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CDs are declining in the U.S. music market, but they have not disappeared: 29.5 million were sold in 2025. Streaming is far larger by revenue, while vinyl now outsells CDs in both units and wholesale value. The figures point to a format with a smaller role, not one that has vanished.

What the latest CD sales figures show

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) reported 29.5 million CDs sold in the U.S. in 2025, with $312.4 million in wholesale value. Compared with 2024, CD units fell 11.6% and value fell 7.8%. These are industry wholesale figures, net after returns—not the amount consumers paid at retail. RIAA’s 2025 year-end report explains that it uses wholesale values to align with global reporting standards.

That is evidence of decline, not extinction. CDs still account for a measurable market and remain an option for listeners who want to buy a physical album. The figures are specific to the U.S.; they do not establish the current global trend.

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How CDs compare with streaming and vinyl

The formats play different roles in a market where listeners can stream large catalogs and also buy particular albums. Compare like with like: units with units, and revenue or value with the same accounting basis.

#1 Best Overall
Gueray CD Player Portable Bluetooth Desktop CD Players for Home
  • Multi-functional CD Player: 1.Desktop CD Player, 2.Bluetooth 5.0 HiFi Speaker, 3. FM Radio, 4.TF card Music Player, 5.USB Flash Drive Player, 6. 3.5mm Audio Player. Support CD,CD-R,CD-RW,MP3,WMA.
  • Dual Mode Bluetooth CD Player: It's a Bluetooth transmitter and receiver. Built-in dual Hi-Fi Bluetooth speakers, which can be connected with Bluetooth-enabled devices such as mobile phone or tablet. It will work as a wired speaker. As Bluetooth transmitter, it can be connect with your Bluetooth earphone or speaker.
  • Desktop Design & Designed with a clear display screen: Desktop design with update also can as a Bluetooth transmitter, one plays all multiple functions of remote control. Easy to stand on the desk without Assembly or other support. Built-in LCD display shows track number, play time, and mode – always keep your music in view.
  • Wired Speaker: Connect the CD player to other external wired devices such as mobile, tablet or laptop via 3.5mm male-to-male audio cable, it will work as a wired speaker. (Notice: Remote control does not included batteries)
  • Great Gift: This Gueray CD Player is a perfect gifts for everyone. It supports remote control within 5 meters, A-B repeat, suitable for language learning, prenatal education / antenatal training, early education, FM radio broadcast.
U.S. format or measure Latest cited figure What it measures
CDs, 2025 29.5 million units; $312.4 million wholesale value Units fell 11.6% and wholesale value fell 7.8% year over year.
Vinyl, 2025 46.8 million units; $1,042.9 million wholesale value Units rose 7.9% and wholesale value rose 9.3% year over year.
All physical formats, 2025 $1,381.0 million wholesale value Value rose 5.0% year over year.
Streaming, 2025 $9,474.5 million revenue Revenue rose 3.1% year over year.
Streaming activity, 2024 91.3% of U.S. equivalent activity Luminate’s measure of listening activity, not revenue share.

The 2025 RIAA values are U.S. wholesale dollar values net after returns. Streaming revenue and physical-format wholesale value are separate categories in that report; the figures show their relative scale, not a direct comparison of consumer spending. The 91.3% figure comes from Luminate’s 2024 report and measures equivalent activity, not dollars. RIAA 2025 report · RIAA 2024 report · Luminate 2024 report

The older RIAA report offers a separate historical comparison, but its dollar basis differs: for 2024 it reported estimated retail-value revenues of $541 million for CDs and $1.4 billion for vinyl, with vinyl albums selling 44 million units to CDs’ 33 million. Do not compare those retail estimates directly with the 2025 wholesale values as if they were calculated the same way. The RIAA said vinyl had outsold CDs in units for the third consecutive year in 2024.

Rank #2
MEGATEK Portable CD Player Boombox with Bluetooth & FM Radio – Black
  • Simple & Stylish – Large buttons, top dials, and backlit LCD for easy use. Portable, compact design fits any space—perfect for home, shop, or on-the-go music.
  • Crisp Stereo Sound – Dual 3" front-firing speakers deliver clear, balanced stereo sound, with 5 EQ modes for customized audio effects.
  • Top-Loading CD Player – Plays CDs, CD-R/RWs, CD-G, audiobooks, and MP3/WMA discs, with shuffle, repeat, and resume functions for flexible playback.
  • FM Radio – Digital FM tuner with 30 station presets for news, talk, and music programming. Note: AM not supported.
  • Bluetooth Wireless – Enjoy wireless playback from your smartphone, tablet, or laptop. Note: No transmitter function.

Why CDs still have a place

Physical albums offer a different kind of access

Streaming makes broad catalog access the dominant way music is consumed, while a CD is a physical edition of a particular release. That distinction helps explain why a format can lose mass-market ground yet continue to matter to people who want a tangible album or a particular release.

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Fans may buy physical editions around releases

Some reporting describes younger fans using CDs as keepsakes and as a way to connect with artists. This is qualitative context, not evidence that young listeners as a group are driving a measurable CD revival. Luminate also reported that direct-to-consumer sales accounted for 63% of first-week physical album sales among the U.S. Top 200 albums in 2024. That figure concerns one chart cohort and its first week, not all CD sales. Luminate noted a change in its independent-retail physical-sales methodology at the start of 2024, which prevents an accurate year-over-year comparison for that stratum.

Rank #3
Gueray CD Player Portable Bluetooth Desktop CD Player for Home (Black)
  • Multi-functional CD Player: 1.Desktop CD Player, 2.Bluetooth 5.0 HiFi Speaker, 3. FM Radio, 4.TF card Music Player, 5.USB Flash Drive Player, 6. 3.5mm Audio Player. Support CD,CD-R,CD-RW,MP3,WMA.
  • Dual Mode Bluetooth CD Player: It's a Bluetooth transmitter and receiver. Built-in dual Hi-Fi Bluetooth speakers, which can be connected with Bluetooth-enabled devices such as mobile phone or tablet. It will work as a wired speaker. As Bluetooth transmitter, it can be connect with your Bluetooth earphone or speaker.
  • Desktop Design & Designed with a clear display screen: Desktop design with update also can as a Bluetooth transmitter, one plays all multiple functions of remote control. Easy to stand on the desk without Assembly or other support. Built-in LCD display shows track number, play time, and mode – always keep your music in view.
  • Wired Speaker: Connect the CD player to other external wired devices such as mobile, tablet or laptop via 3.5mm male-to-male audio cable, it will work as a wired speaker. (Notice: Remote control does not included batteries)
  • Great Gift: This Gueray CD Player is a perfect gifts for everyone. It supports remote control within 5 meters, A-B repeat, suitable for language learning, prenatal education / antenatal training, early education, FM radio broadcast.
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What the numbers do—and do not—establish

  • Established: U.S. CD units and wholesale value fell in 2025, while vinyl exceeded CDs in both measures.
  • Also established: physical formats grew in aggregate wholesale value in 2025 even as CDs declined, because formats did not move in the same direction.
  • Not established by these figures: a current global CD sales trend, 2026 production or store availability, or a single cause for the decline.

The available figures describe market outcomes, not the reasons behind them. They also do not establish claims about CD sound quality, disc longevity, player ownership, or artist royalties.

Best Value
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ROADOM Portable CD Player with Bluetooth, Hi-Fi Speakers & FM Radio
  • 【8-in-1 Multifunctional CD Player】 ROADOM desktop cd player features up to 8 functions including CD, Bluetooth transmitting, Bluetooth receiving, FM Radio, U disk, AUX, Timer and Repeat. This compact disc player is widely compatible with five cd formats including CD, CD-R, CD-RW, MP3 and WMA — a complete home audio solution for any music collection.
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Rank #4
CARONSORT CD Player with Speakers Retro Bluetooth CD Players for Home-Brown
  • Multi-Function CD Players for Home: Support CD/ CD Bluetooth transmitter/ USB/ Bluetooth/ FM radio mode, with remote controls,3.5mm,AUX,S/PDIF Prot
  • Speakers-Bass Boost: Sound quality is enhanced by a fully sealed wooden cabinet, and the remote control allows for one-touch bass boosting and bass lowering to increase treble settings
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  • Top-Loading CD Player: The appearance is a scaled-down version of a record player, but it is a multifunctional all-in-one CD music player. Compact design, portable. It is corded powered device
  • Easy to use: top opens to hold CDs, toggle switch, voice mode alert, rotary volume button, easy to understand buttons. Make it easy to use for the elderly and children

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