CDs make a comeback, boosting US recorded music revenue

Sept 1 — A resurgence in CD demand helped power ​a nearly 7% increase in U.S. recorded music revenue in the first ‌half of 2026, the Recording Industry Association of America ⁠said on Tuesday.

The ​jump underscores growing ⁠consumer interest in retro music formats, building ‌on the ‌revival of vinyl that has pushed more ⁠artists to release ⁠albums on the medium.

Here are some details:

• U.S. recorded music revenue rose 6.9% from a year earlier to $6.0 billion in the first half of 2026, according ‌to RIAA data.

• Physical ​music revenue jumped 25.9% to $731.5 million, driven by a 58.6% increase in CD revenue and a 17.7% increase in vinyl revenue.

• Streaming revenue rose 4.7% to $4.9 billion, remaining the largest source of recorded ​music revenue.

• The results point to a "healthy, ‌diversified marketplace" ‌supporting ⁠continued investment in artists and new ways for audiences to experience music, RIAA VP of Research Matt Bass said.

• Paid subscription ‌revenue rose 6.4% ​to $3.4 billion in the ‌first half of ⁠2026.

(Reporting ​by Anzar Mehraj in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi ​Majumdar)

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