Physical music sales in the US are booming, with the RIAA's mid-year 2026 report showing revenue from vinyl and CDs up 25.9% on the first half of 2025, even as streaming still accounts for 82% of overall industry revenue. Alliance Entertainment, the largest independent distributor and wholesaler of physical music in the country, says it is a major driver of this growth, with CEO Jeff Walker telling Billboard that fans buy physical formats not out of necessity but because they want to own a tangible piece of an artist's work, much like collectibles.

Vinyl sales rose 17.7% year-on-year to $544 million, marking a 20th consecutive year of growth and putting the format on course for a second straight $1 billion year, while CD sales jumped 58.6%, boosted by K-pop fandom and a shift towards viewing physical media as merchandise. Alliance sold 16.8 million vinyl and 13.5 million CD units in 2025 and is on track to hit 20 million units of each in 2026; its AMPED distribution arm posted $114 million in fiscal 2026 sales, up 46% year-on-year. Walker also credited Record Store Day, now in its 19th year, with reviving vinyl culture, noting Alliance alone delivered over 700,000 vinyl units to independent stores for the event last April.