27th October 2026
As subscription bills mount, could the answer to cheaper listening be sitting in a cupboard full of old CDs?
For years, music lovers have been encouraged to abandon their collections of CDs and embrace the seemingly limitless world of streaming. Millions of songs, instant playlists and personalised recommendations are available at the touch of a button.
But there is a catch. That music is available for as long as you keep paying.
With household budgets under pressure and subscription prices rising, perhaps it is time to ask a question that would have seemed rather odd a decade ago: could returning to CDs be a sensible way to save money?
For some people, the answer is yes. And the savings could be surprisingly worthwhile.
The cost of having every song available
A premium music streaming subscription now costs around £13 a month for an individual Spotify customer, with Amazon Music Unlimited charging a similar amount depending on whether the customer has Amazon Prime.
That means paying roughly £150 a year for one service. Keep it for five years and the total approaches £750, before allowing for further price increases.
Of course, the subscriber gets access to an enormous catalogue of music. Someone who listens to a wide variety of artists, explores new releases every week or uses playlists throughout the day may consider that excellent value.
But another listener might spend most of their time listening to the same favourite singers, albums and recordings.
For that person, paying every month for access to millions of tracks they rarely hear may be rather like renting a library when all they really want is a dozen favourite books.
There is also a difference between owning music and having access to it through a subscription. Cancel the subscription and the premium listening privileges disappear, even though the music may have been downloaded for offline listening.
Dust off the CD player
Many households still have collections of CDs stored in cupboards, lofts and spare rooms. Some may have been abandoned when streaming arrived, while others were sold off in the mistaken belief that physical music had become obsolete.
If the discs are still there, the potential saving is straightforward. A working CD player and a collection of music already paid for can provide years of listening without a monthly subscription.
Even if someone needs to buy a second-hand player, that is a one-off expense rather than a recurring bill.
Used CDs can also be inexpensive, particularly when bought from charity shops, second-hand music shops or online sellers. A carefully chosen collection of favourite albums might cost less than a few months of streaming.
There is a pleasure in owning the physical album, too. The artwork, sleeve notes and original running order can make listening feel more deliberate than selecting another track from an endless playlist.
And unlike a streaming catalogue, a CD does not normally disappear because a licensing agreement has changed.
How much could you save?
Consider a listener paying £12.99 a month for a streaming service.
Over time
Subscription cost
One year
£155.88
Three years
£467.64
Five years
£779.40
These figures assume the price remains unchanged and exclude any additional costs.
Someone who already owns a CD player and a substantial music collection could potentially save almost the entire amount by cancelling. Someone starting from scratch would need to deduct the cost of equipment and any CDs purchased.
The calculation becomes more interesting for households paying for two or three separate music services. It is worth checking whether every subscription is actually being used, or whether one could be cancelled without much inconvenience.
There is a middle way
Returning to CDs does not mean abandoning modern technology altogether.
Free, advertising-supported music services remain available, although they may restrict playback choices or interrupt listening with advertisements. BBC Sounds provides radio programmes and music-related content, while ordinary radio can still offer a surprising variety of music at no additional subscription cost.
Another option is to keep a small collection of favourite CDs while using free services to discover new artists.
Some listeners may prefer to buy digital albums or individual tracks, avoiding a subscription while retaining the convenience of listening on a phone or computer. The important distinction is between paying once for music and paying repeatedly for access.
For people who enjoy streaming's convenience, cancelling altogether may not be attractive. A cheaper plan, a household subscription shared appropriately among eligible family members, or a rotation in which one service is cancelled when it is not needed may be more suitable.
What about the musicians?[/]b
There is another side to the debate. Streaming has made music accessible to people who might otherwise buy very little, and it gives listeners a straightforward way to discover unfamiliar artists.
Musicians receive income from physical sales and streaming, although the amounts and payment arrangements differ. Buying a CD directly from an artist, particularly at a concert or through an independent retailer, can also be a useful way of supporting their work.
The decision is not simply about nostalgia versus technology. It is about how listeners want to spend their money and how they value convenience, ownership and the artists they enjoy.
[b]The subscription audit
Music is only one part of the growing list of monthly commitments facing households. Video streaming, television packages, cloud storage, apps and other digital services can all add to the total.
Individually, each charge may appear modest. Together, they can amount to hundreds of pounds a year.
A useful exercise is to review bank statements and list every subscription, asking three questions: How often do I use it? Could I get the same benefit more cheaply? Would I genuinely miss it if I cancelled?
For music lovers, the answer might be to keep Spotify or Amazon Music. For others, a CD collection and the radio may be more than enough.
The great advantage of a CD is that once it has been bought, there is no monthly renewal date waiting to catch you out.
Perhaps the future of music will not be a complete return to physical discs. But for households looking to trim their bills, the old CD player may deserve another outing.
After all, there is something reassuring about putting on an album, pressing play and knowing that next month's listening does not depend on another direct debit.