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CDs are declining, not gone. In the U.S., 29.5 million CDs were sold in 2025, down 11.6% from 2024. That leaves a substantial market for new discs, even as streaming dominates recorded-music revenue and vinyl now outsells CDs by both units and value.
What the latest figures say about CD sales
The latest annual U.S. figures available here are from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), whose 2025 year-end report was published in 2026. It recorded 29.5 million CD units sold, with $312.4 million in wholesale value net after returns. Compared with 2024, CD units fell 11.6% and value fell 7.8%. These figures describe the U.S. market, not global sales. RIAA 2025 year-end report
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The dollar figure is wholesale value, not what shoppers spent at retail. RIAA changed to wholesale data to align with global reporting standards. Its 2024 report used estimated retail values, so its $541 million CD figure should not be compared directly with 2025’s $312.4 million as if both measured the same thing. RIAA 2024 year-end report
How CDs compare with streaming and vinyl
In 2025, RIAA reported $9,474.5 million in U.S. streaming revenue, compared with $1,381.0 million for all physical formats combined. Streaming is therefore much larger by revenue; this is a revenue comparison, not a count of listening time or individual plays.
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| U.S. format or measure | Latest cited figure | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| CDs, 2025 | 29.5 million units; $312.4 million wholesale value; units down 11.6% and value down 7.8% year over year | CDs still sell in meaningful quantities, but both measures declined. |
| Vinyl, 2025 | 46.8 million units; $1,042.9 million wholesale value; units up 7.9% and value up 9.3% year over year | Vinyl exceeded CDs in both units and wholesale value. |
| All physical formats, 2025 | $1,381.0 million wholesale value, up 5.0% | Physical formats grew in aggregate while CD sales fell. |
| Streaming, 2025 | $9,474.5 million revenue, up 3.1% | Streaming was the dominant U.S. revenue category in RIAA’s report. |
| Streaming activity, 2024 | 91.3% of U.S. equivalent activity | Luminate’s activity measure, not a share of revenue. |
The figures for CDs, vinyl, physical formats and streaming revenue come from RIAA’s 2025 report and use wholesale dollar values net after returns where stated. The 91.3% figure is from Luminate’s 2024 report and measures equivalent activity, a different denominator; it should not be combined with RIAA’s revenue totals. Luminate 2024 year-end report
For historical context, RIAA’s 2024 report said vinyl albums outsold CDs for a third consecutive year: 44 million vinyl units versus 33 million CDs. It reported estimated retail-value revenues of $1.4 billion for vinyl and $541 million for CDs. Those are 2024 retail estimates, distinct from the 2025 wholesale values above.
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Why physical albums still matter
Streaming offers access to large catalogs, while buying a CD gives a listener a particular physical release to keep. That difference helps explain how CDs can continue to find buyers after losing their mainstream position. The RIAA’s 2025 report also says, “Paid Subscriptions represent more than half of total US revenue.” This refers to paid subscriptions and total U.S. recorded-music revenue, not to CD sales specifically.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesPhysical releases can also matter around an album launch. Luminate reported that direct-to-consumer sales accounted for 63% of first-week physical album sales among the U.S. Top 200 albums in 2024. That statistic applies to first-week sales in that chart cohort, not the entire CD market. Luminate also said its independent-retail physical-sales methodology changed at the start of 2024, limiting accurate year-over-year comparison for that segment.
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Some younger fans use CDs as keepsakes or as a way to connect with artists, according to reporting by Axios. That is useful context for why the format persists, but it does not establish a broad youth-led sales revival; the latest annual RIAA figures show CD units and value declining. Axios on younger fans and CDs
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What “dying out” means for listeners
If “dying out” means disappearing from the market, the evidence says no: millions of new CDs were sold in the U.S. in 2025. If it means losing ground as a mainstream way to consume music, the figures point to yes: CD sales fell, vinyl was larger in units and value, and streaming generated far more revenue than physical formats.
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The available figures establish a U.S. trend, not a current global CD-sales trend. They also do not establish 2026 production or shelf availability, or prove a single cause for the decline. The practical takeaway is that CDs remain a real option for people who want a physical album, but they are now a smaller part of a market led by streaming.
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