For the second year running, vinyl sales exceed those of CDs in the United States. This trend, unprecedented since 1987, confirms music lovers’ attachment to analog physical media. Vintage hi-fi, which is enjoying a comeback, is a major contributor to this vinyl renaissance. Here are the figures for the vinyl market in 2023.
Vinyl progress in figures
Despite the rise of streaming, physical media continues to delight some music lovers. Indeed, while 84% of US music industry revenues came from digital music in 2023, 11% was generated by physical media. Among them, vinyl records outsold CDs for the second year running. In the States, it’s the first time this has happened in 36 years.
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) reports that 43 million LPs were sold in the USA in 2023, compared to 37 million CDs. Although this vintage medium is more expensive to produce, it has proved profitable, with sales of $1.4 billion compared with $537 million for CDs.
While vinyl records have overtaken CDs again in the last 2 years, specialists have been observing the rise in popularity of wax for several years now. The vinyl market has been growing steadily for 17 years now. One of the reasons for this is the resurgence of vintage and turntables. But it’s physical media as a whole that is holding its own, as CD sales in the USA also rose by 11% in 2023 compared with the previous year!
Taylor Swift, vinyl superstar
In America, one artist stands out quite clearly from the rest. Taylor Swift alone sold 3.5 million vinyl records in 2023. The pop singer accounts for 7% of vinyl sales, or about one in fifteen records!
Top 5 vinyl sales in 2023 in the United States
- 1/ 1989 (Taylor’s Version) – Taylor Swift
- 2/ Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) – Taylor Swift
- 3/ Midnights – Taylor Swift
- 4/ Guts – Olivia Rodrigo
- 5/ The Dark Side of the Moon – Pink Floyd
It is also a measure of the new generation’s infatuation with vinyl records. In France, for example, it is interesting to note that 54% of vinyl record buyers are under 35. A true generational icon, Taylor Swift is also number one on streaming platforms, with 26 billion streams in 2023, and in CD sales with the album 1989 (Taylor’s Version), according to Billboard.
In France, CDs remain ahead of vinyl
In France in 2023, CD sales remained ahead of those of vinyl, according to a study by the Syndicat National de l’Édition Phonographique (SNEP). Last year, 10.5 million CDs were sold, compared to 5.5 million black wafers. However, vinyl sales increased by 5.5% compared to 2022, while CD sales fell by 7.1% over the same period. According to SNEP, vinyl sales in France have tripled in seven years, from 1.8 million units in 2016 to 5.5 million in 2023.
At the top of the French vinyl sales charts in 2023 are Daft Punk and the reissue of their Random Access Memories album. The French duo are ahead of The Rolling Stones and their Hackney Diamonds project. Taylor Swift reaches the third step on the podium with 1989 (Taylor’s Version).
Beyond the appeal of vinyl to music lovers, these figures illustrate above all the importance of physical media for the public. They are a collector’s item, providing a comforting listening ritual in the age of portable, digital music.
