Physical Media Preservation
Imagine a huge storm is raging outside. Obviously, you are not going to step foot outside to entertain yourself. Like many others, including myself, you may find entertainment in watching your favorite show or movie, but there is an area-wide internet outage due to the storm, making streaming services like Netflix and Hulu completely unusable. My own personal experiences with collecting music (CDs), comics, and vinyl records have allowed me to realize the importance of physical media and how it allows us to maintain the existence of art, music, and stories, regardless of whether we have digital access to those things. In this, I am going to explain the importance of physical media and how it preserves art forms as well as languages throughout history.
Physical media preservation is vital because it provides the consumer with ownership of the media they purchased. While digital media platforms such as streaming services and digital downloads provide a remote deletion option for the companies that offer these options, and digital media platforms can change without notice to the consumer, physical media cannot be deleted remotely. Additionally, unlike digital media, hard copy media exists in a physical state and will continue to exist regardless of the failure of software or changing technology. According to The Artifice, “While, gamers have questioned why they should trust that their purchases would remain safe when a digital storefront could disappear at the whim of a corporation. This new format will effectively put the fate of games in the hands of these companies, which have shown more concern over finances.” Therefore, by purchasing a CD, DVD, or vinyl record, you are in control of what you have purchased and can view/listen to it whenever you want, as long as you have the physical item (PSU.edu). Physical media also protects the content within from being edited or deleted based on companies’ deeming such content to be detrimental to their image or profits. Some people are not concerned with owning the media they consume and only care to have the ability to watch/listen to their favorite content. However, depending solely on digital access can be unreliable, because companies primarily choose actions that increase their revenue and ultimately benefit themselves. According to PSU, “Not to mention, films can suddenly disappear off platforms when companies want to dispose of them. If you have Netflix because your favorite twenty movies are there, chances are at least eighteen or nineteen will quickly leave, sometimes because of a rights dispute, or simply just because.” Preserving digital collections is a process that requires continuous maintenance/updates and once these updates are completed, there is no guarantee that the collection will remain intact. On the other hand, physical media can protect consumers from the potential changes, allowing users to continue enjoying their preferred content, unaffected by corporate decision making, technical failures, or licensing issues.
In addition to protecting consumers and providing a safeguard against the type of changes discussed earlier, physical media is instrumental in the preservation of cultural heritage, history, and artistic expression. The fact that items that are physical creates a link between past and present, provides the foundation for a better understanding of the world around us. Digital formats can be easily removed and therefore, works of art, literature, and music, which are considered historically significant, can potentially become lost forever. The physical format of media also ensures that future generations will be able to experience art in its original form. According to The Artifice, “Archives act as a resource to keep information that isn’t used commonly anymore persevered and can save time for researchers. When considering how many modern games are remakes, rereleases, and remasters, game companies should be far more invested in preserving their past.” Libraries, archives, and museums are necessary in assuring that physical media continues to be made available for the public to consume. These institutions serve as a means to ensure that knowledge and culture are preserved and continued (UKY.edu). Physical media also provides individuals the opportunity to review the original work, which is a requirement for researching, educationally related studies, and understanding the context of a specific event or movement. According to PSU, “In a way, your DVD copy of “Ratatouille” can tell us about the state of animation in the 2000s, the technology that was used to put the film together, the current cultural state of France (the film’s location), and represent the vision of the director, Brad Bird.”
There is one simple method to help preserve media, and that is to buy physical media formats instead of using digital streaming services. Physical media formats are far more durable and reliable compared to digital media formats. When you shop at local retailers, you support independent publishers, and you buy records from independent record labels, you are helping to keep the process of creating and distributing physical media alive. Another method to help preserve media is to care for your own collection, advocate for artists to release physical copies of their work, and to lend or give physical media formats to libraries and archives. According to The Artifice, “Without a good collection of historical information, many technical skills and solutions to problems could be lost forever. It is for this very reason that libraries, museums, and digital archives exist.” With every book, comic, record, etc. that you save, you are contributing to the preservation of cultural heritage and ensuring that future generations will be able to access the works that shaped the world we live in today. As long as you continue to support physical media, you are also supporting the art, music and stories that define our society. According to PSU, “What’s important about the many years of film history is what they can tell us about not only our American culture but also about cultures from around the world from specific periods of time.”
Physical media offers endangered, minority and indigenous languages opportunities to live beyond the uncertainty of digital platforms. Smaller communities receive limited representation on larger streaming services and online databases. Larger services are typically focused on content that will draw the most attention and/or generate the greatest revenue. Physical books, films, recordings and educational print materials produced within these communities represent valuable artifacts regardless of availability. It is said, “Globally, many countries have been concerned about preserving, disseminating and teaching new generations the cultural and intangible heritages they have in their territories, and found the use of information and communication technologies a very valuable tool to achieve that goal” A single printed dictionary, a few copies of a novel in its first edition, a handwritten booklet of oral histories, or a vinyl record of traditional songs offer vocabulary, grammar, idiomatic expressions, and pronunciation that cannot be accessed through digital sources. These materials are separate from the license agreements and corporate decisions that determine whether or not they continue to be available on digital platforms. Therefore, they can remain in private collections, libraries and archives long after digital versions are deleted, altered, or become obsolete due to the use of outdated file formats. Thus, scholars, linguists, and future generations from these communities can better study and reclaim their languages than could be done if only digital versions existed. According to Sciup.org, “In Algeria, the integration of digital and traditional media in heritage preservation requires a balanced approach that acknowledges both opportunities and risks. While digital tools provide unprecedented avenues for documentation and engagement, they cannot replace the lived experience and communal context in which ICH thrives.”
Physical media also preserves the integrity of language. Digital platforms are capable of making silent revisions to language. While these revisions may be well intentioned, they result in lost linguistic data. Physical media retains original phrasing, tone and cultural context. A book from several decades past retains the exact words that the author intended to write, even though modern readers may choose to express themselves using different word choices. According to PSU, “If Peacock decides that something about “The Office” just doesn’t sit right with them, have no fear. You have the complete series on DVD sitting on your shelf. Who needs Peacock to tell us what to watch anyway?” Similarly, film dialogues, song lyrics, and printed pamphlets that detail local/regional dialects retain the cultural context of the time period in which they were created. Physical media also preserves languages associated with specialized/academic disciplines. Older scientific texts, historical documents, philosophical writings, and reference books are not always completely digitized. Although some may be partially scanned, they may include inaccuracies and omissions. Physical copies of texts allow readers to see the exact terms used by the original writers and to avoid errors in scanning/transcription. This is particularly significant in areas where precision is essential, including linguistics, law, anthropology, and classical studies. Researchers can verify that the language represented is correct and has not been altered by formatting errors or automatic corrections present in digital formats. According to Indiana.edu , “In a world where new technology and digital media is continuously evolving, looking back onto the history of traditional film can allow us to see our world through a different historical lens. The enduring history of traditional film will inspire future generations of preservationists, movie makers, histories, and film ethusiasts.”
It also provides a more stable environment for literacy and language acquisition. While digital media can be useful, it depends upon access to the internet, payment of subscription fees, and the existence of compatible software. Physical books and media enable users to engage with language independent of these factors. According to UKY, “The critical role of digital libraries and archives in ensuring the future accessibility of information with enduring value has taken a back seat to enhancing access to current and actively used materials. As a consequence, digital preservation remains largely experimental and replete with the risks associated with untested methods; and digital preservation requirements have not been factored into the architecture, resource allocation, or planning for digital libraries.” Individuals may read a novel, consult a bilingual dictionary, or listen to a recording of a spoken language as desired, even in cases where technology fails. This stability enables repeated readings and listening experiences, both of which contribute to improved vocabulary retention and enhanced comprehension (UKY.edu). For individuals who require frequent exposure to language, physical media serves as a consistent source of language that will not be lost due to changes in content, removal of content, or format changes. According to PSU, “In the realm of television, the BBC Network has been notorious for not preserving its earlier programs. Since videotape was expensive to mass produce before the 1990s, instead of acquiring new blank videotape, networks would just re-record over preexisting shows. This effectively wiped whatever 1960s or 1970s show was on the tape beforehand, meaning more history to be lost. One notable example of this is a famous interview with Paul McCartney and John Lennon that’s now long gone.”
Physical media protects the development of handwriting, typography, and visual aspects of language. Handwritten letters, old manuscripts, and printed works demonstrate how people shaped letters, organized paragraphs, and emphasized ideas prior to the advent of digital editing tools. According to Michigan Daily, “The role of physical media in our culture extends beyond mere nostalgia. It represents an intelligent safeguard for the preservation and authenticity of our artistic heritage.” These physical artifacts show the visual aspect of language and aid future generations in understanding the evolution of writing systems. Additionally, the typography and design choices in printed works reflect the aesthetic values of cultures and the cultural values of the time period in which the works were printed. The preservation of physical examples of language, therefore, protects a full record of the history of language. According to Clir.org, “rom ancient times to the present, the entire technology of writing has undergone steady evolution. Today, we have the capacity to store detailed bit-mapped images of hundreds of books on an optical disk the size of a coaster. This capacity to record and store gives rise to one of the central dilemmas of recorded history: Our capacity to record information has increased exponentially over time while the longevity of the media used to store the information has decreased equivalently”
Physical media offers more than a convenient alternative to digital platforms. It anchors creative expression, cultural memory, and language in forms that cannot be silently edited or erased. By choosing to support and preserve physical formats, people help safeguard the stories, sounds, and words that reflect who we are and how we communicate. Each book, record, film, and document kept in circulation strengthens the link between past and present, allowing future generations to learn from the materials that shaped earlier eras. The continued care and appreciation for these physical works ensures that art, history, and language remain accessible, protected, and grounded in their original forms.
Works Cited
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“The Role of Communication Media in Preserving Intangible Cultural Heritage in Algeria: Challenges and Opportunities in the Digital Age.” SciUp, sciup.org/the-role-of-communication-media-in-preserving-intangible-cultural-heritage-in-16010335/.
Slara, Y. “Hardcopy: Preserving Information in the Physical Realm.” American Journal of Computer Science, vol. 11, 2023, p. 28.
“Understanding and Preserving History: The Importance of Film Preservation.” Indiana University Libraries Media Beat, 15 May 2025, blogs.libraries.indiana.edu/mediabeat/2025/05/15/understanding-and-preserving-history-the-importance-of-film-preservation/.
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