The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has released its 2025 Year-End Recorded Music Revenue Report, which shows that US wholesale annual revenue achieved a record high of $11.5 billion.
The US remains the world's largest paid subscription market with 106.5 million accounts generating $6.4 billion in revenue. Premium paid subscription revenues grew by 6.8% to $5.88bn. In total, streaming generated revenues of $9.5bn.
“That sustained growth is enabling deeper investment, experimentation and agility to make the most of emerging opportunities,” said an RIAA statement.
US vinyl sales grew for a 19th consecutive year, representing nearly 50% of the format's global value. Vinyl sales were up 9.3% year-on-year to pass $1bn for the first time since 1983. Taylor Swift led the way with around 1.6m vinyl units for The Life Of A Showgirl, the biggest album of 2025 in the US.
Vinyl continued to lead physical formats in 2025, adding more than three times the revenue of CDs and selling 46.8m (compared to 29.5m CDs).
From the ease of streaming to new vinyl to licensing responsible AI tools and services, labels are diversifying fan engagement
Matt Bass
“Fans are consuming music from the artists they love in more ways than ever, and that passion is reflected in today's report,” said Matt Bass, RIAA VP Research and Gold & Platinum Operations. “2025 reveals a strong and stable music economy resulting from committed label investment and identification of new spaces to expand artists' creativity.
“From the ease of streaming to new vinyl to licensing responsible AI tools and services, labels are diversifying fan engagement. US recorded music has demonstrated sustained growth globally, reaching $6.4 billion alone in paid subscriptions and tallying 50% of global vinyl revenue, leading the way for fans to listen and connect with their favorite music whenever, wherever and however they want.”
For the fifth straight year, streaming represented 82% of total US revenue.
“The last 20 years have been marked by unprecedented transformation for recorded music – from the steady rise to dominance of anytime, anywhere streaming options as listeners enjoy tunes from their favorite artists to a resurgence of vinyl as both a listening experience and collectable art,” said RIAA chairman & CEO Mitch Glazier. “And now, our industry is advancing free-market licensing, building responsible AI partnerships that enhance discovery, deepen fan engagement and unlock new creative possibilities for how music is made and experienced.
“Through it all, music remains a cornerstone of culture and a growing economic powerhouse for the US, contributing $212 billion to our GDP and supporting more than 2.5 million American jobs.”
FOLLOW 
