Yes—but so far, the evidence points to a sharp U.S. rebound, not a proven long-term revival. CD revenue rose 58.6% year over year in the first half of 2026, after a down year in 2025. Streaming still dominates recorded-music revenue, and a single strong half-year cannot show whether the format’s gains will last.
What the latest CD sales numbers show
The clearest current signal is from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA): its first-half 2026 U.S. report says CD revenue increased 58.6% year over year. The same release puts total recorded-music revenue at $6 billion, up 6.9%, with streaming at $4.9 billion. Streaming remained the largest revenue category and accounted for 82% of the total. RIAA’s first-half 2026 report
A September 2026 Inc. report citing RIAA data puts first-half U.S. CD sales at 17.5 million units, up 45.7%, with CD revenue of $171.1 million. The unit figure is reported by Inc., rather than stated in the RIAA announcement itself. Inc.’s report on the first-half figures
That is a substantial bounce, but it follows a decline. RIAA’s full-year 2025 report records 29.5 million CDs sold, down 11.6% from 33.3 million in 2024, and $312.4 million in CD value, down 7.8% from $338.9 million. The 2025 report says RIAA moved to wholesale data; its 2024 report used estimated retail dollar value net after returns. Those revenue figures therefore should not be read as one directly comparable series. RIAA’s 2025 year-end report · RIAA’s 2024 year-end report
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How CDs compare with vinyl and streaming
Different industry trackers report different totals, so the figures need to stay attached to their source and measure. Luminate counted U.S. retail unit sales; RIAA’s 2025 report uses wholesale data. For 2025, Luminate reported more CDs than RIAA did, while both sources show vinyl ahead of CDs in units.
| Source and period | CDs | Vinyl | What the figures measure |
|---|---|---|---|
| RIAA, U.S., full-year 2025 | 29.5 million units; $312.4 million value | 46.8 million units; $1,042.9 million value | Wholesale-based figures; CD units down 11.6% and value down 7.8% year over year. Vinyl units up 7.9% and value up 9.3%. |
| Luminate, U.S., full-year 2025 | 33.8 million units | 47.8 million units | Retail unit sales; Luminate’s CD total is not directly interchangeable with RIAA’s wholesale-based total. |
| RIAA, U.S., first half 2026 | Revenue up 58.6% year over year; 17.5 million units reported by Inc. | Not stated in the cited first-half figures | RIAA reports revenue growth; the unit figure is attributed to RIAA data by Inc.. Streaming revenue was $4.9 billion. |
Luminate also recorded 8.3 million U.S. CD sales in the third quarter of 2025 and 11.4 million in the fourth quarter. Those quarterly totals suggest that the year’s physical-sales finish was concentrated late in the year, but they do not establish what drove the first-half 2026 increase. Luminate’s 2025 year-end music report
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Why are people buying CDs again?
The available sales data supports a release-driven explanation for at least some of the physical-format strength, rather than a clear, across-the-board shift in listening habits. Luminate connects late-2025 physical sales momentum with major releases including Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl, Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend, the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack and releases by Stray Kids.
Collectible editions and fan engagement are also cited as factors, particularly around K-pop. Luminate’s account of 2025 U.S. sales says Stray Kids’ Karma was the second-highest-selling physical album of the year at 585,000 units, of which 524,000 were CDs; the group’s limited-edition CD release DO IT sold 456,000 CD units. K-pop acts accounted for seven of the top 10 U.S. CD albums. These examples show how an active fan base and physical editions can produce large sales for particular releases. They do not prove that those factors caused the broader first-half 2026 growth.
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A September 2026 Inc. story discusses collectible K-pop packaging and fan participation as contributors, and quotes Luminate’s Jaime Marconette describing music consumption as increasingly shaped by “culture-driven growth and community engagement.” That is an industry interpretation, not a measured breakdown of who bought the CDs or why. The available figures do not establish which age group is driving the increase, or how much nostalgia or interest in retro technology contributes.
Is this a lasting CD revival?
It is too early to call the increase a durable comeback. The contrast is striking—RIAA’s full-year 2025 figures fell, while its first-half 2026 report shows strong year-over-year revenue growth—but the periods differ, and the half-year result may reflect a particular mix of releases. A full-year 2026 report will provide a better test of whether the gains continued beyond the first half.
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The safest conclusion is regional and time-specific: CDs are having a notable moment in the U.S. market, while streaming remains the dominant source of recorded-music revenue. These figures do not establish a worldwide revival or show that listeners as a whole are moving back from streaming to discs.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the numbers can—and cannot—tell you
- Revenue is not units. RIAA’s 58.6% first-half 2026 increase is CD revenue growth; the 45.7% unit increase is reported by Inc. citing RIAA data.
- RIAA and Luminate totals are not interchangeable. Their 2025 CD unit figures differ, and their reported measurement systems differ.
- Annual revenue comparisons require care. RIAA describes its 2024 value as estimated retail dollars net after returns and says its 2025 reports use wholesale data.
- A sales increase does not identify its cause. The release examples and industry commentary suggest possible influences, but the cited evidence does not establish a demographic profile or a single explanation.
RIAA Chairman and CEO Mitch Glazier said of the broader market: “As US music revenues continue to grow across formats, labels are strengthening connections between artists, fans and the platforms delivering creative work.” The statement addresses recorded music across formats; it is not a claim that CDs alone drove market growth. RIAA’s first-half 2026 announcement
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