The recording industry reached a milestone of $11.5 billion in U.S. sales last year, propelled by the continued surge in vinyl records and the enduring appeal of Taylor Swift.
Vinyl record sales accounted for more than a billion in U.S. sales in 2025, up more than 9%, according to the Recording Industry Association of America’s annual report.
The U.S. generates nearly 50% of the format’s global total, making it the leader among other physical music formats. This is also the first time vinyls 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 and stable music economy resulting from committed label investment and identification of new spaces to expand artists’ creativity,” Matt Bass, RIAA’s vice president of research, said in a statement.
Though vinyl records continue to make a strong comeback, streaming made up more than 80% of total U.S. revenue. The number of subscribers to audio streamers like Spotify or Apple Music saw an upswing, with paid streaming accounts generating about $6.4 billion in revenue.
Streaming revenue comprises more than 55% of total U.S. music sales. The U.S. is the largest paid subscription market.
Driving much of the streaming revenue growth was reigning popstar Taylor Swift, who earned the biggest album opening of all time in 2025 with her 12th album, “The Life of a Showgirl.” This record was previously held by Adele’s “25,” which moved nearly 3.5 million units in its first week.
Swift sold more than 4 million copies in the U.S. within its opening week. “Showgirl’s” 12 songs raked in 681 million streams, according to Billboard, making it the fourth-biggest streaming week 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 U.S., contributing $212 billion to our GDP and supporting more than 2.5 million American jobs,” RIAA Chairman Mitch Glazier said in a statement.
L.A. Times staff writer Mikael Wood contributed to this report.
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