For years, vinyl records have been the king of the physical media comeback narrative. As it goes, in an age of digital — cold, impersonal, contextless — there's nothing like the warmth of the pops and crackles of vinyl. (Until you have to move your entire collection to another state.)

And yet, CDs may be poised to topple the beloved format. A report from Luminate, which tracks data and analytics on the entertainment industry, found that CD sales rose 16 percent in the first half of 2026, to the tune of about 16.3 million units in the US. This isn't the first time CD sales saw a jump.

The report notes some of the growth comes from collectible K-pop releases. Other industry watchers and commentators speculate that interest from Gen Z, fueled by nostalgia, could also be a factor. After all, if they're into point-and-shoot cameras from the 2000s, why not CDs, too?

Regardless of generation or reason for embracing CDs, starting a collection comes with some modern challenges as well as some perks absent from your streaming service of choice. Here are the advantages and limitations to getting into (or back into) CDs.

There are a few reasons you might be interested in CDs, depending on your priorities and relationship with music. For example, when you buy a CD, that album is yours. You don't have to worry about losing access to the music if a streamer changes its licensing deal. If you're on a budget, you can find used CDs for a few bucks.

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