The compact disc, once written off as an obsolete format, is making an unexpected comeback in the United States, with CD revenues surging almost 60 percent in the first half of 2026.

The figures are contained in the latest report from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), which found that physical music revenues jumped 25.9 percent in the first six months of the year. Vinyl revenue rose 17.7 percent, but the standout figure was the 58.6 percent increase in CD revenue.

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The result suggests that the revival of physical music is no longer simply a vinyl story. After years in which vinyl has been positioned as the tactile, hipster-audiophile alternative to streaming, listeners appear to be rediscovering the less glamorous compact disc – perhaps attracted by its convenience, sound quality and the simple pleasure of owning an album rather than accessing it through a subscription.

It comes as some listeners are experiencing what might be called streaming fatigue: the sense that unlimited choice can become its own form of exhaustion. Algorithm-driven playlists promise to remove the work of choosing music, but can also reduce listening to an endless succession of recommendations, encouraging familiarity rather than discovery.

A CD or record also provides something streaming cannot: permanent possession of a particular recording.

The RIAA figures show how dramatic the change has been. In the first half of 2024, physical music revenue rose 13 per cent to $US994 million, with vinyl up 17 percent while CD revenue was essentially flat. By the end of that year, physical revenue had risen 5.4 per cent to $US2.01 billion, with vinyl accounting for $US1.44 billion. CD revenue increased just 0.7 per cent.

The CD revival is particularly striking against that background. In 2025, CD revenue actually fell 7.8 percent, while vinyl continued to grow. The first-half 2026 surge therefore represents a sharp reversal.

Streaming remains overwhelmingly dominant, accounting for 82 percent of total recorded music revenue in the United States. But the latest figures point to a music market increasingly divided between frictionless access and the desire for a more tangible, intentional relationship with recorded music.