Growing a music & audio brand
US recorded music earned a record $11.5 billion in 2025, and adults 25 to 34 go to live shows most. Reach them on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok.
How big is the music industry?
US recorded music earned a record $11.5 billion in 2025, up 3.1%, and paid subscription accounts reached 106.5 million.
| Measure | Figure | Year |
|---|---|---|
| US recorded music revenue (wholesale) | $11.5 billion | 2025 |
| US paid subscription accounts | 106.5 million | 2025 |
| Global recorded music revenue | $31.7 billion | 2025 |
| Royalties Spotify paid the music industry | More than $11 billion | 2025 |
| Musician and singer jobs in the US | 170,400 | 2025 |
The US figures come from the RIAA's 2025 year-end report, where vinyl grew for a 19th year, to $1.04 billion.[1, 4, 5, 6]
Who are music fans?
Most US adults listen to recorded music, and 25-to-34-year-olds are the most likely to go to live shows.
| Group | What the figures show |
|---|---|
| All US adults | 63% listened to music other than jazz, Latin or classical through media |
| Ages 25 to 34 | 27.5% went to a rock, country, rap or other live show, the highest of any age group |
| Women and men | 19.8% of women and 17.6% of men went to an outdoor performing arts festival |
| Ages 75 and older | 8.1% went to a rock, country, rap or other live show |
These are the latest figures from the National Endowment for the Arts' 2022 survey of arts participation.[2]
Which platforms should a music brand grow on?
YouTube reaches 95% of US adults under 30, and Instagram and TikTok reach most of them too.
Fans can pay you directly through Patreon, where more than 10 million fans pay for memberships each month. Protect the band or label name with a trademark before your first release. Keep tour dates and your mailing list on your own .com. For domain endings and trademark classes, see naming a music brand.[7, 8, secondary]
Checks the .com, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Patreon and trademarks in one search.
Who are the top music creators?
Bad Bunny was Spotify's top artist worldwide in 2025, and singer Alex Warren won the 2026 Webby Award for art, culture and music creators.
| Creator | Known for | Named by |
|---|---|---|
| Bad Bunny | Spotify's top global artist of 2025, with 19.8 billion streams | Spotify Wrapped 2025 (opens in a new tab) |
| Taylor Swift | No. 2 worldwide and No. 1 in the US on Spotify in 2025 | Spotify Wrapped 2025 (opens in a new tab) |
| Alex Warren | Singer and TikTok star with 21 million followers | Webby Awards 2026 (opens in a new tab), Art, Culture & Music |
| Dixie D'Amelio | TikTok creator turned pop star, with 72.9 million followers | Forbes Top Creators 2026 (opens in a new tab), #31 |
Which sites are the authorities on music?
The RIAA, the Recording Academy, the U.S. Copyright Office and BLS are the main authorities on the US music business.
| Site | What it is | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| RIAA (opens in a new tab) | Trade group for US music labels; runs the Gold and Platinum awards | Revenue reports and certifications |
| Recording Academy (opens in a new tab) | Runs the GRAMMY Awards, with 30,000 members | Awards and member programs |
| U.S. Copyright Office (opens in a new tab) | Administers the nation's copyright laws | Registering songs and recordings |
| BLS: Musicians and singers (opens in a new tab) | US government job data | Pay and job outlook for musicians |
Sources (13)
- PrimaryRIAA: 2025 Year-End Music Industry Revenue Report (opens in a new tab), with its PDF tables (opens in a new tab); and About RIAA (opens in a new tab)
- PrimaryNational Endowment for the Arts: Arts Participation Patterns in 2022 (opens in a new tab), with its report (opens in a new tab) and demographic tables (opens in a new tab), Oct 2023
- PrimarySpotify: 2025 Wrapped top artists, songs, albums and podcasts (opens in a new tab)
- PrimaryIFPI: Global Music Report 2026 (opens in a new tab)
- PrimarySpotify Loud & Clear: Takeaways (opens in a new tab), 2025 royalty data
- PrimaryUS Bureau of Labor Statistics: Musicians and Singers (opens in a new tab), Occupational Outlook Handbook
- SecondaryPew Research Center: Social Media Fact Sheet (opens in a new tab), survey of US adults
- PrimaryPatreon: About (opens in a new tab)
- PrimaryThe Webby Awards: Creators 2026 winners (opens in a new tab)
- SecondaryTheWrap: Sean Evans, Josh Johnson and Nick DiGiovanni score 2026 Webby Awards (opens in a new tab)
- SecondaryForbes: Top Creators 2026 (opens in a new tab) (archived)
- PrimaryRecording Academy: About (opens in a new tab)
- PrimaryU.S. Copyright Office: About (opens in a new tab)