CD sales are surging again as part of a broader retro tech boom

[Chris27]

US CD revenue jumped 58.6 percent in the first half of 2026, reaching 171.1 million dollars on 17.5 million units sold, according to a new RIAA report, reversing a 7.8 percent decline in full year 2025 revenue. That's a genuine rebound rather than a blip, since units sold also rose 45.7 percent year over year, even as paid streaming subscriptions still dominate the market with 3.4 billion dollars in first half revenue

TechCrunch links the CD rebound to a much broader trend of renewed interest in simpler, less algorithm-driven technology, including dumbphones, digital cameras, typewriters, landlines and vinyl records. The appeal skews heavily toward Gen Z specifically, who are drawn to an era of tech they never experienced firsthand, one with more control over when and how they engage with it, without notifications and addictive apps constantly competing for attention. Several startups have emerged to serve this exact demand, including landline makers like Tin Can, Ooma and Pinwheel, and simplified phone makers like Light, Dumb Co and Minimal

Physical media specifically offers something streaming fundamentally can't, genuine ownership, since a purchased digital track or album functions closer to a revocable license than an owned copy. Curious what people think is actually driving this trend more, genuine nostalgia for a slower relationship with technology, or a more practical desire for real ownership after years of subscription fatigue

CD sales are making an unexpected comeback amid a retro tech boom | TechCrunchtechcrunch.com