CD sales surge as physical music formats regain ground

CD sales are rising again as physical music formats gain ground in the music market, ERR reports. Once declared dead and an unromantic medium, CDs have shown signs of a comeback in recent years.

CD sales first recorded growth in 2022, when they posted a small year-on-year increase. Data company Luminate said in its half-year report that 16 percent more CDs were sold in the United States in the first half of 2026 than during the same period last year.

In the United Kingdom, some home CD players have sold out in shops, while portable CD players are also becoming more popular.

According to the half-year report of the Recording Industry Association of America, CD sales grew by 58.6 percent in the United States during the first half of 2026, reaching $171 million.

The total value of the US music industry was $6 billion, up 6.9 percent from the previous year. Streaming accounted for 82 percent of the market, or $4.9 billion, followed by vinyl sales worth $554 million and then CDs.

MP3 downloads were the biggest loser among music formats in the United States. According to the association, single-track downloads fell by 13 percent from a year earlier, while album downloads dropped by 2.5 percent. Revenue from downloads declined by 12.7 percent. MP3 downloads have also been falling globally for 13 consecutive years.

Worldwide, physical music formats, including vinyl and CDs, were the fastest-growing formats. However, CD revenue increased by 3.7 percent globally, a more modest rise than the 58.6 percent recorded in the United States.

Vinyl remained the main driver of the global market. Its growth has continued for 19 years, and 2025 was the format’s most successful year worldwide since 1983. Taylor Swift’s album “The Life of a Showgirl” contributed the most to that result through its vinyl sales.

Small signs of the trend are also visible in Estonia. Ardo Krass, marketing director of Apollo stores, told ERR that sales of physical music formats had increased in its shops. “Music sales have grown by 8 percent in 2026 compared with the same period last year, with both CD and vinyl sales contributing to the growth,” Krass said.

Rahva Raamat, a bookstore chain, said it had not observed a significant increase in physical music media sales in 2025 or the first half of 2026. Electronics retailer Euronics, however, confirmed to ERR that CD player sales had been on an upward trend at the start of 2026 compared with the same period last year.

Krass said the growth in CD sales was largely driven by K-pop, or South Korean pop music. “The most sought-after CDs are those by artists such as BTS, Stray Kids and Katseye. K-pop physical albums and CDs very often also contain various fan items. This is one of the reasons why K-pop albums are collected,” he said.

K-pop has also boosted sales of physical music formats, particularly CDs, elsewhere. According to Luminate, the three best-selling CD albums in US retail chains such as Target and Walmart that contributed to a notable increase in the market were all by K-pop artists: BTS, Enhypen and Ateez.