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CDs may be ‘retro’ but they’re not irrelevant.
With in-car CD players vanishing and digital platforms thriving, you might think CDs are on their way out.
Yet, against all odds, CD sales tell a different story. They’re still far from being the dominant music format and perhaps they never will be. But, CDs are growing to meet new demands driven by collectors, younger listeners, and exclusive releases.
In other words, CDs aren’t dying off; they’re changing with the times.
In This Article
- Are CD Sales Even Really Declining?
- The Loss of In-Car CD Players Doesn’t Mean the End
- More People Are Shifting to CDs
- CDs and Streaming Can Coexist
In This Article
- Are CD Sales Even Really Declining?
- The Loss of In-Car CD Players Doesn’t Mean the End
- More People Are Shifting to CDs
- CDs and Streaming Can Coexist
Are CD Sales Even Really Declining?
You might have seen Billboard’s reports showing CD sales falling by around 20% in 2024 compared to last year. But before you write off CDs completely, there’s something you should know about how these numbers are tracked.
You see, Luminate, the company that gives Billboard its data, completely changed how they count CD sales (or any music format sales for that matter). They used to make weighted estimates about indie store sales, but now they’re only counting actual reported sales.
Some indie stores didn’t like this change and stopped reporting their sales in protest. This made comparisons with previous years less reliable, which made it look like CD sales dropped more than they really did.
It’s kind of like if half your friends stopped posting their music recommendations. You’d think nobody was listening to new music anymore!
But, when you look past these reports, CDs are actually doing pretty well.
In fact, in the first half of 2024, CD unit sales grew by 3.3%, reaching 16.8 million units.
Even better, CDs made $236.7 million compared to digital albums’ $87.8 million. Meaning, they’re making nearly three times more money than digital albums.
The Loss of In-Car CD Players Doesn’t Mean the End
When Subaru announced they were dropping CD players from their 2024 Forester, it felt like watching the last record store in town close.
With this, all major car manufacturers have now shifted to digital systems like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. This makes it easy to think that streaming has officially taken CDs to its grave.
However, this announcement really irked a lot of people. Contrary to what the manufacturers thought, not everyone’s thrilled about being forced to stream their road trip playlist.
The numbers back this up too.
Kim Bayley, who runs the Digital Entertainment and Retail Association (ERA), found that around 7 million people in the UK (that’s 15% of adults!) still prefer listening to CDs in their cars.
Many respondents also expressed dissatisfaction with the absence of CD players in new models in recent surveys.
It’s clear that while car manufacturers might be ready to move on, millions of music lovers aren’t quite ready to let go of their CD collections just yet.
That’s reassuring for CDs as the pushback means the format is still appreciated in this time and age. And, there are still millions of people actually supporting and using the format.
More People Are Shifting to CDs
CDs are finding fans across all age groups. Younger listeners, nostalgic Gen Xers, and Millennials are all part of the format’s comeback.
In fact, Gen Z, the digital natives born in the late 1990s and early 2000s, are some of the biggest CD fans.
For this group, CDs bring a totally different experience from just tapping a screen. It’s like discovering a cool new technology that happens to be retro (A.K.A. trendy). They’re falling in love with the ritual of opening that plastic case, flipping through the booklet, and actually holding their favorite album in their hands.
The ownership factor is huge too.
Ever had a favorite song disappear from your playlist overnight because of licensing issues? With CDs, once you buy it, it’s yours forever. No internet required, no subscription needed, no surprise disappearing acts.
CDs are cheaper too.
While vinyl records might look cool on Instagram and cost $30-40, most CDs are $10-15 or less. That means you can build a serious music collection without emptying your wallet.
Not to mention, major artists like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé are also helping to boost CD sales with special edition releases that appeal to collectors and superfans. Thanks to this, CDs have officially become collectibles with fans buying more than one variant of the same album at a time.
CDs and Streaming Can Coexist
It’s easy to see streaming as the end of CDs, but the two formats can and do coexist.
Streaming works great for exploring new music quickly and making playlists on the go. It’s perfect when you want to jump between different songs or try something new.
However, CDs serve a different purpose. They provide a physical and more permanent connection to your music.
Sometimes you want to sit down with an album, follow the lyrics, and really focus on the music. Or maybe you want to show friends your signed copy of a rare album. These are the moments when having a physical CD feels special.
It’s not about one replacing the other. It’s about having options for how we experience music.
Plus, the numbers show there’s room for both. While streaming brings in millions of plays, CDs still earn serious income for musicians.
Think of it this way: streaming is like having access to every restaurant in town, while owning CDs is like having your grandmother’s recipe book. Both are valuable, both serve a purpose, and both make our experiences better.
It’s never about choosing one or the other, but more about enjoying the best of both worlds.