CD Revenues Jump 58.6% in H1 2026, Sparking a Physical-Music Comeback

TL;DR Summary
US CD revenue jumped 58.6% in the first half of 2026 to $171 million, the fastest growth among physical formats, while vinyl rose to $554 million (+17.7%); overall physical music revenue climbed 25.9% as streaming dominated a $6 billion market (about $4.9 billion in streaming and 111.1 million paid subscriptions). Luminate also reported CD unit sales up about 16% to 16.3 million, with CD growth persisting even without counting K-pop releases.
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