Despite the naysayers, sales of turntables are rising right along side of the vinyl record boom. Where 5 years ago you had to really search to find one to buy (especially if you were on a budget), today you can find one even in your local Urban Outfitters. Here are 5 good reasons to own a turntable and playing vinyl records.

1. You get to own your music in a physical way. There’s nothing like holding something that you purchased in your hand. It’s tangible and real in a way that digital can never be.

2. You get to appreciate the artwork and liner notes. One of the best parts of the vinyl album is the cover artwork and liner notes. Many an album was purchased on these alone if compelling enough.

3. You have to listen all at once. This means that you can get into the spirit of the music and better feel what the artist was trying to portray. Sure, you can select a track at a time, but its far from the random access experience we have with digital. Some might call this a negative, but making that commitment to listen to 20-25 minutes of music can be an important part of enjoying and discovering music.

4. You have to own the necessary equipment. This forces you to consider your sound reproduction equipment, since every piece in the signal chain grows in importance. With digital, everything is made to be as simple as possible, which leads us to compromise on the playback gear almost without thinking. It can be quite fun (and expensive) too.

5. It sounds different from digital. Love it or hate it, there’s something very organic about vinyl that more and more of us appreciate after years of exposure to digital only music. Some have never been exposed to anything else (see “When A 20 Year Old Hears Vinyl For The First Time“), and vinyl can be a revelation as to what music could sound like.

Don’t have a turntable? Check out this article for suggestions.

What are your reasons to own a turntable?