Gen Z listeners are helping fuel a surprising CD comeback in 2026 as younger music fans rediscover affordable physical media and reject streaming fatigue.

The modern world has made us ill-equipped for the nuisances of past technologies, even as it has fuelled nostalgia for things that might transport us back to calmer times.

Paid subscription revenue hit $6.38 billion, up 5.8% year-over-year, while vinyl revenue topped $1 billion.