The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has reported a resurgence in CD sales, a format often thought to have been rendered obsolete by streaming services like Spotify. In the first half of 2026, CDs generated $171.1 million in revenue, marking a 58.6% increase from the same period in 2025, with unit sales rising by 45.7% to 17.5 million. This growth follows a decline in 2025, where CD revenue fell by 7.8% and units sold dropped by 11.6% compared to the previous year. The RIAA’s data, while not directly comparable due to a change in calculation methodology from estimated retail value to wholesale value in 2025, still indicates a clear upward trend in CD sales for the first half of 2026.
This CD sales revival is part of a broader retro tech trend, encompassing devices such as dumbphones, digital cameras, typewriters, landlines, and vinyl records. The appeal of these older technologies, particularly among Gen Z, is attributed to a desire for more controlled and less intrusive interactions with technology. Startups are capitalizing on this nostalgia, offering products like non-smartphones and landline services, while consumers are also turning to second-hand markets like eBay and thrift stores to acquire vintage gadgets. Additionally, the increase in CD sales is contributing to a 25.9% rise in physical media revenue, driven not only by CDs but also by a 17.7% increase in vinyl sales. Source