Music purchase formats have changed dramatically in the past few decades. For many years the vinyl record was the dominant music format. Then the cassette came along and gave the album product increased portability. This was a revolutionary moment for music. Soon after that the CD emerged. This technology has given listeners around the world the same portability as cassette tapes but with an increase in the quality of the sound.

CDs continue to be listened on a mass scale. However, there are some emerging developments that have threatened to take away the top spot as the dominant format for buying music. Due to an increase in nostalgia customers both young and old are beginning to buy vinyl again. This is also due to a perceived opinion that LPs have a warmer sound.

The biggest threat to CDs is streaming. Online services like Spotify mean that a customer can stream as many songs as they want from an abundance of different artists without having to pay for each one. The service is free with the condition that listeners must endure adverts every 30 minutes. They are also able to play a fee which means that they do not need to watch any ads at all.

This is now considered a cheaper option than buying CDs for young listeners. However, there are a number of markets where CD sales are still consistent. Large music chains such as HMV continue to sell this format on a mass scale. When a customer walks into the store they will be met with a large number of CD products to choose from which cover numerous genres. People are also attracted to the fact that CDs are getting cheaper, especially online. It means that they can get a perceived value for money and purchase multiple CDs at a time.