Taylor Swift Drove US Vinyl Sales to a Record High Last Year

US vinyl sales have surpassed $1 billion in annual revenue for the first time since 1983, highlighting the format’s continued resurgence and the growing influence of blockbuster releases on physical sales.

According to the Recording Industry Association of America’s (RIAA) year-end report, vinyl revenue rose to $1.04 billion in 2025, up 9.3% from $954.4 million the previous year. Unit sales also increased 7.9%, climbing from 43.4 million records in 2024 to 46.8 million in 2025.

One of the biggest drivers behind the growth? Taylor Swift. Her latest album, The Life of a Showgirl, sold 1.6 million vinyl units in 2025 alone — more than 1.3 million units ahead of the next highest-selling release, according to Luminate data reported by Variety.

Swift issued eight distinct vinyl editions of the album, including versions such as The Crowd Is Your King, Shiny Bug, Show Business, and Tiny Bubbles in Champagne. The variants were pressed across a range of collectible formats, including transparent, marbled and shimmering vinyl.

Beyond Swift, the year’s top vinyl sellers included Sabrina Carpenter, Kendrick Lamar, Billie Eilish, Fleetwood Mac, Michael Jackson, The Weeknd and Tyler, The Creator.

While vinyl continued to grow, CD sales declined across the market. CD units fell 11.6% year-on-year, with revenue dropping 7.8%.

Streaming remained the industry’s dominant revenue driver. Paid subscription numbers rose 6.5%, increasing from 100 million accounts in 2024 to 106.5 million in 2025. Subscription revenue climbed 6.8% over the same period, reaching $5.88 billion.

Overall, the RIAA reported total US recorded music revenue of $11.5 billion for the year, marking a 3.1% increase compared with 2024.

“Fans are consuming music from the artists they love in more ways than ever, and that passion is reflected in today’s report,” said Matt Bass, RIAA Vice President of Research and Gold & Platinum Operations. “US recorded music has demonstrated sustained growth globally, reaching $6.4 billion alone in paid subscriptions and accounting for 50% of global vinyl revenue.”