Yes—but the clearest evidence is for physical recorded music, especially vinyl, not physical media across the board. In 2025, vinyl sales grew in both U.S. and global reporting. CDs tell a more mixed story: U.S. sales fell for the full year, then rose in the first half of 2026 according to Luminate.
What the 2025 numbers show about vinyl
Two major reports recorded vinyl growth in 2025, but they measure different things and should not be combined as if they were one tally.
- United States: The RIAA reported 46.8 million vinyl units sold in 2025, up 7.9% year over year. Its reported wholesale value was $1.0429 billion, up 9.3%. The dollar figures are wholesale values, net after returns, and may be adjusted for rounding. RIAA’s 2025 year-end report uses wholesale data to align with global reporting standards.
- Worldwide: IFPI reported that global physical-format recorded-music revenue rose 8.0% in 2025, while vinyl revenue grew 13.7%. The vinyl increase marked a 19th consecutive year of growth. These are revenue changes, not unit counts. IFPI’s Global Music Report 2026 does not make the global figure directly comparable to U.S. unit sales.
A separate U.S. measure comes from Luminate: it reported 47.9 million vinyl units sold in 2025, an 8.6% increase. Luminate also reported that four in ten vinyl records were sold at independent record stores. Its total differs from the RIAA’s 46.8 million; the available reports do not fully reconcile their methods, so each figure should be read as that publisher’s measure, not averaged or blended. Luminate’s 2025 year-end report also says one in three CDs were purchased through e-commerce sites.
CDs are not following one uninterrupted trend
The answer to “Are CDs popular again?” depends on the period and measurement. The RIAA’s full-year 2025 U.S. figures show CD units down 11.6% and wholesale value down 7.8%. Luminate, using its sales measure, reported that U.S. CD unit sales rose 16% to 16.3 million in the first half of 2026. Excluding K-pop, its reported increase was 6.7%. Those half-year figures show a rebound in that period, not a reversal of the full-year 2025 result or proof of why buyers chose CDs. RIAA’s 2025 report and Luminate’s 2026 midyear report cover different periods and measures.
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What this does—and does not—prove
Physical music has momentum
Vinyl growth appears in both U.S. and worldwide reporting, while the U.S. CD picture varies by timeframe. The RIAA reported U.S. physical recorded-music wholesale value up 5.0% in 2025; IFPI reported global physical-format revenue up 8.0%. These are industry revenue measures, not a single global count of records sold.
It does not establish a comeback for every physical format
The cited figures concern recorded music. They do not demonstrate that DVDs, Blu-rays, video games, or physical media generally are returning. “Physical music” or “physical recorded-music formats” is the more accurate description of the trend supported here.
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Streaming remains part of the same market
A rise in physical music sales does not show that listeners are abandoning streaming. The RIAA reported $9.4745 billion in U.S. streaming revenue in 2025, up 3.1%, alongside the physical-format results. That figure is U.S. streaming revenue, not a measure of how many people use streaming. The RIAA report presents both trends.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to read the comeback claim
The strongest evidence is a sustained rise in vinyl sales, supported by 2025 U.S. and global reporting. The broader claim needs qualification: CD results shift with the reporting period, the sources use different metrics, and the figures cover music rather than physical media as a whole. The data establishes sales growth; it does not establish a single reason consumers are buying physical music.
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