[The Value of an Album 1] I don't even listen to them... The paradox of CDs selling 100 million copies

From appreciation to collection, and now to experience-based merchandise albumsA trend diversifying the reasons for buying albumsAlbums by BTS, Stray Kids, CORTIS, and ATEEZ (clockwise from top left) sell millions of copies. Including these, K-pop albums reach 100 million annual sales. /Each agencyAlbums that once contained music have become products that contain fandom, and behind them lie overconsumption and environmental issues. Now, albums are becoming keychains, earphones, and sneakers, entering fans' daily lives. Is it just the form that has changed, or has the value within also changed? We looked into the present evolution from listening albums to collecting albums to using albums, and explored future possibilities. [THE FACT | Reporter Jeong Byung-geun] The era of buying albums to listen to music is over. With streaming platforms and smartphones, music can be enjoyed anytime, anywhere, significantly reducing the role of CDs. Nevertheless, physical albums remain important products in the K-pop market. It is not uncommon for an artist's album to sell millions of copies, and annual K-pop album sales reach 100 million.Albums that are not listened to but sell like hotcakes. It's the paradox of albums whose value as products has increased, even as their original function of music appreciation has faded.According to Hanteo Chart, a music sales tracking platform, annual physical album sales increased from 13.79 million copies in 2017 to 18.57 million copies in 2019. The growth accelerated further during the COVID-19 pandemic. As concerts were suspended, fans' consumption focused on albums, and the global influence of K-pop expanded. As a result, sales surpassed 100 million in 2023.However, the explosive growth was not permanent. Sales decreased for two consecutive years, to 86.95 million copies in 2024 and 86.24 million in 2025. In the first half of 2026, sales rebounded to 49.53 million copies, recording the highest first-half sales ever, driven by the success of major artists like BTS and the growth of new artists.Looking at the trends of the past few years, there has clearly been a period of stagnation, but the market's growth drivers have not completely disappeared. However, it also shows that there is a limit to album sales, which seemed to increase endlessly. In particular, the music industry has widened the gap between listening to music and buying albums during its growth process.At the center of this is K-pop's unique fandom consumption culture. Photobooks and photocards containing pictures of favorite artists are as important a purchase factor as the music itself. Offering different components with each album or randomly including photocards in the sales method encourages the purchase of multiple versions. It is rare for an album to be released with fewer than 10 versions.Fan signing events and video call events are also indispensable. In a structure where albums are purchased for entry, dozens of copies of the same album are sometimes bought to increase the chances of winning. In addition, purchases are made to boost the artist's initial sales (sales in the first week after release) and music show rankings.It is not difficult to see that albums are essentially more than just music products for fans. Satisfaction from contributing to an artist's growth and creating achievements together, the joy of collecting limited edition components, and the sense of belonging to the same fandom are the driving forces behind purchases. Although it is a complex change, it can be seen as a transition from listening albums to collecting albums.Albums are diversifying from appreciation to collection, and now to direct experience. The photo shows performing artists taking a group photo at the '2026 THE FACT MUSIC AWARDS' held last September. Unrelated to the article content. /Reporter Nam Yoon-hoThe problem arises when the focus of consumption is not the album itself but specific components within it or benefits from the purchase. Other components besides photocards, or the CDs themselves, are sometimes stored or resold. Environmental problems also arise as large quantities of purchased albums are discarded.The environmental group Kpop4Planet has been running a campaign since 2024 demanding a reduction in marketing that encourages unnecessary album purchases. Entertainment agencies have also used recycled paper, simplified packaging, and released platform albums that allow music listening via QR codes or near-field communication (NFC) instead of CDs.However, these changes have not altered the existing purchasing structure. Even if CDs disappear, if the same product is purchased multiple times for photocard collection or fan signing event entry, the problem of overconsumption remains. Even if eco-friendly materials are used, the structure of producing and consuming more albums than necessary does not change.This does not mean that the reason for the existence and value of physical albums disappears. Demand for listening to music on CD or enjoying the unique sound quality and materiality of LPs still exists. The desire of fans to remember music and artists by collecting albums is also difficult to satisfy with digital music alone.Ultimately, the challenge facing the K-pop industry is not to eliminate physical albums but to diversify the reasons why fans purchase them. Products that provide lasting value even after purchase are needed, beyond simply increasing sales. This is intertwined with the needs of a generation that values experience, fueling change.The recent emergence of MERCH albums, which combine practical items like keychains, earphones, and MP3 players with albums, is noteworthy. This structure blurs the lines between records and merchandise (MD), with music providing the album's identity and various products stimulating consumer purchasing desire. Fans no longer just put albums on their bookshelves; they can wear or use them in their daily lives.A representative from JYP Entertainment, which has been steadily expanding the realm of merch albums by releasing MP3 player albums like NMIXX and camera albums like KickFlip, stated, "I believe the qualitative improvement of the music market and the corresponding high level of consumer spending are driving changes in the form of music business."Merch albums, which combine CDs with merchandise, are becoming more diverse. ILLIT released an in-ear earphone merch version (pictured) with their mini 3rd album 'bomb'. Ms. A, a woman in her 30s who regularly listens to K-pop, purchased an album from ILLIT for the first time at this time. /BELIFT LABThe girl group ILLIT released an in-ear earphone merch version along with their mini 3rd album 'bomb' in June last year. Ms. A, a woman in her 30s who regularly listens to K-pop, purchased an album from ILLIT for the first time then and still uses the in-ear earphones.Ms. A said, "I like ILLIT's songs, but I had never bought an album before. But because there were pretty in-ear earphones, I bought an album for the first time last year," adding, "I use the earphones well during my commute and workouts, and they are especially useful because they are in-ear and don't fall out easily."Merch albums are a meaningful endeavor in terms of market expansion, in addition to value and practicality. K-pop has generated revenue in various areas such as records, digital music, concerts, and merchandise based on fandom. Among these, merchandise has shown remarkable growth in recent years. Merch albums are products that can leverage the advantages of both records and merchandise. They can be a new outlet for the stagnant album market.In particular, combining the artist's concept with product functionality can expand the experience of consuming music. Keychains or dolls that reflect the album's worldview become character merchandise, and earphones and MP3 players that play the artist's music become tools for enjoying music. Pouches or sneakers collaborated with fashion brands become a means of expressing one's taste in daily life.Kim Wook, Creative Director of SM Entertainment's Creative 2 Center, Visual Creative, along with Jo Woo-sik, Jo Su-yeon, and Lee Ji-hong, who have been diversifying merch albums since 2024, said, "Collecting albums itself has become a way to express affection for the artist," adding, "Amidst these changes, we are contemplating album forms that allow for the natural experience and utilization of the artist's music and concept in daily life."However, merch albums cannot completely replace existing CDs. Even with the prevalence of digital music, the desire to physically collect and listen to music still exists. In fact, recently, demand for LPs has increased, and there is a trend of newly consuming the experience of directly playing music, such as producing CD players as special album components.Merch albums may simply be an addition to multiple versions. However, there is a clear significance in the fact that albums, which used to be sold containing music, are changing to sell experiences that can be enjoyed along with music. [The Value of Albums 2] From Keychains and Earphones to Sneakers... Music Enjoyed Through Use[The Value of Albums 3] How MP3 Players, Sneakers, and Ceramic Gua Sha Were Born[The Value of Albums 4] Beyond Fandom to Marketability... Evolution Continueskafka@tf.co.kr[Entertainment Department | ssent@tf.co.kr]