X

Put Down the Vinyls. CDs Are Making a Comeback After 17 Years

Party like it's 2004.

Macy Meyer Editor I
Macy Meyer is a N.C. native who graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2021 with a B.A. in English and Journalism. She currently resides in Charlotte, N.C., where she has been working as an Editor I, covering a variety of topics across CNET's Home and Wellness teams, including home security, fitness and nutrition, smart home tech and more. Prior to her time at CNET, Macy was featured in The News & Observer, The Charlotte Observer, INDY Week, and other state and national publications. In each article, Macy helps readers get the most out of their home and wellness. When Macy isn't writing, she's volunteering, exploring the town or watching sports.
Expertise Macy covers a variety of topics across CNET's Home and Wellness teams, including home security, smart home tech, fitness, nutrition, travel, lifestyle and more. Credentials
  • Macy has been working for CNET for coming on 2 years. Prior to CNET, Macy received a North Carolina College Media Association award in sports writing.
See full bio
Macy Meyer
cds

CD sales in the US increased for the first time since 2004.

 Alina Bradford/CNET

Put down your  vinyls  records and dust off those long-forgotten plastic binders, because CDs are making a resurgence. CD sales in the US increased in 2021 for the first time in 17 years, according to the annual sales report published by the Recording Industry Association of America. CD sales were up 21% to $584 million last year, according to the report. 

While music-streaming services like Spotify , Apple Music  and Tidal are still the primary way people enjoy their music, physical music sales have been on the rise the last several years, reaching $1.65 billion in the US in 2021 alone.

This is due mostly to the growing interest in vinyl music. Vinyl sales revenue increased by 61% in 2021 to $1 billion -- a milestone that hadn't been reached since 1986. Sales for LP/EPs also increased 67.3 % in 2021 compared with 2020.

"No industry in history has embraced changing technologies and innovations faster than music over the last 10 years -- taking streaming from novelty to ubiquitous in the blink of an eye and now working to drive a new generation of social apps, shared immersive experiences, and blockchain/NFT opportunities going forward," Mitch Glazier, chairman and CEO of RIAA, wrote in a piece published by Music Business Worldwide. 

Read more