UK Music Market Hits £1.57B in 2025, Driven by Streaming and Vinyl Revival

March 12, 2026
UK Music Market Hits £1.57B in 2025, Driven by Streaming and Vinyl Revival
  • The UK recorded music market reached a new revenue high of £1.57 billion in 2025, marking 11 straight years of growth driven by a new generation of British artists.

  • BPI CEO notes growth is fueled by a resurgence in British music, global recognition for UK artists, and strong label support within a UK copyright framework essential for licensing music to AI firms.

  • Vinyl continued its revival for the 16th consecutive year, up 20% to £174.7 million, while the CD market grew 3% to £99.6 million.

  • Public performance income slipped 0.6% to £162.6 million, and synchronisation revenue fell 11% to £39.2 million, with downloads contributing £22.9 million.

  • The mixed performance reflects shifts in licensing and usage, with public performance and synchronisation under pressure while downloads remain a smaller, but stable, segment.

  • Ad-supported streaming hit a new high at £163.4 million, while paid subscription streaming dominated the market at £902.2 million; digital downloads declined to £22.9 million.

  • Alex Warren’s Ordinary led the streaming tracks of 2025, with 261.8 million streams, supported by other tracks surpassing 150 million and 100 million streams.

  • Separate export figures will detail Britain’s global impact, underscoring the need for a strong copyright framework to support future growth and AI licensing.

  • Geographic diversity was evident, with artists from nine UK nations and regions topping the albums chart in 2025, highlighting a healthy domestic scene.

  • The report emphasizes the vital role of record labels and a supportive business environment in sustaining Britain’s global music competitiveness.

  • Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl boosted vinyl sales, with 147,000 vinyl units in 2025, marking the top vinyl year for a new album this century in the UK.

  • Swift’s releases, along with Olivia Dean, Sabrina Carpenter and Sam Fender, propelled physical formats like vinyl and CD alongside streaming.

Summary based on 19 sources


Get a daily email with more UK News stories

More Stories