The RIAA report highlights that CD revenue climbed to $171.1 million, a 58.6 percent increase over the $107.9 million recorded during the first half of 2025. This growth arrives after a period of decline, with full-year figures for 2025 showing an 11.6 percent drop in units sold compared to 2024. While a change in RIAA calculation methods from retail to wholesale value complicates direct revenue comparisons for 2024, the raw unit sales data confirms a genuine market pivot.
In section Startups & Technology
CD Sales Mount an Unexpected Comeback
Seventeen-point-five million CDs were sold in the first half of 2026, marking a 45.7 percent surge in volume compared to the same period last year. This sudden reversal, confirmed by the Recording Industry Association of America, signals a tangible shift in consumer appetite for physical media over digital streaming services.
This trend aligns with a broader embrace of low-tech alternatives, including digital cameras, typewriters, and landlines. Driven largely by Gen Z, the movement favors hardware that offers control over digital engagement, free from the constant intrusion of algorithmic notifications. Startups such as Light, Dumb Co, and Minimal are capitalizing on this desire for simplicity. The market for physical media is likely even larger than official data suggests, as the RIAA figures exclude the secondary market of thrift stores and private hand-me-downs. Alongside CDs, vinyl continues to perform strongly, pushing total physical media revenue to $731.5 million in the first half of the year.
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