A resurgence in CD demand helped power a nearly 7% increase in U.S. recorded music revenue in the first half of this year, the Recording Industry Association of America said.
The jump underscores growing consumer interest in retro music formats, building on the revival of vinyl that pushed more artists to release albums on the medium.
U.S. recorded music revenue rose 6.9% from a year earlier to $6.0 billion in the first half of 2026, according to RIAA data, released Tuesday.
Music CDs are displayed at the Rough Trade NYC record store in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Physical music revenue jumped 25.9% to $731.5 million, driven by a 58.6% increase in CD revenue and a 17.7% increase in vinyl revenue.
Streaming revenue rose 4.7% to $4.9 billion, remaining the largest source of recorded music revenue.
The results point to a "healthy, diversified marketplace" supporting continued investment in artists and new ways for audiences to experience music, RIAA Vice President of Research Matt Bass said.
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