CD Revenue Rebounds 58.6% to $171.1 Million in H1 2026 as Retro Tech Interest Grows
Updated
Updated · TechCrunch · Sep 5
CD Revenue Rebounds 58.6% to $171.1 Million in H1 2026 as Retro Tech Interest Grows
3 articles · Updated · TechCrunch · Sep 5
Summary
$171.1 million in CD revenue and 17.5 million units sold marked a sharp U.S. comeback in the first half of 2026, up 58.6% and 45.7% respectively from a year earlier.
RIAA tied the rebound to rising demand for simpler, physical tech, with younger buyers drawn to offline listening, collectibility and more control over how they use technology.
The jump follows a weak 2025, when CD unit sales fell 11.6% to 29.5 million; revenue comparisons across years are less clean because the RIAA switched to wholesale-value accounting in 2025.
Physical media revenue overall rose 25.9% to $731.5 million in H1 2026, helped by the CD surge and continued vinyl growth.