The vinyl record industry continues its hot streak, as the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has announced that the format has achieved sales growth for the 18th year in a row. According to the association, vinyl record sales topped $1.4 billion – its highest figure since CDs hit the market. Additionally, records outsold CDs for the third year in a row at 44 million units sold for records, 33 million units sold for CDs.
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Some changes to the way the RIAA tracks record sales may in part be responsible for the big bump – Engadget points out that this is the first year the association has factored in direct sales data from independent record labels, for example. Still, the RIAA’s numbers are indisputable proof of the vinyl’s unlikely comeback. This isn’t to the detriment of streaming, however, as the association’s annual report indicates that 84% of recorded music revenue was made via streaming. Additionally, the number of streaming subscriptions grew 3% from 2023, reaching 100 million for the first time.
