Photo Credit: DS stories
Compact discs are making an unexpected comeback in the United States, with new figures showing CD sales are increasing at a faster rate than vinyl for the first time in more than 10 years.
According to Luminate’s 2026 Midyear Report, CD sales rose by 16% during the first half of 2026, reaching 16.3 million units sold between January and June. By comparison, vinyl sales increased by just 2.4% over the same period, although the format still leads overall physical music sales with 21.8 million units.
The report attributes much of the resurgence to the continued global popularity of K-pop, in which physical albums are often released as collectable packages featuring exclusive artwork, photo cards, and multiple editions. BTS‘ latest album, ARIRANG, proved a major driver after launching in five separate CD versions, contributing hundreds of thousands of physical sales. Even without K-pop included, however, US CD sales still increased by 6.7%, suggesting demand extends beyond a single genre.
Overall, physical music formats continue to enjoy renewed momentum. Combined sales of CDs, vinyl records and cassette tapes climbed 7.8% to 38.2 million units during the first six months of the year, highlighting a broader appetite for tangible music products in the streaming era.
Luminate also found that dance and electronic music recorded the strongest streaming growth of any genre in the US, increasing by 0.51% year-on-year. Artists including John Summit and The Chainsmokers helped drive that growth, although hip-hop and R&B remain the country’s most-streamed genres overall.
Interestingly, the report suggests that many younger buyers are purchasing CDs as collectables rather than listening formats. Around half of Gen Z and millennial consumers who bought CDs reportedly do not own a CD player, indicating that physical releases are increasingly valued as memorabilia and a direct way to support artists rather than solely as playback media.
