Trending Now - U.S. Music Revenue Soars to $11.5 Billion, Fueled by Vinyl
WHO:
Taylor Swift, artist
Mitch Glazier, CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA)
Sabrina Carpenter, artist
Kendrick Lamar, artist
Billie Eilish, artist
WHAT:
Vinyl sales accounted for more than $1 billion in U.S. sales in 2025, marking the first time since 1983 that vinyl revenue surpassed this threshold.
The U.S. generates nearly 50% of the global total for vinyl sales.
Taylor Swift's album "The Life of a Showgirl" achieved the biggest album opening of all time in 2025, selling over 4 million copies in the U.S. within its opening week.
"The Life of a Showgirl" had 681 million streams in its opening week, making it the fourth-biggest streaming week of all time.
The previous record for the biggest album opening was held by Adele's "25," which sold nearly 3.5 million units in its first week.
Music industry revenue climbed 3% in 2025 to hit a record of $11.54 billion.
Vinyl sales surpassed $1 billion in revenue in 2025.
Vinyl units sold increased from 43.4 million to 46.8 million, a growth of about 9.3%.
The Life of a Showgirl was the best-selling vinyl album in 2025, selling 1.6 million copies.
Premium paid subscription revenue reached $5.9 billion, up almost 7% over 2024.
Streaming revenue reached $9.5 billion, making up about 82% of total music revenue.
There are 106.5 million paid music streaming accounts in the U.S.
WHERE:
United States
WHEN:
2025, the year in which the music industry revenue and vinyl sales data were reported.
The average price of a mint vinyl record grew 24% from 2020 to 2025.
WHY:
Matt Bass, RIAA’s vice president of research, stated that the strong and stable music economy in 2025 resulted from committed label investment and the identification of new spaces to expand artists’ creativity.
The resurgence of vinyl is attributed to a continued interest from listeners to own tangible copies of music and support their favorite artists.
The music industry has transformed over the last 20 years due to the rise of streaming and the resurgence of vinyl.
HOW:
The RIAA reported the data in its annual year-end report published on March 13th, 2026.
The growth in streaming revenue was driven by premium streaming subscriptions, which grew 6.8% from 2024 to 2025.
(UPDATED March 17, 2026 07:23 UTC)
In a remarkable milestone for the music industry, vinyl sales in the U.S. surpassed $1 billion in 2025, marking the first time since 1983 that revenue reached this level, with the U.S. accounting for nearly half of global vinyl sales. Taylor Swift's album "The Life of a Showgirl" shattered records by selling over 4 million copies in its opening week, making it the biggest album opening of all time, while also racking up 681 million streams during that same period. According to Matt Bass, the RIAA’s vice president of research, this strong performance in the music economy is attributed to dedicated label investments and the discovery of new avenues for artists' creativity.
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(UPDATED March 17, 2026 05:27 UTC)
In a significant report released by the RIAA on March 13, music industry revenue climbed 3% in 2025, reaching a record $11.54 billion, with streaming making up about 82% of that total. Vinyl sales also saw impressive growth, surpassing $1 billion in revenue and increasing unit sales by about 9.3%, with "The Life of a Showgirl" emerging as the best-selling vinyl album, selling 1.6 million copies. The report highlights a total of 106.5 million paid music streaming accounts in the U.S., reflecting a strong interest in both streaming and tangible music formats among listeners.