Are CDs making a comeback? US sales rise for the first time in almost two decades

CD sales for 2021 rose for the first time in almost two decades in the United States, data published by the Recording Industry Association of America shows.

Sales were up from 31.6 million in 2020 to 46.6 million in 2021, with revenue from CDs rising from $483.2 million to $584.2 million. 

It was the first time in 17 years that CD sales increased, according to the data. Sales of the format, which is nearing its 40th anniversary, peaked in in 2000, when almost one billion CDs were sold.

"When different formats and technologies thrive, it creates new pathways for diverse styles and voices, from classical to jazz to reggae to punk", Mitch Glazier, chair and CEO of RIAA, wrote in a piece published by Music Business Worldwide.

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The first CDs, or Compact Discs, were launched in 1982 by Sony and Phillips, with the technology fast becoming a defining emblem of music in the eighties and nineties.

While CD sales in the UK were not record-breaking in 2021, the decline in sales did slow, according to data released by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) last January.

"Compact disc has been showing a decline in demand for 17 years now, as fans first began switching to downloads in the Noughties and for over 10 years have had access to music via streaming services", the BPI explained in a statement.

But the drop-off rate in CD sales reduced from 27% annually in 2018-2020, to just 11% in 2021.

While streaming services are still the primary way of enjoying music, in 2021, UK sales were boosted by CD-friendly releases from superstar artists such as Adele, Ed Sheeran and ABBA, the BPI said, adding the new figures suggested there was "a core group of baby-boomer and newer fans that remain committed to the audio format".

In December, Adele’s album, 30, saw 80% of its chart sales total made up of physical format sales.

And CDs were not the only physical format of music that saw a resurgence in sales in 2021.

Fans showed their love for vinyl, the BPI said, as 2021 saw the highest vinyl sales in three decades.

Well over five million LPs were purchased, the 14th year that sales increased.

Cassette sales were also on the up, growing by 19% to 185,000 copies purchased.

Drew Hill, MD of Proper Music Distribution, said the figures were "proof that in this golden era of choice, music fans really cherish an album they can hold."