They just don’t make CDs like they used to.
CD sales have steadied after years of decline and continue to appeal to physical media enthusiasts. Yet, as I hold the newest additions to my collection, I can’t help but notice a troubling disconnect.
Despite their ongoing popularity, the manufacturing quality has dropped to an all-time low.
Record companies continue to cut corners on a format that still outsells vinyl, and I’m not the only one to make a fuss.
The Evidence of Declining CD Quality
Long-time music collectors don’t need special tools to assess the dramatic quality drop. The evidence is right in our hands.
Today’s jewel cases feel much lighter and more breakable than older ones. What were once strong protective shells now crack or scratch with minimal handling.
If you’ve been collecting for a while, it’s uncanny how light a new CD feels compared to an older one.
The booklets have suffered just as much. We used to get informative multi-page inserts with lyrics, credits, and photos. Now, we often open a case only to find a small insert printed on tissue paper thin stock.
These flimsy replacements tear easily and frequently lack the detailed information that makes physical media so special.
Even the discs themselves show worrying changes.
If you browse music forums or Reddit, you likely saw consumers complaining about brand-new CDs arriving with visible defects.
These range from scratches to damaged reflective surfaces and sloppy printing.
Forum users report issues like “overspray” of label ink and unusual marks that suggest rushed production and poor quality control.
While these visual problems don’t always affect how the disc plays, they show a major decline from the high standards that once defined CDs.
And for those who still hold physical media in high regard, it’s a real bummer.
Blame Cost-Cutting
The main reason behind this quality collapse is no mystery.
Manufacturers openly admit to using cost-cutting measures that directly impact the physical product.
CD packaging experts at Slim Disc explain that companies have deliberately switched to “lower-quality plastics, thinner plastics” for jewel cases to save money.
The result is cases that weigh less and break more easily. In other words, exactly what collectors experience.
Some manufacturers have started using recycled plastics, which is good for the environment but can cause noticeable quality issues.
When recycling processes aren’t carefully controlled, the finished products can have weaker hinges or break more easily. This explains why modern jewel cases so often shatter with the slightest bump.
Just as concerning is how the industry has shrunk.
Major CD manufacturing plants have closed or merged as the market got smaller. With fewer facilities making CDs, there’s less competition and quality oversight.
The move toward simpler packaging is another obvious cost-cutting strategy. Traditional jewel cases have been widely replaced by cardboard sleeves, digipaks, or simple wallets that use less material overall.
While marketed as eco-friendly alternatives, these options also conveniently cost less. The trade-off is less protection for the disc and a cheaper feel in the hand.
Market Forces Behind the Decline
These cost-cutting decisions make financial sense when you look at CD’s dramatic market collapse.
In 2001, compact discs made up over 90% of global recorded music revenue; by 2021, they accounted for just 4% of U.S. music revenue, with streaming taking 84%.
This huge drop forced labels to rethink every aspect of CD production and distribution. When tens of millions of CDs were selling, labels could justify spending on high-quality packaging.
As those numbers fell, the goal became maintaining profits by cutting costs wherever possible.
The rise of vinyl adds another market factor working against CD quality. When vinyl records began their comeback in the 2010s, record companies found they could charge premium prices.
A new vinyl album typically sells for $25-40, while a new CD might be $10-15. This big price difference means labels are more willing to invest in quality where the profit margins support it.
And yet, CDs have shown surprising staying power.
Recent data shows CD sales have somewhat leveled off, with only a 2.9% drop in 2024 compared to steeper drops in previous years.
Unfortunately, this modest stabilization hasn’t yet convinced labels to reinvest in quality.
The industry seems to have settled on treating CDs as budget items rather than premium physical products deserving careful production.
The Future of CDs as Physical Objects
The decline in CD quality raises serious questions about how long they’ll last.
When made to high standards and kept in good condition, CDs can last decades.
But this durability depends on the integrity of the disc’s layers, proper sealing, and good protection.
If modern CDs are made with thinner protective layers or less careful quality control, they become more likely to degrade over time.
The irony is clear: CDs were originally marketed as “perfect sound forever,” a format that would outlast vinyl records.
Now, vinyl’s physical comeback may result in newly-pressed records outlasting cheaply-made CDs in terms of physical integrity. This creates a strange situation for serious music collectors.
Most of us appreciate the convenience, durability, and sound quality of CDs.
At the same time, it’s annoying to be treated as an afterthought by an industry that seems confused by our continued interest in the format. While labels produce fancy vinyl editions with gatefold covers and colored discs, CD buyers get flimsy cardboard sleeves with minimal artwork and fragile discs.
Still, there’s hope.
The slight stabilization in CD sales suggests the format has found its dedicated audience. Some labels have begun offering different CD releases: basic budget versions alongside deluxe editions with better packaging for collectors willing to pay more.
If this trend continues, we might see a quality renaissance similar to what happened with vinyl.
After all, vinyl’s comeback began as a niche collector’s market before growing into the mainstream revival we see today.
Perhaps as the dust settles from music’s digital transformation, physical media will find its new place with a renewed focus on quality as a selling point.
For now, those of us who still cherish our CD collections must be more careful than ever.
We may need to replace cheap packaging with better protection and handle our discs with extra care.
The industry will eventually recognize that those who still buy physical media in the streaming era do so precisely because we care about the tangible object, and not just the music it contains.
Right?