US CD sales (2024)

In the US so far this year (as of 8 Feb):

• CD: 2.5m units (same time last year: 3.7m units)
  
• Vinyl: 2.8m units (same time last year: 5.3m units)

Now, sales of both formats have decreased (a lack of top new releases?). But something to note is that vinyl sales are down by over 46% from last year, but CD sales have only reduced by 31%.

The takeaway from this is: there was a gap of 1.6m units between CD and vinyl at this time last year, but now it's only 300, 000. And yet they say that CD is dead.....

Music Streams, Sales in the U.S.: Weekly Totals for February 8, 2024

 

Maybe when Taylor Swift releases her new album the numbers will become more even with last year?

 

Interesting, all it will take is a dispute between Spotify, Amazon and Apple, etc., over streaming payments to the labels, a hiccup and the hard copy formats will have renewed value. Never say never as we are living in a time of post never, so anything can happen.

 

I find it interesting that with both vinyl and CDs selling as niche products that many Forumites first thought is to start a fraticidal war against the other niche format, now based on weekly figures. Before at least it was 6 months..

Radical thought: How about people who like CDs or vinyl support the format to a greater extent themselves.

 

I think it's great - incredible, actually - that both vinyl and CD are still selling so well. And I hope that both formats continue to do well in the future.

I just wanted to provide some data to counteract the commonly held belief amongst music journalists, forum posters and others that the modern music landscape is just streaming + vinyl. There's space and demand for another format.

 

It's still down.

 

Interesting, I think one main factor is that LPs have gotten too expensive. The industry is killing itself. On purpose?

 

Physical product is general is still declining. The music industry revenue comes mostly from streaming l.

 

If Taylor's CD sales shoot through the roof, are disgruntled football fans going to have to go out and buy old Toby Keith discs en masse in protest? Wal-Mart wins either way.

 

So basically what I am seeing here is that physical formats are being crushed by streaming services as usual.

 

This is like having a discussion about whether more people bought manual typewriters or electric typewriters last year.

 

Yeah last year everyone was (still) buying SZA's SOS album for the first 3 months of the year and Shania Twain released a new one for the first time in forever. Late 2023/early 2024's album releases have not moved the masses.

 

These threads will not stop until the last hipster shut the lights and close the door.

 

I think what would be more interesting would be to see who is selling & at what volume in the respective formats.
Also the demography of the purchasers.
For me my interests have seldom ever resided amongst the huge sellers.

 

I can only speak for me but I have backed off of buying vinyl because of the cost. Go ahead, blame me for the down turn

 

CDs only for me. And not many, because I am putting twin daughters through college. (The last two to get out the door!)
No vinyl and no streaming/downloads at all.
In fact, I just sold off my deceased uncle's jazz vinyl collection and gave my parent's vinyl collection to my son.
Couldn't be happier.
Now need to sell my uncle's two turntables, extra needles, receiver/amplifier, and two sets of speakers.
We shall see how it goes.
Enjoy the music!

 

How do we explain the massive drop in vinyl? I mean it’s like a 47% drop??
This sounds fishy to me…

 

$$$
Enjoy the music!

 

I think Streaming and Purchased Downloads are speaking up...

 

My interpretation:

- CD's have sold less units in 2024 than medium they replaced in the 1980's; Vinyl
- CD's sales have reduced 31% compared to last year for same time frame. That is a huge decrease, can't see how that is in any way positive.
- Vinyl has decreased 46% since last year - OK, but just because it's lost a higher percentage does not make the horrid numbers for CD's anymore telling.
- Vinyl is a much higher average selling price and profit per unit. Thus higher business tolerance for lower numbers than CD.

I really am not sure of the message of this thread...

 

My guess is
1-Fewer high profile new releases.Remember for a lot of titles now the biggest sales are preorders and Week 1.
2-The Great Vinyl Price Gouge is beginning to bite.Even on this site which is hardly representative of the market many people have been posting they are giving up or cutting down on buying new vinyl because of price.The greed of the industry is killing another niche.

 

Not purchased downloads.They are only a small fraction of CD and Vinyl sales and have been for a few years.Not much above cassettes.

 

I find it strange that there are lots of articles claiming that CDs are going away and that CDs are making a comeback. Same goes for vinyl and cassettes. So which is it? Are they coming back or going away?

 

Have to agree big time on No. 2. Sunzabiches can't leave a good enough thing alone.

 

Down, but not out.

Although I find the sales comparison interesting, now (Jan, Feb) is hardly the peak market timeframe. I'd say summer & the holidays probably see the highest sales numbers. Markets fluctuate. Who's to say if this downturn will continue, or will we see a retracement a la the vinyl revival a decade+ ago.

In the words of Yoda: "Hard to see, the future is."