Adele, Taylor Swift lead a resurgence in CD sales for first time in two decades

It might be time to dig up your Walkman or dust off your boombox — CD sales are on the rise for the first time in nearly two decades, according to data from the Recording Industry Association of America.

The last time CD sales increased was between 2003 and 2004, the report says, going from 746 million CDs sold in 2003 to 767 million in 2004. But sales of CDs began to decline after that, with music downloads from stores like iTunes taking up a bigger portion of sales. And as streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music debuted, music sales were replaced more and more by monthly subscriptions, the data shows.

But, between 2020 and 2021, CD sales jumped from 31.6 million to 46.6 million. Revenue from CD sales went from $483.2 million to $584.2 million, the report said.

Paid subscriptions to streaming services still make up the overwhelming majority of the revenue generated by recorded music, the report shows. But the increase in CD sales could reflect a growing interest in physical music products that even streaming can’t override.

The news bodes well for local record and CD stores. Doyle Davis, co-owner of Grimey’s record shop in Nashville, told Axios that he’s noticed strong CD sales for new albums, especially when there’s a delay in an album’s release on vinyl.

“I think really this is about young people who are finding they like hard copies of music in the digital age,” Davis said.

Vinyl records have also experienced renewed popularity over the last several years — revenue from the sale of vinyl LPs or EPs outpaced that of CDs for the first time since the 1980s in 2020, according to an RIAA mid-year report. And in December, vinyl had its biggest sales week since 1991, Loudwire reported.

The allure of vintage music products could also be driven by something distinctly modern — the aesthetic appeal of the ‘90s on social media platforms like TikTok, KTVU reported.

And the boost in CD and vinyl sales could also come from/ new releases from powerhouse artists like Taylor Swift, Adele and BTS, according to American Songwriter.

Billboard even singled out the release of Adele’s latest album, “30,” saying that “hypothetically, had ‘30’ not been released in 2021, total CD sales would have been down year-over-year.”

Artists have also boosted CD sales by promoting special releases with extra treats for fans that streaming can’t replace. BTS’ boxed sets include photo cards of the group members, postcards and a poster, and Taylor Swift released signed CD editions of her albums, according to Billboard.

“I just think the whole thing is great,” Davis told Axios. “It speaks to the health and the overall comeback of physical media in general.”

This story was originally published March 16, 2022 at 3:32 PM with the headline "Adele, Taylor Swift lead a resurgence in CD sales for first time in two decades."