Receipt

US vinyl revenue passed one point zero four billion dollars in twenty twenty-five. That was the first time since nineteen eighty-three that the format crossed that threshold.

• F1 ← “US vinyl revenue passed one point zero four billion dollars in twenty twenty-five. That was the first time since nineteen eighty-three” ⇢ US vinyl revenue passed $1 billion in 2025, reaching $1.04 billion — the first time since 1983

Vinyl had nearly disappeared. A decade ago, the format pulled in just two hundred twenty-four million dollars. The industry had written it off.

• F5 ← “A decade ago, the format pulled in just two hundred twenty-four million dollars” ⇢ in 2016, US vinyl revenue was $224 million

Last year, record stores stocked more vinyl than compact discs. Forty-six point eight million LPs sold against twenty-nine point five million CDs sold.

• F3 ← “Forty-six point eight million LPs sold against twenty-nine point five million CDs sold.” ⇢ 46.8 million LPs sold against 29.5 million CDs

Vinyl brought in more than three times CD revenue. Meanwhile, CDs fell eleven point six percent to three hundred twelve point four million dollars.

• F3 ← “Vinyl brought in more than three times CD revenue” ⇢ vinyl brought in more than three times CD revenue
• F3 ← “CDs fell eleven point six percent to three hundred twelve point four million dollars” ⇢ CDs fell 11.6 percent to $312.4 million

Yet streaming dominates the overall market. Vinyl grew nine point three percent year over year. Streaming still captured nine point seven five billion dollars.

• F2 ← “Vinyl grew nine point three percent year over year.” ⇢ 2025 was the nineteenth consecutive year of vinyl growth, up 9.3 percent year over year
• F4 ← “Streaming still captured nine point seven five billion dollars.” ⇢ with streaming making up $9.75 billion of it

A decade of streaming dominance. Yet vinyl—physical, tactile, deliberately slow—has become the format that grows. What people choose to own tells us what they value.