FORT WORTH, Texas — In the age of streaming music, vinyl records continue to make a comeback among collectors. And in 2021, CDs made a bit of a comeback of their own.

According to Variety, all major music formats saw sales growth last year, with digital download being the only exception, as the U.S. recorded-music business made a near-record $15 billion. Vinyl, unsurprisingly, saw a 15th straight year of growth with $1 billion in sales. The report says CD sales grew 21% to $584 million — the medium’s first year-over-year growth since 2004.

“Our CD section is starting to grow again,” said Bill Mecke, the co-owner of Record Town in Fort Worth.

Mecke said since taking over the Fort Worth record store, he’s seen some customers turning their attention to the compact discs. They now sell for as low as $2-$4 in his used section. He said he and many of his staff still use the discs themselves, though they’re not their first choice.   

“It’s a very handy medium for cars like mine that still have a CD player,” said Mecke’s co-owner Tom Reynolds, with a laugh.

Reynolds, Mecke and their fellow music connoisseurs in the store all unanimously agreed that vinyl was their preference for listening to music. Reynolds pointed out how the crash of the cymbals and the ring of the guitar strings linger through the analogue medium, giving it a sound that more and more are revisiting.

But most said the CDs were a bit more of a mystery. Reynolds theorized that perhaps they held a similar physical appeal to a vinyl record and offer the listener a hands-on experience. People can enjoy things like the cover art and liner notes, which you can't always get with streaming. Another likely factor is the resurgence of collecting that many experts have reported throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Either way, Reynolds and Mecke both said they’re just glad to see people really buying and taking in music, whether it’s through streaming, vinyl or CDs. Mecke said they still even sell the occasional cassette tape in the store, and they’re more than happy to.