Music industry fact sheet

U.S. music & vinyl statistics.

Seven current facts about recorded music, vinyl, and fan spending, collected for writers, music lovers, and anyone documenting where the culture is moving.

Last updated October 27, 2026 · Sources report 2025 data

The short version

Physical music still has a pulse.

Streaming remains the center of the U.S. recorded-music market, but physical music and vinyl continue to hold a meaningful place in how fans collect, support artists, and carry music into everyday life. This page keeps the numbers in one clear, citable place.

Every figure below links directly to its original source and names the year it describes. For the fuller Dora Smith story, visit the Music page or explore official merch.

01$11.5 billion

U.S. recorded music revenue reached a new high in 2025.

The Recording Industry Association of America reports this as wholesale revenue for the U.S. recorded music market.

RIAA 2025 Year-End Recorded Music Revenue Report2025 data, published March 2026

0312%

Physical formats accounted for 12% of U.S. recorded music revenue in 2025.

The figure puts vinyl, CDs, and other physical formats in context alongside streaming-led music spending.

RIAA 2025 Year-End Recorded Music Revenue Report2025 data, published March 2026

04$1 billion

U.S. vinyl revenue reached $1 billion in 2025, up 9.3% year over year.

RIAA describes 2025 as the nineteenth consecutive year of vinyl revenue growth in the United States.

RIAA 2025 Year-End Recorded Music Revenue Report2025 data, published March 2026

05Nearly 50%

U.S. vinyl represented nearly half of global vinyl revenue in 2025.

The RIAA’s estimate shows the scale of the U.S. market within vinyl’s worldwide resurgence.

RIAA 2025 Year-End Recorded Music Revenue Report2025 data, published March 2026

06148 million

148 million U.S. fans paid for recorded music in 2025.

MusicWatch counts paid subscriptions plus purchases of CDs, vinyl, and downloads. It reports the buyer base was 61% larger than a decade earlier.

MusicWatch 2025 Annual Music Study2025 data, published March 2026

07$421

Per-person music spending reached $421 in 2025, up 8% from the previous year.

MusicWatch’s measure includes recorded music, live music, satellite radio subscriptions, and music-related merchandise.

MusicWatch 2025 Annual Music Study2025 data, published March 2026

How to use this page

Built to be cited clearly.

Each statistic has a stable link, a plain-language explanation, and a direct source. The figures are not estimates by Dora Smith Official Merch. They are reported by the organizations named beside each fact.

“U.S. Music & Vinyl Statistics: 2025 Facts.” Dora Smith Official Merch, updated October 27, 2026, https://dorasmithofficialmerch.com/music-statistics.

Sources and methodology

This fact sheet uses the RIAA’s 2025 year-end revenue report for U.S. recorded-music and vinyl figures, and MusicWatch’s 2025 Annual Music Study for U.S. buyer and spending figures. Source descriptions and release dates are shown with each statistic. This page will be reviewed monthly, or sooner when a primary source issues material new data.