Global Music Industry Surges to $31.7 B in 2025, Streaming Dominates While Vinyl Makes a Comeback

The recording industry hit a record $31.7 billion in 2025, a milestone that marks the eleventh straight year of growth and confirms digital streams as the market’s engine.

In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) reported that 84 % of the $17.7 billion generated in 2024 came from streaming and downloads. Paid‑subscription services and ad‑supported platforms together earned $14.9 billion that year, and the U.S. music industry supported 2.5 million jobs.

Globally, streaming also dominates song‑play counts. Luminate’s year‑end 2025 data shows listeners streamed more than 5 trillion songs worldwide—a 9.6 % increase over 2024 and the highest single‑year total on record.

Vinyl, long eclipsed by digital, is making a comeback. The RIAA’s 2026 report lists vinyl revenue at $1.04 billion in 2025, up 9.3 % from the previous year. Unit sales rose 7.9 %, reaching 46.8 million units.

The industry’s workforce and earnings reflect the digital shift. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics recorded a median hourly wage of $42.45 for musicians and singers in 2024, while the RIAA estimates that artists receive only about 12 % of total industry revenue, the rest going to streaming platforms and record labels.

Song length has shortened in the streaming era. The Washington Post reported that the average pop track in the 2020s is 3 minutes and 15 seconds long—roughly a minute shorter than the 1990s average—because streaming services pay artists only when a track is played for at least 30 seconds.

Other industry dynamics include the continued rise of paid streaming subscriptions, which hit 100 million in the United States in 2024, and the steady growth of smartphone streaming usage, projected to reach 37 % of listeners in developed markets by 2030. Radio remains the most widely reached platform, touching 92 % of U.S. adults weekly.

The IFPI’s 2025 report also highlights that 80 % of albums sell fewer than 100 copies, and 94 % sell under 1,000 copies, underscoring the concentration of sales among a small group of releases.

In summary, the global music market is expanding, driven largely by streaming, while vinyl sales continue to climb. The industry supports millions of jobs in the United States, but artists capture a small share of the revenue pie. Song lengths have shortened, and streaming rules shape how artists structure releases—trends that illustrate the ongoing evolution of the music business.