According to new report According to the American recording industry association RIAA, physical music media will show unexpected growth in the first half of 2026 amid widespread digitalization. CD sales increased by 58.6% and vinyl sales increased by 17.7% compared to the same period last year. This comes alongside a 4.7% increase in streaming revenue and a 6.4% increase in paid subscriptions.
Overall, US music industry revenues grew by 6.9%, exceeding the country’s inflation rate. Streaming remains the dominant source of revenue, accounting for 82% of all recorded music revenue. However, the RIAA noted that double-digit growth in vinyl, CD and sync licenses reflects the diversity of ways artists today interact with their audiences.
As Sony phases out physical discs for games, US CD sales grow 16%
The growth in CD sales fits into a longer trend of renewed interest in vinyl, which has been observed for several years in a row. However, it is the surge in popularity of CDs that looks unexpected given the fact that the opposite process is happening in the gaming industry. Sony plans to completely phase out disc-based support on PlayStation from January 2028, making the contrast between the two entertainment industries particularly stark.
Analytics company Luminate has previously recorded an increase in CD sales, partly attributing it to the popularity of major releases by K-pop artists. But even without taking this factor into account, the overall picture turned out to be revealing: according to Luminate, the CD is gradually turning from a functional audio medium into an affordable collector’s item. A significant portion of buyers do not have the technical ability to play the discs they purchase.
This behavior shows that for younger generations, purchasing physical music is as much about aesthetic ownership and direct financial support of the artist as it is about listening to the music itself on the media.
The analyst believes that 80% of players will not notice that they are left without game discs
It is difficult to compare music and game discs directly – their consumption formats and business models are too different. But both industries have one thing in common: the appeal of physical media is based on a similar logic, and both face the same rift between the digital and physical markets.
Just like the gaming industry, where the majority of revenue comes from digital sales, the music industry is dominated by streaming. However, with the right support, the niche market for physical media can not only give fans a sense of real ownership of content, but also open up new ways for creators to engage with audiences beyond just the product. For these fans, having a physical disc in their hands guarantees constant access to their favorite content, while digital purchases can theoretically be withdrawn at any time.
