Zumers Are Bringing CDs Back Into Fashion

• 5.09.2026, 18:36

Sales rose by 58%.

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has published a report indicating an unexpected resurgence in demand for CDs in the first half of 2026, according to New Voice.

According to the RIAA report, CDs generated $171.1 million in the first half of 2026—a 58.6% increase from the $107.9 million recorded a year earlier. Sales totaled 17.5 million copies, compared to 12 million a year earlier—a 45.7% increase.

Last year, the trend was the opposite: CD revenue fell by 7.8%—from $338.9 million in 2024 to $312.4 million—and sales declined by 11.6%—from 33.3 million to 29.5 million discs.

However, in 2025, the RIAA changed its revenue calculation method, switching from estimated retail value to wholesale value, so the financial figures for these two years cannot be directly compared. The number of copies sold, however, is not affected by this change and confirms that the CD market had been in decline prior to the current recovery.

The resurgence of CDs coincided with a surge in demand for simpler technology—push-button phones, digital cameras, typewriters, and vinyl records. For the “Zumer” generation, this is a longing for an era they never experienced: back then, people decided for themselves when to interact with technology, and it intruded less on their lives with notifications and algorithms.

Landline phones are being produced by the startups Tin Can, Ooma, and Pinwheel, while “dumb” cell phones are being produced by Light, Dumb Co, and Minimal. A device called Clicks, reminiscent of a BlackBerry, is set to be released soon. At the same time, young people are snapping up old gadgets at thrift stores, on eBay, and on Retrospekt.

The true scale of this trend may be even greater, as the statistics do not account for sales of used discs or the copies that Generation X has passed on to their children. Revenue from physical media rose 25.9% over the first half of the year—to $731.5 million; in addition to CDs, vinyl contributed to this growth, posting a 17.7% increase.