Vinyl Record Statistics 2026: $1B Revenue and 19 Years Up
Vinyl revenue in the United States topped $1 billion for the first time since 1983, records have outsold CDs for four years running, and sales have now grown 19 years in a row. Here are the numbers that define the American vinyl revival.
Lena Brandt
Published: 28.05.2026
Last updated: 03.07.2026
Key takeaways
- US vinyl revenue passed $1 billion in 2025, a high not seen since 1983.
- Vinyl revenue reached $1.4 billion in 2024, the highest level since 1984.
- Vinyl accounted for roughly 70% of US physical music revenue in 2024.
- Streaming made up 84% of total US recorded music revenue in 2024.
- Vinyl outsold CDs in units in 2022 for the first time since 1987.
- In 2024, 44 million vinyl LPs were sold versus 33 million CDs in the US.
- In 2025 US vinyl sales rose 8.6% to 47.9 million units.
- US vinyl sales have grown 19 consecutive years.
- Roughly half of global vinyl revenue now comes from the United States.
- Total US recorded music revenue hit a record $11.5 billion in 2025.
- US vinyl sales were under 1 million units in 2006, the low point of the format.
- 50% of US vinyl buyers do not own a turntable.
- Gen Z buys vinyl 27% more often than the average music listener.
- Independent record stores account for about half of US vinyl sales.
- Taylor Swift sold 1.6 million vinyl copies of The Life of a Showgirl in 2025.
- The Life of a Showgirl moved 1.2 million vinyl LPs in a single week.
- Billie Eilish was 2024s number two vinyl artist with 340,000 copies sold.
- Discogs members cataloged a record 105.7 million records in 2024.
The US vinyl revival in dollars
1. Vinyl revenue topped $1 billion in 2025
US vinyl sales generated more than $1 billion in revenue in 2025, the first time the format has crossed that mark since 1983. It is the clearest sign yet that vinyl is no longer a niche collectible inside the American music market.1
2. $1.4 billion in vinyl revenue in 2024
Vinyl revenue grew 7% to $1.4 billion in 2024, the highest annual total since 1984. Vinyl alone now generates more money than the entire physical music format did in most years of the 2010s.2
3. About 70% of US physical revenue is vinyl
Total physical format revenue in the US reached $2 billion in 2024, and vinyl accounted for roughly three quarters of that figure. CDs, cassettes, and music videos share the remainder.3
4. Streaming still controls 84% of the US market
Despite vinyls comeback, paid and ad supported streaming generated $14.9 billion in 2024 and represented 84% of total US recorded music revenue. Vinyl is the cultural story, but streaming is still the cash engine.4
Units sold: vinyl beats CDs again
5. Vinyl outsold CDs in 2022 for the first time since 1987
Americans bought 41 million vinyl records versus 33 million CDs in 2022, ending a 35 year stretch where the silver disc led the physical format on units.5
6. 44 million LPs versus 33 million CDs in 2024
The gap kept widening. In 2024 the US sold 44 million vinyl LPs against 33 million CDs, the third straight year where vinyl led in units.6
7. 47.9 million LPs sold in 2025, up 8.6%
US vinyl sales rose 8.6% to 47.9 million units in 2025 according to Luminate. The category continues to grow even after a full decade of comeback headlines.7
8. 19 consecutive years of vinyl growth
Vinyl has now grown in the US every year since 2007. Few consumer products of any kind can claim a 19 year unbroken growth streak.8
Where the US fits in the global picture
9. The US is roughly half of global vinyl revenue
The IFPIs global music data show the US single handedly accounts for close to half of every vinyl dollar spent worldwide. The American vinyl story is the global vinyl story.9
10. US recorded music revenue hit $11.5 billion in 2025
Total US recorded music revenue climbed to a record $11.5 billion in 2025, with vinyl crossing $1 billion of that total. Both physical and streaming sides set new highs.10
11. Fewer than 1 million LPs sold in 2006
The starting point of the modern vinyl revival was tiny. US vinyl sales fell below 1 million units in 2006 before climbing steadily back to the tens of millions today.11
Who is buying vinyl, and why?
12. 50% of US vinyl buyers do not own a turntable
According to Luminates US music report, half of vinyl buyers do not own a record player. Many treat the LP as a piece of merch, a collectible, or a way to support a favorite artist rather than something to actually play.12
13. Gen Z is 27% more likely to buy vinyl than the average listener
Luminate also found that Gen Z fans buy vinyl at a 27% higher rate than the average US music consumer, driven by collecting, aesthetics, and artist loyalty rather than audiophile reasons.13
14. Indie record stores sell about half of US vinyl
Independent record shops remain the heart of the format, accounting for roughly 50% of vinyl sales nationwide. Record Store Day each April reliably produces the single biggest sales week of the year for many of them.14
The biggest vinyl releases in America
15. Taylor Swift sold 1.6 million vinyl copies of The Life of a Showgirl
The Life of a Showgirl moved 1.601 million vinyl units in 2025, the largest annual vinyl total for any album in the modern Soundscan era. Swift alone now represents a meaningful slice of the entire US vinyl market.15
16. 1.2 million vinyl copies sold in a single week
Swifts new album also set a new weekly vinyl record, selling 1.2 million LPs in its debut week and easily breaking her own previous all time mark.16
17. Billie Eilish was the number two vinyl artist of 2024
Billie Eilishs Hit Me Hard and Soft sold roughly 340,000 vinyl copies in 2024, second in the US behind Swifts Tortured Poets Department at 1.489 million. The gap between number one and number two was more than four to one.17
18. Discogs members cataloged 105.7 million records in 2024
Beyond new releases, the collector layer is huge. Discogs members added 105.7 million records to their collections in 2024, the highest yearly total in the platforms 20 year history.18
Frequently asked questions
How much did US vinyl sales make in 2025?
US vinyl revenue passed $1 billion in 2025 for the first time since 1983, part of a record $11.5 billion in total US recorded music revenue. Unit sales rose 8.6% to 47.9 million.
How long has US vinyl been growing?
US vinyl sales have grown for 19 consecutive years, every year since 2007, after falling below 1 million units in 2006. Vinyl outsold CDs in units in 2022 for the first time since 1987.
Who buys vinyl and why?
Roughly half of US vinyl buyers do not own a turntable, often treating the LP as a collectible or a way to support an artist. Gen Z buys vinyl 27% more often than the average US music listener.
What was the best-selling US vinyl album of 2025?
Taylor Swift's The Life of a Showgirl sold 1.6 million vinyl copies in 2025, including 1.2 million in a single week, the largest annual and weekly vinyl totals of the modern Soundscan era.
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Sources
- RIAA (riaa.com)
- Variety (variety.com)
- Billboard (billboard.com)
- Deadline (deadline.com)
- SPIN (spin.com)
- Rolling Stone (rollingstone.com)
- Axios (axios.com)
- NPR (npr.org)
- Analog Planet (analogplanet.com)
- Hollywood Reporter (hollywoodreporter.com)
- Statista (statista.com)
- Music Business Worldwide (musicbusinessworldwide.com)
- Luminate (luminatedata.com)
- Digital Music News (digitalmusicnews.com)
- Parade (parade.com)
- Music Week (musicweek.com)
- Mixonline (mixonline.com)
- Discogs (discogs.com)