U.S. Vinyl Sales Reach $1.04 Billion in 2025

U.S. vinyl record sales surpassed $1 billion in revenue for the first time since 1983, reaching $1.04 billion in 2025, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. The milestone, driven largely by strong demand for releases from artists like Taylor Swift, marked the 19th consecutive year of growth for the format and highlighted a continued resurgence in physical music products amid a digital-dominated industry.

The RIAA's year-end report, released on March 16, showed vinyl unit sales climbing 7.9 percent to 46.8 million from 43.4 million in 2024, with revenue up 9.3 percent from $954.4 million. Swift's album "The Life of a Showgirl" led the category, selling 1.6 million vinyl units, more than five times the 292,000 units of the second-place seller, Sabrina Carpenter's "Man's Best Friend." Other top performers included Kendrick Lamar's "GNX" with 279,000 units, Carpenter's "Short n' Sweet" with 262,000 units, and Billie Eilish's "Hit Me Hard and Soft" with 192,000 units. Classic albums from Fleetwood Mac and Michael Jackson also ranked in the top 10, underscoring enduring interest in legacy catalog titles.

Swift's success stemmed from her strategy of offering...