Physical Media Is Alive is an independently operated guide to recorded music, audio formats and the pleasure of listening. It is created and maintained outside the music, audio and retail industries.
Photographed by the site creator
How the guide is made
A personal project, researched with care.
The articles, listening notes and recommendations are independently researched and written. Brand and product names appear as examples to help explain equipment and formats. Physical Media Is Alive is not an official publication of, and is not affiliated with, the manufacturers, record labels, streaming services or shops mentioned here.
Photography and artwork
Photographs of my own records, physical media, video players, audio systems and car audio equipment are taken by me. The photos of the hi-fi and car audio on this site show equipment from my own systems and cars, current or former, unless a caption says otherwise. Any third-party photograph is credited beside the image and linked to its source. That credit identifies the source. It does not transfer ownership.
Copyright and reuse
Original photographs and writing remain the property of their respective creators. Please ask for permission before copying, republishing or using original material commercially. Third-party images remain subject to their own rights and licence terms.
Corrections and source notes
History and product details are checked against linked references where practical. Formats, specifications and availability can vary by model and market. Any commercial relationship that applies to a specific recommendation should be disclosed on that page.
Independent recommendations
Equipment and services are discussed for their relevance to the subject. Brand names and product examples do not imply approval or sponsorship by their manufacturers.
Third-party photo credits
A small number of stock photographs are used on the guide pages. Their source credits also appear next to each photograph. Some images have been resized, cropped or given a subtle sepia treatment to fit the site's visual style.
Record shop shelf, photo by Megan Bucknall on Unsplash
Toshiba BDX 2250 Blu-ray player, photo by Intel Free Press, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, resized for this site
Sharp VC-H982 VHS recorder, photo by Cyberk204, Wikimedia Commons, released into the public domain, resized for this site
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Home recordings and copyright
A playlist's length is not a copying licence.
An 80 minute playlist may fit neatly on a CD, MiniDisc or cassette, but its running time does not decide whether you may copy the songs. The answer depends on where you are, how you obtained the music, the rights attached to it and the terms of the service you use.
European Union
EU copyright law lets each member state choose whether to allow a private copying exception for a person's own non-commercial use, with compensation for rights holders. This is not a single, automatic EU-wide permission. National rules and limits differ. On 16 April 2026, the Court of Justice ruled that an app-bound offline streaming copy made by the provider and kept under the provider's control does not fall within this exception. That case concerned the service's own offline copy, not every possible recording made from an audio output.
The Netherlands is one example. Government guidance says a private copy may be made for personal use, but it cannot be distributed or made public. Copies from illegal sources are not allowed, and copy protection must not be bypassed.
US law has a specific rule for certain non-commercial consumer recordings made with analog or digital audio recording devices. Section 1008 of Title 17 is not a general permission to copy every song, capture a stream, defeat copy protection or share recordings.
The separate fair use doctrine is decided case by case using several factors. Personal or non-commercial use by itself does not guarantee that a music copy is fair use.
Streaming access is generally a licence to listen through the service, not ownership of a transferable audio file. A playlist you curate is your selection and running order. The songs and sound recordings remain protected works. Offline playback is a feature inside the app. It does not automatically grant permission to record onto a CD, MiniDisc or tape.
Spotify
Spotify's User Guidelines prohibit copying, ripping, recording or transferring content unless the agreement or applicable law permits it. Cached downloads cannot be transferred to another device. Read Spotify's User Guidelines and offline listening rules.
Apple Music and YouTube Music
Apple limits service content to personal, non-commercial use and distinguishes purchased music from other content. Its US and UK terms describe a limited CD burning allowance for eligible purchases, not a blanket right to copy subscription streams. YouTube allows downloads and copying only where its service, the rights holder or applicable law permits them. YouTube Music offline listening stays in the app. Apple US terms, Apple UK terms, YouTube Terms of Service, YouTube Music offline listening.
Other services have their own terms, which can vary by country and change over time. Check the terms for your account region before making a recording.
For a lasting mix: use music you have permission to reproduce, or a source whose terms clearly allow the copy you intend to make. A streaming subscription or an 80 minute running time alone is not enough. This overview is educational, not legal advice, and is not a substitute for checking local law and current service terms. See the recording guide's source quality notes for practical source advice.
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Your choice is saved in this browser for up to six months so the players remember whether to load. Use Media settings in the footer to change or withdraw your choice. Links to other websites connect to those services only when you select them. A short lived session storage setting also prevents the social invitation from appearing again while you browse in the same session.
