People still buy albums. Taylor Swift fans, mostly. But still. 100 million physical and digital albums sold is not nothing. And Swift is responsible for 3% of those: 1,818,000 copies of Midnights (945,000 of those on vinyl!) and at least another 1.1 million more across her catalog.

Vinyl outsold CDs again, but its growth curve is leveling off, perhaps due to maxing out the existing pressing plants. One weird factoid in the Luminate U.S. Year-End Music Report for 2022 is that only “50% of vinyl buyers own a record player.” What’s up with that? Go buy a turntable, kids. (Preferably not a Crosley, but do what you gotta do.)

“Luminate,” by the way, is what Soundscan is calling itself these days. It was called “MRC Data” for a minute and before that it was “Nielsen Music Products” but now it’s Luminate. It’s the next phase, new wave, dance craze, anyways, it’s still Soundscan to me.

Total Album Sales (physical + digital albums)

2022: 100.09 million
2021: 109.0 million
2020: 102.4 million
2019: 112.75 million
2018: 141 million
2017: 169.15 million
2016: 205.5 million
2015: 241.39 million
2014: 257.02 million
2013: 289.41 million
2012: 315.96 million
2011: 330.57 million
2010: 326.15 million
2009: 373.9 million
2008: 428.4 million
2007: 500.5 million
2006: 588.2 million
2005: 618.9 million
2004: 666.7 million
2003: 667.9 million
2002: 693.1 million
2001: 762.8 million
2000: 785 million
1999: 754.8 million
1998: 712.5 million
1997: 651.8 million
1996: 616.6 million
1995: 616.4 million (I’ve heard the figure is 616,957,000)
1994: 614.7 million (I’ve heard the figure is 615,266,000)
1993: ~573 million (1994 was 7.4% increase over 1993)

Vinyl albums

2022: 43.46 million
2021: 41.72 million
2020: 27.54 million
2019: 18.84 million
2018: 16.8 million
2017: 14.32 million
2016: 13.1 million
2015: 11.92 million
2014: 9.19 million
2013: 6.1 million
2012: 4.55 million
2011: 3.9 million
2010: 2.8 million
2009: 2.5 million
2008: 1,877,000
2007: 990,000
2006: 858,000
2005: 857,000
2004: 1,187,000
2003: 1,404,000
2002: 1,339,000
2001: 1,246,000
2000: 1,533,000
1999: 1,405,000
1998: 1,376,000
1997: 1,092,000
1996: 1,145,000
1995: 794,000
1994: 625,000

Compact Discs

2022: 35.87 million
2021: 40.59 million
2020: 40.12 million
2019: 54.19 million
2018: 70.7 million
2017: 88.2 million
2016: 104.8 million
2015: 125.6 million
2014: 140.9 million
2013: 165.4 million
2012: 193.4 million
2011: 223.5 million
2010: 239.9 million
2009: 294.9 million
2008: 360.6 million
2007: 449.2 million
2006: 553.4 million
2005: 598.9 million
2004: 651.1 million
2003: 635.8 million
2002: 649.5 million
2001: 712.0 million
2000: 730.0 million
1999: 648.1 million
1998: ~578 million
1997: 504.6 million
1996: 448.4 million
1995: 368 million

Digital Albums

2022: 20.2 million
2021: 26.17 million
2020: 34.39 million
2019: 39.3 million
2018: 53.4 million
2017: 66.2 million
2016: 82.3 million
2015: 103.33 million
2014: 106.47 million
2013: 117.58 million
2012: 117.68 million
2011: 103.1 million
2010: 86.3 million
2009: 76.4 million
2008: 65.8 million
2007: 50 million
2006: 32.6 million
2005: 16.2 million
2004: 5.5 million

Cassette albums

2022: 440,000
2021: 343,000
2020:
2019:
2018: 219,000
2017: 174,000 source
2016: 129,000 source
2015: 74,000 source
2014:
2013:
2012:
2011: 31,000
2010: 21,000
2009: 34,000
2008: ~82,000 source
2007: 274,000
2006: ~1.128 million source
2005: ~2.667 million source
2004: 8.6 million
2003: 17.9 million
2002: 29.8 million
2001: 49.4 million
2000: 77.2 million
1999: 105.5 million
1998: ~130.8 million
1997: 146 million
1996: 166.7 million

Digital track sales

2022: 151.9 million
2021: 202.9 million
2020: 233.84 million
2019: 301.08 million
2018: 412 million
2017: 554.82 million
2016: 724.0 million
2015: 964.76 million
2014: 1.1 billion
2013: 1.26 billion
2012: 1.336 billion
2011: 1.27 billion
2010: 1.17 billion
2009: 1.16 billion
2008: 1.07 billion
2007: 844.1 million
2006: 582 million
2005: 352.7 million
2004: 142.6 million
2003: 19.2 million (SoundScan monitored them only during the year’s second half)

Song Streams (audio and video) *

2022: 1.268 trillion (1.1 trillion were audio-only)
2021: 1.13 trillion (988.1 billion were audio-only)
2020: 1.02 trillion (872.59 billion were audio-only)
2019: 1.147 trillion (745.75 billion were audio-only)
2018: 901 billion (611 billion were audio-only)
2017: 618.03 billion (400.38 billion were audio-only)
2016: 432.2 billion (252.3 billion were audio-only)
2015: 317.2 billion (144.9 billion were audio-only)
2014: 164.5 billion
2013: 118.1 billion
2012: ~89.5 billion (calculated on reports that 2013 was up 32%)

* Due to reporting methodology changes from a major video provider in 2020, year over year video streaming comparisons may not be reflective of industry trends, according to Billboard. Also, non-interactive digital services like Pandora and Sirius XM are not included in the streams tracked by Nielsen Music.

Sources: 2022 (Luminate, Billboard, vinyl); 2021 (MRC, Billboard); 2020 (overview, more, vinyl); 2019 (streams, pdf, vinyl, overview), 2018 (overview, vinyl, cassettes), 2017 (overview, vinyl, consumption, streams, sales, Nielsen), Billboard, Business Wire, Billboard, New York Times, Billboard, Billboard, Nielsen Music, Billboard, Billboard, Billboard, USA Today, Billboard, Billboard, Billboard, Billboard, Billboard, Billboard, Billboard, Billboard, USA Today, Computer World, New York Times, Hollywood Reporter, CTV, BBC, WSJ, Billboard, Billboard, Billboard, Billboard, Billboard, Billboard, Pitchfork, Narm, Billboard.

We’ve been doing this for a while. See our previous annual sales wrap-ups: 2022, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009.