Streaming services are the primary way a lot of people consume their media of choice, whether that be music or TV shows or movies. Not everybody is on board, though, and some of those who are have started to tire of it. Regular price increases and limited streaming libraries have some consumers returning to physical media — vinyl, CDs, 4Ks — preferring objects they can hold and own over streaming options that can vanish at any time.
Companies are more than happy to support this wave: Whatever you might be into, each month brings a slew of new releases that has something for everybody. Some stand out above the rest, naturally, so check out some of our favorite physical media releases of September below.
Project Hail Mary Limited Edition Collectible Vinyl Box Set
If you thought we were done talking about Project Hail Mary in 2026, you were wrong. And it’s likely we’ll still be talking about the great movie as 2027 awards start and beyond, as it is a film built to last and stay in the pop-culture conversation for a long time to come. But as we await its much-anticipated steelbook release, let’s look at the incredible box set for the soundtrack that Mutant has just put out.
The outer casing is striking and sturdy with its minimal blueprint-like design. And inside, you get the film’s fantastic Daniel Pemberton score — dude is on a heater with The Drama and Masters Of The Universe this year — pressed on three 140-gram gold LPs, as well as the soundtrack on a lovely zoetrope vinyl. Pemberton also contributes a liner note booklet to the collection, which is rounded out by an exclusive slip mat and patch. It’s all extremely thoughtful and sure to please fans, which just speaks to the operation going at Mutant right now, where they’re making physical products where fandom is met head on, and investment in the project is rewarded by the attention to detail on everything from the artwork to the typography. The only thing missing is Sandra Hüller’s cover of Harry Styles, but we’ll just keep rewatching the movie when we need that shot of endorphins.
Get it here.
A Perfect Circle – Thirteenth Step
You may recall some months back that we highlighted Tool offshoot A Perfect Circle’s debut LP Mer de Noms joining Interscope-Capitol’s Definitive Sound Series as one of the initial releases. But if you were wondering “what about their excellent sophomore album Thirteenth Step?”, we have good news for you: it has been added to the collection as well!
Limited to 3,000 numbered copies, this edition exemplifies the awesome reissue series as it serves fans of these records with the highest-caliber transfers, mastering, and packaging. They’re sturdy and housed in large boxes that pop on the shelf, while utilizing a one-step process to ensure the best possible fidelity. While Maynard’s main gig, Tool, rightly gets more of the spotlight, it’s easy to forget just how major his work with A Perfect Circle was, and these records remain essential, now rightfully placed among the best rock LPs of the past few decades.
Get it here.
R.E.M. – Reckoning
A Perfect Circle aren’t the only band getting a second release into Interscope-Capitol’s Definitive Sound Series. Following a really lovely pressing combining the Chronic Town EP with their legendary debut Murmur (which is now sold out), R.E.M.’s Reckoning joins it this month with a beautiful new pressing. This is a limited-edition all-analog 180g One Step pressing mastered directly from the original master tapes. The album’s producers, Don Dixon and Mitch Easter, were even involved to help oversee the process, while entirely new lacquers were cut for this edition.
Not to be all “like a press release,” but this bit is extremely cool: apparently Don Dixon noted that he was “hearing details within the recording that had escaped him on previous vinyl editions” while checking out the test pressing. That means songs like “Pretty Persuasion,” “(Don’t Go Back To) Rockville,” and “So. Central Rain” need to be heard in this format, as they still stand among the best tunes that the Athens, GA band ever made.
Get it here.
Happy Mondays – Pills ‘n’ Thrills And Bellyaches
English band Happy Mondays straddled the line between the rock and dance world for a good while before Pills ‘n’ Thrills And Bellyaches, but this 1990 statement solidified a vision, aided in a major part by producers Steve Osborne and Paul Oakenfold. Now, the Factory Records classic is seeing a major reissue push, with both a giant box set and a streamlined vinyl edition offered up.
The box set offers the album alongside fun treats like a slipmat and poster, plus a ton of bonus music, like the Hallelujah and Madchester Rave On EPs, the Baby Big Head Bootleg Album recorded Live At Elland Road on June 1, 1991, and a bunch of remixes. But don’t think you need to invest in this massive set to appreciate the record. There is a picture disc, traditional black, and limited edition red to choose from, and all of them offer remastered audio from the original Factory Records tapes. Happy Mondays were a band that burned bright and fast, and this collection captures them at a peak.
Get it here.
Your Name (Limited Edition Steelbook 4K)
Your Name has long been on my watchlist as it is frequently cited as one of the great anime works, and Shout! Factory’s steelbook release was a perfect time to cross it off the list. And it turns out… it’s a stunning, deeply felt masterpiece. I was floored. Its reputation is 100% deserved.
The release is put out in partnership with GKIDS, which remains the gold standard of the format, and assures that the subs and dubs options are going to be of the highest quality. The edition also offers up a few special features, including an interview with filmmaker Makoto Shinkai, a behind-the-scenes featurette, and a special TV program to exist beside the film. But really it’s just beautiful packaging for a movie that matches its visuals, as the body-swap tale that spans time and place is a captivating watch, particularly in how the characters interact with a celestial event that winds up changing their lives forever. I don’t want to give too much away if you’ve also never seen the film, but it instantly took a place among my favorite animes, and should be seen as an essential work for any collection.
Get it here.
Three Films by Leos Carax
I wanted to take a moment here to advocate for the blind buy. Where a lot of the physical media I buy is obviously things I already have a relationship with, it’s also a good opportunity to dive into something you are unfamiliar with head-first, taking the kind of risk you might have at a record store back in the day, going based on recommendation or even just because something looked cool. It can be an incredibly rewarding experience.
That’s part of the reason we love the Criterion Collection, is because they are trusted experts known for choosing the best films in history to join their prestigious offerings. It’s less a risk of quality than whether something will match your taste. But still, I waded into completely new territory this month by going through the new Leos Carax box set that collects his first three feature films, all of which were previously hard to find and have now undergone gorgeous 4K restorations: Boy Meets Girl, Mauvais Sang, and The Lovers On The Bridge.
And let me tell you: this set and these movies absolutely rock. Sure, the debut Boy Meets Girl is a bit of a tough nut to crack but still is a stunning watch, and both Mauvais Sang and The Lovers On The Bridge stand as titanic works. As someone who hasn’t seen Carax’s more recent classics like Holy Motors, I apologize if I’m stating the obvious here, but I was really taken with how he incorporated music in his work, be it the Dead Kennedys in Boy Meets Girl, the “Modern Love” running scene in Mauvais Sang that inspired a similar scene in Frances Ha (a surprise for me to discover), and one of the most incredible running sequences you’ll ever see as Juliette Binoche and Denis Lavant drunkenly race through Paris as fireworks explode and a soundscape collage plays in The Lovers On The Bridge. These moments are worth the price of admission on their own, as is Juliette Binoche’s gaze or Lavant’s acrobatics or the appearance of baby Julie Delpy or a skydiving scene worthy of Mission Impossible.
Of course the box looks incredible, and is filled with tons of special features like the It’s Not Me self-portrait film, multiple documentaries about the trio, and plenty of interviews and essays. So if you are already a fan, you’ll be thrilled to see just how great these movies look, as I can only imagine how poor the quality was that many people probably first experienced watching via streaming copies. But if you are not familiar, this is me advocating for taking a chance and letting these wonderful pictures sweep over you.
Get it here.
Michael Jackson – Bad
Michael Jackson may no longer be with us, but he’s having quite the year regardless. The first part of a planned two-movie biopic series is one of the biggest films of 2026 so far, and it might even be in play as awards season approaches, particularly for the performance of Jafar Jackson in the titular role. And over with our friends at MoFi, they’ve been delivering the quintessential pressings of some of his most important records, including Thriller, Off The Wall (currently sold out), and, now, Bad.
Bad is one of the first albums I can remember existing, as it came out when I was 5 but was so omnipresent that even a child could feel its influence. The title track and its accompanying music video were everywhere (as was Weird Al’s parody version, “Fat”), MJ had a video game and commercials and was just larger-than-life in all senses. And with this new version, MoFi has created the definitive vinyl document. It’s strictly limited to 6,000 numbered copies (see the Off The Wall note above to know that they’re serious about this), contains the bonus hit “Leave Me Alone” which other vinyl editions leave out, is sourced from the original masters, and features deluxe packaging like a sturdy box casing, an open-ended slipcase, and a special foil-stamped jacket. This is Michael at his peak, in a year where he’s as relevant as ever.
Get it here.
Blue Velvet OST
Angelo Badalamenti and David Lynch both passed away in the last few years, but their collaboration remains one of the most exciting visual/audio partnerships in film and television history. From Twin Peaks to Mulholland Drive, their work complemented each other so completely that it’s hard to imagine one without the other. And that all started with Blue Velvet.
In honor of the 40th anniversary of the film, Badalamenti’s score is back on vinyl thanks to Varèse Sarabande. The iconic music is getting multiple versions, including Yellow vinyl (exclusively at Amoeba Records), Blue (Barnes & Noble), Sandy Pink (Books-A-Million), Blue Sky Blend (Urban Outfitters), Silver & Blue Velvet (Brooklyn Vegan), and Silver at participating indie retailers. But we’re particularly taken by the rainbow foil jacket, which pops in the light and gives the reissue a packaging shine that stands out from the crowd.
Get it here.
Funkadelic – Maggot Brain
When you think of funk, there’s only one group that comes to mind first. And it’s not just because they have funk in their name — though, that does help. George Clinton’s iconic collective has no shortage of genre-defining masterpieces, but their 1971 album Maggot Brain is among their most revered, featuring on lists from Rolling Stone and Pitchfork that place it among the best albums of all time by anyone.
And its influence can still be felt — heck, Olivia Rodrigo has a song on her latest album that seemingly references the title. But giving the record a spin, it is remarkable how vital it all still sounds. Org Music, in partnership with Westbound Records, has put out this new vinyl reissue, which is cut directly from the analog master tapes. There are single and double black LP versions as well as an Armageddon Red edition. All of them are currently out of stock, but check back as the website promises more will be released soon.
Get it here.
Toy Story 5 Limited-Edition 4K SteelBook
While Toy Story 3, for many, felt like a logical conclusion of the franchise, the last two entrants to the series have shown that there is no shortage of ideas when it comes to, ahem, toy stories, and that the new editions can still feel as essential as ever. And audiences are still responding, too, as Toy Story 5 has earned over $1 billion globally. For this latest adventure, the toys are forced to face what could be an extinction-level event as tech invades playtime and children seem to be growing up faster than ever.
Disney has offered up another striking steelbook for this new release, with the artwork evoking the more whimsical animation that’s present when Bonnie does her imaginary playtime. And the disc is loaded with special features, including five deleted scenes, five featurettes, the Taylor Swift music video, and audio commentary. This might be the most impactful franchise for a generation of Disney fans, and now they can share it with kids of their own.
Get it here.
Tech N9ne – Anghellic: The Resurrection (25th Anniversary Remaster)
Whether you are familiar with Tech N9ne’s classic Anghellic album or not, the Kansas City rap legend is here to make sure you’re paying attention as it turns 25 years old. Anghellic: The Resurrection is more than just a reissue; it’s a complete remastering of the record to ensure that it sounds sharper than ever before. Tech oversaw the process himself with help from engineer Ben “Bengineer” Cybulsky to remix and remaster from the original recordings, and then pressed into several versions at various tiers.
We think many will be thrilled to have a 2LP colored vinyl edition, but hardcore acolytes can tap into the Stamina Package, which includes the CD, vinyl, signed booklet, signed insert, and 2(!) bandanas. Then there is the It’s Alive Package, which gets you everything in the Stamina Package along with an original 2001 CD and signed canvas art piece with a certificate of authenticity. There’s truly something for fans of all levels.
Get it here.
Ben Folds Five – Ben Folds Five (30th Anniversary)
Thirty years ago, the world was introduced to the band led by Ben Folds, called, simply enough, Ben Folds Five. The joke back then was it was actually a three-piece but the name sounded more impressive and catchier as “five.” And while it took another LP for them to have a legit radio hit in “Brick,” this self-titled debut finds a group, well, finding themselves and laying down the foundation that would become a career.
In this new anniversary edition, you get the record in remastered form. But the real prize here is the long-requested unveiling of what’s being called the “Shelved First Attempt,” something that’s been spoken about in Ben Folds lore but never available to hear before now. For the biggest devotees, they even offered up a 1,000-copy limited run that was signed by all the band’s members. While reissues often feature goodies for enthusiasts, something this long-awaited and desired is rare, making this a special one.
Get it here.
Rise Up! Hamilton: The Anthology
Earlier in the year, we highlighted the Disney 4K release of Hamilton, which was a lovely edition of the musical that’s endlessly revisitable. Now, we have a comprehensive vinyl release of the show, with this box set full of music and accessories to bring fans closer to the songs than ever.
Spread over seven LPs, the Rise Up! Hamilton: The Anthology box set collects 2015’s Original Broadway Cast Recording, 2016’s The Hamilton Mixtape, and its offspring Hamildrops: The Complete Collection on “Copper Black Ice” vinyl. The packaging is legitimately stunning (heck, even the box it shipped in was branded with iconic Hamilton quotes), with Grammy winner Masaki Koike crafting an intricate design that helps tell the story of the production. There’s an 80-page book packed with photos and essays, with contributions from the likes of Questlove, Black Thought, and Sia. There’s also a note from Miranda, a poster, and a replica opening night ticket. It’s a monumental set for what’s the most impactful musical in recent history, and a collection centerpiece for long-term fans.
Get it here.
