The recording industry reached a milestone of $11.5 billion in U.S. sales last year, fueled by the continued rise of vinyl records and the enduring appeal of Taylor Swift.
Sales of vinyl records accounted for more than one billion sales in the United States in 2025, an increase of more than 9%, according to the Recording Industry Assn. of the United States annual report.
The United States generates almost 50% of the format's global total, making it a leader among other physical music formats. This is also the first time that vinyl records have reached over $1 billion in revenue since 1983.
“Fans are consuming music from the artists they love in more ways than ever, and that passion is reflected in today's report. 2025 reveals a strong, stable music economy as a result of committed investment by labels and identification of new spaces to expand artists' creativity,” Matt Bass, RIAA vice president of research, said in a statement.
Although vinyl records continue to make a strong comeback, streaming accounted for more than 80% of total revenue in the United States. The number of subscribers to audio streamers such as Spotify or Apple Music increased, and paid streaming accounts generated around $6.4 billion in revenue.
Streaming revenue represents more than 55% of total music sales in the United States. The United States is the largest paid subscription market.
Much of the growth in streaming revenue was driven by pop star Taylor Swift, who scored the biggest album debut of all time in 2025 with her 12th album, “The Life of a Showgirl.” This record was previously held by Adele's “25,” which sold nearly 3.5 million units in its first week.
Swift sold more than 4 million copies in the United States in its first week. The 12 songs on “Showgirl” garnered 681 million streams, according to Billboard, making it the fourth-highest weekly streaming of all time, behind Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department” and Drake’s “Scorpion” and “Certified Lover Boy.”
“Music remains a cornerstone of culture and a growing economic powerhouse for the United States, contributing $212 billion to our GDP and supporting more than 2.5 million American jobs,” RIAA President Mitch Glazier said in a statement.
LA Times staff writer Mikael Wood contributed to this report.
