Music Streaming Statistics: U.S. Revenue and Subscriptions
Published September 15, 2026 · StatsGalore
Paid subscription accounts, annual average [1]
RIAA’s 2025 year-end report listed an annual average of 106.5 million paid subscription accounts, compared with 100.0 million in 2024. Its revenue table reports wholesale values. Keeping accounts and revenue separate makes the size of the recorded-music market easier to interpret. [1]
The numbers
| Measure | 2025 | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Paid subscription accounts, annual average | 106.5 million | [1] |
| Premium subscription revenue | $5,881.1 million | [1] |
| Total paid subscription revenue | $6,376.3 million | [1] |
| Total streaming revenue | $9,474.5 million | [1] |
| Total recorded-music revenue | $11,535.3 million | [1] |
An account is not an individual listener
A subscription account can support more than one listener, as with a family plan. A person can also have access to more than one service. The account total should therefore not be described as a count of unique Americans listening to music.
Annual-average accounts also differ from a year-end snapshot. Both can be useful, but comparing them as if they were the same measurement can produce a misleading growth calculation.
[1]Premium and total paid subscriptions
The report separates premium subscriptions from additional paid subscription categories. The total paid subscription revenue is broader than the premium line. Adding those two rows together would double-count premium revenue.
Streaming as a whole also includes revenue beyond paid subscriptions. The total streaming figure is therefore larger than paid subscription revenue alone.
[1]Wholesale values need an explicit label
Wholesale revenue describes the value reported at the industry level used in this report. It is not automatically the amount consumers spent at retail or the amount artists personally received. Those questions require different accounting.
Similarly, a revenue total does not reveal the payment associated with an individual stream. Revenue sources, contractual terms, and rights ownership vary.
[1]Keeping music formats in perspective
The overall recorded-music total includes streaming and other formats. It should not be labeled total streaming revenue. Conversely, a streaming-only figure leaves out physical formats and other revenue categories.
These figures describe the United States recorded-music market for the stated year. They do not measure worldwide music revenue, concert spending, or the time people spend listening.
[1]Sources & notes
RIAA 2025 year-end report. Revenue is in millions of U.S. dollars at wholesale value; subscription accounts are annual averages and do not count unique listeners.
Source review: 2026-09-15. Article publication and underlying data dates are separate. How we use statistics · Suggest a correction