Album sales

Album sales reached 204.0 million units in 2025, representing a continued decline in the traditional album market. The ongoing shift toward streaming consumption patterns has fundamentally altered how consumers access music, with subscription-based streaming services increasingly displacing album purchases. Physical album sales have stabilized at historically low levels, while digital album downloads continue their steady retreat. Vinyl records remain the primary growth segment within physical sales, though insufficient to offset broader market contraction. The decline reflects fundamental changes in consumer behavior rather than reduced music consumption, as streaming platforms have made individual songs more accessible than ever, reducing the need for full album purchases.

Album sales have declined significantly over the past five years, falling from 356.0 million units in 2020 to 204.0 million units in 2025, representing a 43% decrease. The pandemic in 2020-2021 initially disrupted physical retail channels but subsequently accelerated digital adoption among demographics that previously favored physical formats. The steepest declines occurred between 2020-2022, when sales dropped from 356.0 million to 282.1 million units, marking the transition point where streaming subscriptions became ubiquitous.

This period represents the final consolidation of streaming services as the dominant music consumption model. Physical album sales found unexpected resilience in vinyl records, which experienced renewed popularity among collectors and audiophiles, though CD sales continued their precipitous decline. Digital downloads faced the steepest declines, as consumers migrated to streaming services offering vast catalogs for monthly subscription fees rather than per-album purchases.

The music industry adapted by restructuring revenue models around streaming royalties, playlist placement, and direct-to-consumer strategies. Major labels shifted resources toward streaming optimization and social media marketing, while independent artists leveraged digital distribution platforms to reach audiences without traditional album sales infrastructure. The overall trend demonstrates an irreversible shift toward access-based consumption rather than ownership-based purchasing.