SAMPLEDWhy Are CD Sales Growing Faster Than Vinyl in 2026?
U.S. CD sales rose 16% in the first half of 2026 while vinyl grew 2.4%, per Luminate. K-pop, BTS and collecting explain much of it, but not all. Here is what the numbers say.
CD sales in the U.S. grew 16% in the first half of 2026, far faster than vinyl's 2.4%, according to Luminate's 2026 Midyear Report as reported by NME (opens in a new tab).
What are the numbers?
| Format (U.S., Jan.–June 2026) | Units | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Vinyl albums | 21.8 million | +2.4% |
| CDs | 16.3 million | +16% |
| Cassettes | about 205,000 | — |
| All physical | about 38.2 million | +7.8% |
Vinyl still sells more units. CDs are just growing faster.
Why are CDs growing?
Luminate pointed to:
- Collection building. K-pop albums come in multiple versions with photocards and posters, so fans buy several copies.
- Price. CDs are cheaper than records.
- Big releases. BTS's comeback album ARIRANG sold 516,000 physical copies in its first U.S. week, including 208,000 on vinyl, a record weekly vinyl total for a group in Luminate's tracking.
It is not only K-pop: without K-pop, CD sales were still up 6.7%.
Photo: Edu Grande via Wikimedia Commons (CC0)
Do people even own CD players?
About half of Gen Z and millennial CD buyers do not own a CD player, Luminate found. The CD is working as affordable merch and a collectible, alongside streaming rather than instead of it.
What does this mean for independent artists?
CDs are cheap to make in small runs and easy to sell at shows. If you want to try, our guide How Do You Make Your Own CDs? walks through burning, labels and packaging, and How Do You Make Your Own Music Merch? covers bundles.
FAQ
Is vinyl declining? No, it grew 2.4% in the period.
Are cassettes back? Only a small niche, about 205,000 units in six months.
Do CD sales count toward charts? Yes, physical sales count in album charts.