When I started collecting physical media in 2009 at 13 years old, CDs still dominated the market. Big-box retail stores had music sections with rows and rows of sealed jewel cases, and it was normal to spend $25 on a deluxe album or a box set.
Less than a decade later, streaming had taken over. Vinyl records outsold CDs for the first time in 2022. The Compact Disc began to feel like an afterthought.
But now the CD is enjoying a surge in popularity thanks to cultural shifts like the rise in K-pop, the backlash against the streaming platforms’ policies, and Gen-Zers driving hand-me-down cars without Bluetooth connectivity. When I walked into a record store in July and found a deluxe CD for Madonna’s new album, Confessions II, on sale for $34, more expensive than some of the vinyl pressings, it finally felt like the format was officially back. (And yes, I bought it.)
According to 2026 data from the entertainment industry research firm Luminate, K-pop groups like BTS, Enhypen, and ATEEZ contributed to an overall 16 percent increase in CD sales so far this year, thanks to collectible editions that encouraged fans to buy multiple copies of the groups’ albums. This seems to be the major shift between the old way of buying music and the new normal: CDs are looked at more as merch—collectibles that support the artist—than as necessities to hear the songs. According to the same Luminate report, if K-pop were taken out of the data, disc sales would’ve still increased 6.7 percent.
Though the numbers show solid growth, CDs are nowhere near as hot as they used to be. The music industry sold 16.3 million discs in the first half of this year, a paltry number compared to the CD’s heyday around the turn of the millennium, when annual sales topped 900 million. Still, their collectible physicality has brought them back into fashion.
There really is no right or wrong way to collect CDs. If you keep a CD in its packaging, it will be protected for years to come. But here are some tips if you want to elevate your collecting experience and get more out of your collection, whether you’re new to the format or rescuing an old box of discs from the garage.
Get a CD Player
It might seem that owning a CD player is the obvious first step to collecting CDs. But according to Luminate’s report, only half of millennials and Gen-Zers that collect CDs have a player. Luckily, finding a good CD player is easier and more budget-friendly than buying a record player.
You might even have a CD player without knowing it; a Blu-ray player hooked up to a nice sound bar is a convenient set up to play CDs, since most Blu-ray and DVD players can handle audio discs. Even your Xbox can play them, though the disc drives on Sony PlayStation 4 and 5 consoles weirdly cannot play CDs.
If you need a CD player, the first thing to consider is what kind you want. A personal portable player lets you take your music anywhere. If your record player setup includes a stereo receiver, chances are it has a CD input that you can use to hook up a hi-fi player for at-home listening. This will give you the best audio from your discs. These component players can still be found at big-box retail stores or online music shops like Turntable Lab or RETROSPEKT that specialize in hi-fi systems.
Del Bravo Record Shop, one of the oldest record stores in Texas, has seen an increase in demand for personal CD players that it ships out of its San Antonio store. “They’ve been flying off the shelves,” says Jessica Campa, Del Bravo’s sales associate and social media manager. “We’ve also had about a 12.6 percent increase in CD sales so far this year.”
Bluetooth CD Players are the latest advancement; they let you connect wireless headphones or speakers. If you love the hunt, a thrift store or flea market can be a great place to find a CD player at a great price. Just be sure to test that it works before paying for it. Record stores sometimes keep a variety of used or new CD players as well, depending on their specialty.
The Record Store Is Still Your Friend
Independent record stores are the go-to place to get exclusive vinyl, and many of them still carry CDs. While online shops like Amazon seem like a convenient way to buy these small discs, record stores often receive promotional goodies like posters or stickers that they throw in for free along with your purchase. Oftentimes indie stores will get autographed albums during an artist’s release week to encourage shoppers to come into the store to buy the disc. These are often sold at the regular retail price and not up-charged.
Of course, record stores are great places to buy used discs, and most of the time, the discs are inspected by the staff and you can expect them to play properly and without skips. Stores sometimes even have listening stations so you can preview the used discs.
Track Your Collection
Knowing what music you already have is a great way to prevent accidentally acquiring doubles when you’re out shopping. Thankfully, you don’t need to rely on an Excel spreadsheet. Discogs, an online marketplace and music database for collectors, is well known among vinyl aficionados, but it’s just as helpful as a tool to keep track of your CDs. Not only does the free mobile app feature a barcode scanner that will show you the exact pressing of a CD, it will also show you the current market value of it, in case you come across a rare find in the wild or something that could be overpriced. You can also look up different versions of a CD to find that rare version, like the Japanese pressing with the extra tracks. Discogs will show you a list of the users who own that particular disc who’d be willing to sell it to you for a fair offer.
Inspect Thrifted and Stored CDs
Found that box of old CDs in the garage? Scored a 75-cent copy of Santana’s Abraxas at the thrift store? Be sure to not only check if the disc is actually in the case, but inspect the bottom of the disc—CDs are read by a laser that moves underneath the disc as it spins—for any scratches, discoloration, or spots, which could be a sign of disc rot.
Disc rot is exactly what it sounds like, the deterioration of the reflective layer where a CD’s music data is stored. Sometimes it’s caused by manufacturing defects, but usually it’s the result of improper storage. Over time, heat and humidity can turn these once seemingly indestructible pieces of media into unplayable garbage.
You can score some great finds when thrifting for CDs, but you never know the conditions the discs were stored in before they hit the discount shelf, so learn to spot the most common problems and be discerning. You may even want to bring a portable player with you when you shop so you can test your finds—with the seller’s consent, of course.
Invest in Proper Storage
Similar to a vinyl record, the best way to store a CD is vertically, in its original sleeve, jewel case, or digipack. Any solid shelf makes a good home, but used furniture stores or Goodwill shops will often also have dedicated CD shelving, made of wood or metal, specially designed to fit rows of jewel cases.
About those jewel cases: If they’re damaged or missing pieces, they don’t do as good a job protecting the CDs or artwork inside from spills or scratches. Go the extra step and invest in replacements for cracked jewel cases or damaged interior spindle trays.
If you listen on the move and like to take your discs in the car, a classic CD wallet or CD book is your best solution. You load your disks into the wallet’s plastic pouches and store the jewel case and the artwork somewhere safe, either on the shelf or in a box.
The demand for these nostalgic book-style cases has only increased over the years. “We stocked some recently,” says Steven Alejandro, who has been the general manager at Hogwild Records for over 30 years. “And then the supplier ran out, and now they don’t have any more to sell.”
If you’re lucky to find a case, or you’ve repurposed your parents’ old CD wallets, remember not to leave the case in a hot car, in the sun, or anywhere near a heat source for an extended time.
Keep Your CDs and CD Players Clean
The best way to maintain a physical media collection is to keep everything clean. Found your dream player at a garage sale? Chances are it hasn’t been properly maintained in 20 years. CD players do need to be cleaned every once in a while to ensure the laser lens is free of any debris or fingerprints that can impact playback and audio quality.
On the actual disc, fingerprints, dust, and anything else stuck to the bottom surface can cause audible skips during playback. It's best to use a microfiber cloth and, if necessary, a cleaning solution for extremely dirty CDs. Don’t wipe the disc in a circular motion. Always wipe the disc from the center outward, starting at the hole and pulling the cloth gently toward the outer edge of the disc.
Final Tip
Enjoy your CDs! Rip the contents to your hard drive if you need to, but they sound great when you just give them a spin. There’s a joy in collecting music, because while online streams may be temporary, the physical media we have will always be something we truly own and the actual definition of on-demand.
