Research firm MusicWatch reports that the United States reached 130 million on-demand and non-interactive paid music subscribers in 2025. This represents a 10% year-over-year growth, indicating sustained health in an increasingly mature audio market. Crucially, this figure captures a broader user base than official RIAA statistics, which recorded 105.3 million premium subscriptions by mid-year. The variance underscores a methodological difference: MusicWatch tallies individual subscribers across interactive and non-interactive tiers, whereas the RIAA primarily tracks standalone premium subscription accounts.
This steady double-digit growth demonstrates that consumer willingness to pay for premium audio remains robust even in highly saturated Western markets. Furthermore, the massive expansion from just 29 million paid users in 2016 highlights the streaming economy’s successful transition from an emerging recovery model to a deeply entrenched revenue engine.
Curated by MusicResearch.com from Music Ally. Read the full article at: Report: US paid music subscribers grew 10% to 130m in 2025
