The CD seemed completely overtaken by streaming. Its rising sales tell a different story

According to Luminate, U.S. CD sales rose 16% in the first half of 2026 to 16.3 million units.

CD demand is also rising in markets such as Spain, the U.K. and Italy, even as streaming still dominates music consumption.

Part of the boost comes from K-pop fans, while many Gen Z and millennial buyers purchase CDs as collectibles rather than for playback.

The rebound shows that physical music formats still have value as collectibles, gifts and ways to support artists.