UK recorded music market grows 5% in 2025

Ascending once again, the UK recording music market saw a rise of 5% in 2025, with a record £1.6 billion made last year alone.

Marking eleven years of consecutive growth, the UK’s recorded music market saw an increase of 5% in 2025, resulting in a record value of £1.6 billion. A staggering figure recorded by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), it was streaming, physical sales, downloads, advertising, sync deals, and public performance that led to such revenue.

Boosting the demand through their own popularity, artists such as Charli XCX, Dave, PinkPantheress, Olivia Dean, and Lola Young all played a pivotal role in the growth of their nation’s recorded music market. Going back to each of the rising aspects, physical sales saw a significant revival, as vinyl purchases reached an 18-year high with a rise that was close to 20%, where traditional record stores accounted for about half of all the vinyl sales recorded. Moreover, the revenue of CDs also increased, resulting in its best performance in four years, with £99.6 million made alone in 2025.

Maintaining its dominance despite the physical resurgence, streaming services generated a whopping £1.07 billion overall, with paid subscriptions to platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and YouTube bringing in a revenue of £902 million. Major numbers by all means, streaming has seen a slower growth in recent times, with the BPI using this data to highlight the success of new British artists; however, copyright protections will have to become stronger in order to navigate through the rise of AI.