The growth of CD sales overtook that of vinyl records during the first half of 2026.
According to Luminate’s 2026 Midyear Report: Trends in Music, Television & Film, CD sales in the US rose 16%, with 16.3 million units sold between January and June this year. For comparison, vinyl sales grew by just 2.3%.
Interestingly, much of the surge is attributed to the rise in collectable culture among younger consumers, according to the report, which also found that around half of the Gen Z and millennials who purchase CDs do not actually own a CD player.
The report suggested that “price accessibility” could be a factor behind the trend, while also highlighting the importance of physical fandom in K-pop culture, and the success…