Photo by cottonbro studio
Global music streaming continued its upward trajectory in 2025, reaching a total of 5.1 trillion streams worldwide, according to new data published by entertainment analytics firm Luminate.
The figure, released as part of Luminate’s 2025 Year-End Music Report, marks a 9.6% increase from 4.7 trillion streams recorded in 2024. Despite this growth, the report highlights a widening imbalance in listening behaviour: tracks accumulating between one million and 50 million global streams accounted for just 49% of all streaming activity.
Out of an estimated 253 million tracks streamed globally last year, Luminate identified approximately 541,000 tracks as forming the “backbone” of global streaming consumption. At the top end of the scale, only 29 tracks surpassed one billion global streams in 2025. At the opposite end, the report found that over 120 million tracks registered 10 streams or fewer, while 62.6 million tracks amassed between 10 and 100 listens.
Platform preferences also varied by genre. Spotify and YouTube were tied as the leading platforms for electronic and dance music streaming, while Apple Music and YouTube emerged as the preferred services for R&B and hip hop listeners.
Geographically, the United States retained its position as the world’s leading music exporter in 2025, followed closely by the United Kingdom. Pop remained the US’s most exported genre, while rock proved to be the UK’s strongest international sound.
The full Luminate 2025 Year-End Music Report is available HERE.
