13 February 5-11, 2026 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NEWS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | Stronger Than a 90s Trend CDs are making a comeback thanks to Gen Z. BY CARLOS OMAR GARDINET F or years, the compact disc felt like the most forgotten format in mu- sic history. Vinyl enjoyed a trium- phant comeback. Cassette tapes clawed their way into indie credi- bility. CDs, meanwhile, sat in dusty binders and thrift store bins, relics of a pre-streaming era best remembered for scratched surfaces and bulky jewel cases. Step into certain Miami record stores in 2026, however, and it becomes clear the CD obituary was premature. At Sweat Records (named Best Record Store in Miami by Miami New Times, 2024) in Little Haiti, owner Lolo Reskin recently found herself doing something she never ex- pected: building a brand-new fixture dedi- cated entirely to new compact discs. “Not too long ago, I stopped carrying new CDs and only carried used ones,” she says. “But be- cause there’s a younger generation that keeps coming in and asking for them, I had to order new ones. Supply has to meet demand.” That demand is not just anecdotal. Ac- cording to industry data from the Recording Industry Association of America, physical music sales grew about five percent in 2024, reaching roughly $2 billion in revenue. Vinyl still dominates that category, but CDs quietly accounted for more than $500 million of that total. It is a modest figure by historical stan- dards, yet notable in an era defined almost en- tirely by streaming. Even more surprisingly, CD sales have inched upward. Luminate, the data company that acquired Nielsen SoundScan and tracks point-of-sale music purchases used by Bill- board, reported that U.S. CD album sales in- creased by nearly 3% in 2023, with more than 36 million units sold. For a format long as- sumed to be in terminal decline, any growth at all feels significant. At Sweat Records, that growth is being driven largely by Gen Z. “Young people know that artists hardly make any money when it comes to streaming, so they make a con- scious decision to purchase either vinyl or CDs because they want to support their fa- vorite artists,” Reskin explains. “CDs also cost less than vinyl.” That price difference matters. A standard new CD typically runs around $15, while de- luxe editions, like SZA’s recent enhanced-art- work release, can reach $21. Vinyl versions of the same album often sell for $40 or more. In an uncertain economy, affordability has be- come a defining factor in how young listeners build physical collections. “Some kids just don’t have the money to buy elaborate records,” Reskin says. “Some kids want to have a physical music collection.” There are also practical reasons the indus- try never fully abandoned the format. Unlike vinyl, which requires longer production time- lines and more raw materials, CD pressing re- mains relatively fast and inexpensive. “Vinyl is more artisanal; it takes more time and ma- terial to manufacture,” Reskin affirms. “Re- cord labels never stopped making CDs.” As a result, CDs continue to be a preferred format for international releases and collect- ible editions. At Sweat Records, top sellers in- clude Frank Ocean, Björk, and K-pop acts, artists whose fan bases skew young and global. “People come from all over the world asking for CDs,” Reskin says. The trend extends beyond Little Haiti. At Yesterday and Today Records, Evan Chern says his shop has historically focused on vinyl, but the shift toward CDs has become increasingly no- ticeable. “I sell mostly used CDs,” he says, “but because more folks are coming in asking for new ones, I see myself put- ting in orders that I didn’t a year or two ago.” Like Sweat Records, Yester- day and Today is seeing a younger clientele drive the resur- gence. “They want to listen to older bands on CD like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Metallica, and Stone Temple Pilots,” Chern says. “If more people keep coming in asking for new CDs, I’ll have to in- vest in putting in a dedicated section.” Beyond affordability, there is something tactile pulling listeners back. CDs offer liner notes, lyrics, and artwork, details stripped away by streaming platforms optimized for speed and convenience. “Kids want some- thing tangible that they can hold and make it their own,” Chern says. “There’s something special about opening a CD jacket and read- ing the liner notes. Sometimes they even have the lyrics to each song.” Chern laughs when asked just how far that nostalgia goes. “Want to hear something funny?” he says. “I’ve had a few people come in asking for cassette tapes. I’ve even had a kid visit the store with a Walkman on. There are some indie bands that are putting out cassettes.” CD players themselves are also quietly creeping back into circulation, thanks to re- sale platforms, thrift stores, and affordable new models. CDs will never challenge streaming’s dominance, which now accounts for more than 80 percent of the music indus- try’s revenue, but they are no longer the punchline they once were. “Some formats come and go,” Reskin says. “We don’t know for sure how long things will evolve.” In Miami, though, evolution rarely moves in a straight line. It loops, it samples, it re- mixes. The compact disc now occupies a weirdly perfect sweet spot: cheaper than vi- nyl, more personal than a playlist, and just retro enough to feel cool again. Maybe it is nostalgia. Maybe it is economics. Maybe it is kids rebelling against an algorithm that keeps telling them what they should like. Either way, the CD is back in the racks, back in backpacks, and back in rotation. And in a city that never met a trend it couldn’t res- urrect, that shiny little disc suddenly feels right at home, because in Miami, a city built on reinvention, the CD’s second life feels per- fectly in tune, a reminder that sometimes the future of music looks a lot like its past. [email protected] ▼ Music Music CD sales have inched upward thanks to younger generations. New Times collage/Photo by dmitrynaumov “YOUNG PEOPLE KNOW THAT ARTISTS HARDLY MAKE ANY MONEY WHEN IT COMES TO STREAMING, SO THEY MAKE A CONSCIOUS DECISION TO PURCHASE EITHER VINYL OR CDS.” Easy Listening Sofar Sounds brings its intimate concert series back to Miami. BY FLOR FRANCESCHETTI A fter a hiatus from the Magic City, Sofar Sounds is making its Miami comeback. The internationally loved concert se- ries, famous for turning rooftops, living rooms, and hidden venues into intimate stages, returns on Thursday, February 5, with a special night at the artsy local hotel Arlo Wynwood. In a year that’s all about getting offline (and yes, we all need the break), this low-key, must- attend, concert series is tapping into some- thing Miami’s been craving: authentic, artist-forward experiences where the music comes first and the phones stay down. Sofar Sounds was born in a London apart- ment back in 2009 as a response to main- stream, disconnected live shows. Since then, it’s grown into a global movement with events in over 400 cities, giv- ing rising artists a platform and audiences a front-row seat to discovery. From Billie Eilish to Chappell Roan, countless stars have graced Sofar stages before hitting the mainstream. The Miami relaunch is being led by Local Producer JChris (Chris Urquiaga), a Latin Grammy member and U.S. Global Music Am- bassador, along with local scene-makers Briana Sterling and Samantha Stubin. Together, they’re bringing fresh energy to Sofar’s return, mixing global know-how with homegrown passion.Past editions of the series were held in the 305 years ago at eclectic locations such as the Hyatt Cen- tric hotels, art studios, Yo Space, among others. “Right now, Miami is at a crossroads. We have global icons like Pitbull and Gloria Estefan who defined our sound, but today’s local emerging artists are struggling to find consis- tent, high-quality stages as indie venues disap- pear. Sofar Miami will be a solution; a home for Miami’s next generation of stars where the au- dience is listening,” says Urquiaga in a press re- lease sent to New Times. While Sofar keeps lineups a mystery, expect Latin grooves, soulful vocals, hip-hop heat, and indie. According to the organizers, this show and the new chapter of the local Sofar Sounds, promise to reflect the music range that makes Miami, well, Miami. Sofar Sounds. 7.30 p.m. Thursday, February 5, at Arlo Wynwood, 2217 NW Miami Ct, Miami; arlohotels.com/wynwood; 786-522-6600. Tick- ets cost $24 via sofarsounds.com [email protected] FROM BILLIE EILISH TO CHAPPELL ROAN, COUNTLESS STARS HAVE GRACED SOFAR STAGES BEFORE HITTING THE MAINSTREAM.
