Musician and entrepreneur Tom Vek is building a digital music player, but don’t call it retro
The Verge
•2026-08-08T11:00:00-04:00
📰 What Happened
Musician and entrepreneur Tom Vek is building a digital music player called Sleevenote. He's betting on a growing 'offline resurgence' of music ownership, but deliberately wants to move beyond CDs and cassettes rather than simply repackage retro formats.
🔍 The Backstory
After years of streaming dominance, there's been renewed interest in owning music physically and offline. Tom Vek, known for DIY indie albums, is designing a player that taps into that desire for ownership while using modern technology rather than reviving old media.
🎯 Why It Matters
The project reflects a broader backlash against the streaming model, where listeners own nothing and artists earn little. It matters to music fans who want to own their collections and to anyone following where the music business is heading.
Musician and entrepreneur Tom Vek is building a digital music player called Sleevenote. He's betting on a growing 'offline resurgence' of music ownership, but deliberately wants to move beyond CDs and cassettes rather than simply repackage retro formats.
After years of streaming dominance, there's been renewed interest in owning music physically and offline. Tom Vek, known for DIY indie albums, is designing a player that taps into that desire for ownership while using modern technology rather than reviving old media.
The project reflects a broader backlash against the streaming model, where listeners own nothing and artists earn little. It matters to music fans who want to own their collections and to anyone following where the music business is heading.