Music Throwback: Vinyl Records Outsell CDs for First Time Since 1987
If you’ve been building up your vinyl collection, you're not alone. For the first time since 1987, vinyl albums outsold CDs by units in the US.
In its annual report(Opens in a new window) for 2022, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) says vinyl records sold 41 million units versus 33 million units for CDs.
Interest in vinyl records has been building for some time; 2022 marked the 16th consecutive year of revenue growth for vinyl albums, according to RIAA.
Vinyl may seem like an antiquated technology, but the records are known for creating a warmer sound over CDs and digital music streaming. They also give consumers the feeling of physically owning the music, although a single vinyl album can cost around $30 or more.
Vinyl records began to overshadow CDs back in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, when many US consumers were working and studying at home. That same year, revenue from vinyl record sales beat sales from CDs for the first time since 1986, according(Opens in a new window) to the RIAA.
In the association’s newest report, the RIAA notes that sales of physical media have seen a resurgence since 2021 when many physical music stores reopened. For 2022, revenues for total physical music sales reached $1.7 billion, which was up 4% versus the prior year. "Revenues from vinyl records grew 17% to $1.2 billion,” the RIAA adds.
However, interest in physical media didn’t translate to CDs in 2022. Revenue from CDs dropped 18% year over year to $483 million, according to the RIAA, which adds that “revenues from digitally downloaded music continued to decline in 2022, down 20% to $495 million.”
Overall, physical media sales only make up 11% of the US music market. Digital music streaming continues to
Read more on pcmag.com
