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Led by Taylor Swift, U.S. Vinyl Sales Reached $1 Billion for First Time Since 1983 as Recorded Music
Summary
Executive Editor, Music
The U.S. recorded-music industry reached a record high of $11.5 billion in revenue in 2025, according to the Recording Industry Association of America’s year-end revenue report, with premium paid streaming subscription revenues growing 6.8% to $5.88 billion and vinyl sales growing for a 19th consecutive year, passing $1 billion in sales for the first time since 1983.
Vinyl sales climbed 7.9%, to 46.8 million from 43.4 million in 2024, with revenue climbing to $1,042.9 billion from $954.4 million, according to the RIAA’s report, which was released early Monday. This is due in no small part to Taylor Swift’s ongoing emphasis on vinyl sales — her 2025 album “Life of a Showgirl” sold around 1.6 million units on vinyl alone, one of many high-selling titles in her catalog: next up was her “Lover (Live From Paris)” set, which racked up 166,000 units, ninth for the year, according to Luminate. Variety’s 2025 Hitmaker of the Year Sabrina Carpenter’s two most recent albums, “Man’s Best Friend” and “Short n’ Sweet,” sold nearly 600,000 vinyl units last year.
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While vinyl’s annual growth has declined from the years of annual double-digit increases it saw in the 2010s and early 2020s, it is nearing 20 consecutive years of revenue and sales rises. The U.S. sells more than half of the world’s vinyl on a revenue basis, and it remains the world’s largest market for paid streaming subscriptions, comprising a third of the world’s value in the category.
“Fans are consuming music from the artists they love in more ways than ever, and that passion is reflected in today’s report,” says RIAA VP of research Matt Bass. “U.S. 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.”
RIAA chairman-CEO Mitch Glazier added, “Through it all, music remains a cornerstone of culture and a growing economic powerhouse for the U.S., contributing $212 billion to our GDP and supporting more than 2.5 million American jobs.”
Other highlights in the report include overall streaming revenues growing to $9.5 billion, representing 82% of total U.S. revenue, while paid streaming grew to 106.5 million accounts, with associated revenues reaching $6.4 billion, or 55.3% of total U.S. revenue.
Vinyl also continued to lead physical formats in 2025, adding more than three times the revenue of CDs. Other details can be found in the infographic below.
A Variety and iHeartRadio Podcast
The Business of Entertainment
The U.S. recorded-music industry reached a record high of $11.5 billion in revenue in 2025, according to the Recording Industry Association of America’s year-end revenue report, with premium paid streaming subscription revenues growing 6.8% to $5.88 billion and vinyl sales growing for a 19th consecutive year, passing $1 billion in sales for the first time since 1983.
Vinyl sales climbed 7.9%, to 46.8 million from 43.4 million in 2024, with revenue climbing to $1,042.9 billion from $954.4 million, according to the RIAA’s report, which was released early Monday. This is due in no small part to Taylor Swift’s ongoing emphasis on vinyl sales — her 2025 album “Life of a Showgirl” sold around 1.6 million units on vinyl alone, one of many high-selling titles in her catalog: next up was her “Lover (Live From Paris)” set, which racked up 166,000 units, ninth for the year, according to Luminate. Variety’s 2025 Hitmaker of the Year Sabrina Carpenter’s two most recent albums, “Man’s Best Friend” and “Short n’ Sweet,” sold nearly 600,000 vinyl units last year.
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While vinyl’s annual growth has declined from the years of annual double-digit increases it saw in the 2010s and early 2020s, it is nearing 20 consecutive years of revenue and sales rises. The U.S. sells more than half of the world’s vinyl on a revenue basis, and it remains the world’s largest market for paid streaming subscriptions, comprising a third of the world’s value in the category.
“Fans are consuming music from the artists they love in more ways than ever, and that passion is reflected in today’s report,” says RIAA VP of research Matt Bass. “U.S. 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.”
RIAA chairman-CEO Mitch Glazier added, “Through it all, music remains a cornerstone of culture and a growing economic powerhouse for the U.S., contributing $212 billion to our GDP and supporting more than 2.5 million American jobs.”
Other highlights in the report include overall streaming revenues growing to $9.5 billion, representing 82% of total U.S. revenue, while paid streaming grew to 106.5 million accounts, with associated revenues reaching $6.4 billion, or 55.3% of total U.S. revenue.
Vinyl also continued to lead physical formats in 2025, adding more than three times the revenue of CDs. Other details can be found in the infographic below.
A Variety and iHeartRadio Podcast
The Business of Entertainment
AI Description
The article highlights a significant milestone in the U.S. music industry, with vinyl sales surpassing $1 billion for the first time since 1983, largely driven by Taylor Swift's influence. The overall recorded-music revenue reached a record $11.5 billion in 2025.