CD Sales Up in 2021, Says the RIAA

Streaming didn’t kill the compact disc, according to new sales figures.

A new report shows CD sales are up, and they may soon surpass vinyl, says a new report by the Recording Industry Association of America.  CD sales in the U.S. increased for the first time since 2004 last year, rising from 31.6 million in 2020 to 46.6 million in 2021. Meanwhile, vinyl sales hit 39.7 million units in the U.S. in 2021.

Many factors play into this, including supply chain issues that affected the manufacturing of vinyl. Generation X is also ditching the Airpods for good old fashioned headphones.