The U.S. recorded-music industry achieved a historic milestone in 2025, reaching a record-high revenue of $11.5 billion, according to the Recording Industry Association of America's (RIAA) year-end report.
This figure, reported on a wholesale basis, represents continued growth for the sector, driven primarily by streaming and a remarkable resurgence in physical formats.
The surge was fueled most significantly by premium paid streaming subscriptions, which grew 6.8% year-over-year to $5.88 billion. Overall streaming revenues climbed to $9.5 billion, accounting for the vast majority of the industry's income and underscoring how platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and others have solidified their dominance.
The U.S. remains the world's largest paid subscription market, with 106.5 million accounts contributing $6.4 billion in total paid subscription revenue (including both premium and non-premium tiers).
Adding to the positive momentum, vinyl sales continued their nearly two-decade revival, growing for the 19th consecutive year and surpassing $1 billion in revenue for the first time since 1983. This milestone—reaching approximately $1.04 billion in some estimates—highlights vinyl's enduring appeal among collectors and fans, representing nearly 50% of the format's global value despite comprising under 10% of total U.S. recorded music sales.
The overall 3.1% year-over-year increase to $11.54 billion (rounded to $11.5 billion in reports) reflects the industry's ability to balance digital dominance with renewed interest in tangible formats, even as challenges like market saturation and economic factors temper faster expansion seen in prior years. This record performance positions the U.S. as a global leader in music revenue generation.
