Grab your corded headphones: People are snapping up Apple's retired MP3 players for nostalgia and a break from smartphones.

The big picture: For younger generations especially, the comeback is part of a broader return to offline devices and hobbies, driven by digital burnout.

By the numbers: Search interest for the original iPod and the iPod Nano spiked last year — even though Apple discontinued the product line in 2022, according to Google Trends data.

• eBay searches jumped for the iPod Classic (+25%) and iPod Nano (+20%) between January and October 2025 compared with the same period in 2024, per internal data shared with Axios.
• Apple did not respond to requests for comment.

How it works: Older tech tends to be "single-purpose," says Cal Newport, a computer science professor and author of "Digital Minimalism."

• "All you can do with an iPod, for example, is listen to music."

What they're saying: Katherine Esters, who "grew up with the rise and fall of iPods," recently purchased a Classic model for $100 on Facebook Marketplace.

• She listens to it when she's "trying to cleanse myself of being on my phone," Esters tells Axios.

And iPods can evoke memories of slower, less chaotic times.

Between the lines: ​​The MP3 revival also taps into so-called "friction-maxxing," as younger people embrace more hands-on experiences over algorithmic ease, says Libby Rodney, chief strategy officer at The Harris Poll.

• Think: Manually loading a set number of songs onto an iPod instead of letting a streaming app curate a playlist for you.

The intrigue: Some students are even using iPods to get around phone bans at school, the New York Times reports.

Reality check: Music streaming isn't fading anytime soon.

• U.S. on-demand audio streaming reached 1.4 trillion song streams in 2025, up from 1.3 trillion the year before, according to Luminate, an industry data firm.

A music-centered night out doesn't have to mean a concert: Expect more vinyl nights, pop-up choirs and music bingo this year.

Why it matters: Gen Zers and millennials are seeking "uncurated, unfiltered experiences," according to Eventbrite's new trends report.

By the numbers: Nationwide, there were 36% more vinyl night events from August 2024 to July 2025 than the year before, feeding a growing demand for analog music. Attendance jumped 95%.

• "One-day choirs" — temporary singing sessions that don't require auditions — also saw a surge in events (+87%) and turnout (+149%).

The big picture: Polished production is out.

• Nearly 60% of Gen Z and millennial respondents across the U.S. and U.K. say they want events to feel one-of-a-kind, while roughly half say they wish events felt "less curated and more real," Eventbrite's survey finds.
• Around 80% say spontaneity is important at events.

"Soft socializing" is in. Some 60% of respondents say socializing matters, but they don't want it to be the focus of a gathering.

• U.S. music bingo attendance is up 149%, per the report. The twist on classic bingo swaps in songs and artist names, giving people something low-pressure to do while they connect.
• And Japanese-style listening bars, where patrons sip and tune in to curated tracks, are gaining ground over nightclubs, Smithsonian magazine reports.

Check it out: In Between Days, a sake house inspired by Tokyo's underground listening bars, opened in St. Petersburg in 2021.

Taylor Swift's "The Life of a Showgirl" — the biggest album release in music history — sold 1.6 million vinyl copies in the U.S. last year, representing over 3% of all units sold, per industry data firm Luminate.

Why it matters: Swift helped as U.S. vinyl sales rose for the 19th straight year in 2025.

State of play: As vinyl becomes more mainstream, its audience is diversifying, per the report.

• Black, Asian, Hispanic and other nonwhite consumers made up roughly half of all vinyl buyers, up 18 percentage points from the previous year.
• Millennials posted the biggest increase in vinyl purchases over the past year.

What's next: Record Store Day returns April 18, bringing special releases to indie shops, including titles from Pink Floyd, Bruce Springsteen, Charli XCX, Bruno Mars and the "KPop Demon Hunters" soundtrack.

• Tampa Bay record stores — including Daddy Kool, Bananas Records and Mojo Books and Records — are participating and taking requests.

When Apple launched the iPod in 2001, its pitch was simple: "1,000 songs in your pocket."

• It cost $399. (That's around $725 today.)

Here are some of the songs in our pockets back in the iPod days:

💿 Kathryn: I thought I was soooooo cool for having "Bittersweet Symphony" by The Verve.

• Some other throwback faves: "S.O.S." by the Jonas Brothers, "7 Things" by Miley Cyrus, "Paperthin Hymn" by Winter Haven's Anberlin, and, of course, the entire Death Cab for Cutie catalog from "Plans" onward.

🎧 Yacob: My hand-me-down iPod held downloads of "I Gotta Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas, "Yeah!" by Usher, "Hips Don't Lie" by Shakira, and "Good Life" by Kanye West.

• I listened to those songs on repeat so much that I cringe now when I hear snippets on Instagram.

🌭 St. Pete's favorite vegan hotdog cart, Nah Dogs, is opening a storefront in Grand Central next to Tombolo Books and Black Crow Coffee. (St. Pete Rising)

🗳️ City Council member Brandi Gabbard filed to run for St. Pete mayor, months after she announced her plans to run. (Tampa Bay Times)

• She enters a crowded candidate pool, which includes incumbent Ken Welch and former Gov. Charlie Crist.

🛒 Publix will end its pay-by-app program March 19. Customers can still use gift cards loaded in the app as well as Apple Pay and Google Pay. (Times)

🏗️ Polk County's Fort Meade held off on deciding whether to approve plans for a data center to be built on a 1,300-acre former phosphate mine in the northern part of the city. (Bay News 9)

• It's unclear when it will go back up for a vote.