GoKawiil
Tech News
New data from research firm Luminate shows CD sales climbing 16 percent so far in 2026, with K-pop acts like BTS, Enhypen and ATEEZ driving much of the growth through collectible editions that encourage fans to buy multiple copies. Even without K-pop sales factored in, CD sales still rose 6.7 percent. The format sold 16.3 million units in the first half of the year, far below its peak of over 900 million annual sales around 2000.
Data firm Luminate has published a report analyzing the factors that determine whether television shows get renewed or cancelled in today's streaming-heavy landscape. The report identifies specific viewership and engagement metrics that networks and streaming platforms increasingly rely on to make these decisions.
The RIAA reported that 17.5 million CDs were sold in the US during the first six months of 2026, up from 12 million a year earlier, generating $171.1 million in revenue. Vinyl sales also grew nearly 21 percent to 26.5 million units, while other physical formats like cassettes and DVDs rose over 73 percent to 1.6 million units. Streaming still dominates overall, growing 4.7 percent to $4.9 billion in revenue, far outpacing physical formats combined.