CD sales are booming as physical media continues its resurgence
Terrence O'Brien is the Verge’s weekend editor. He’s covered the tech industry for over 18 years and knows a thing or two about synths.
According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), CD sales exploded in the first half of 2026. A new report from the organization says 17.5 million CDs were sold in the first six months of the year, up from just 12 million during the same period in 2025. That’s a jump of 45.7 percent, and 58.6 percent in dollars, which reached $171.1 million. What makes this all the more shocking is that CD sales actually shrank 22 percent from 2024 to 2025.
The RIAA isn’t the only one to notice the boom in CD sales. In July, research firm Luminate released a reportsaying that 16.3 million units were sold in the first half of 2026. It suggested that much of that increase was due...
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