{"id":106717,"date":"2026-01-02T12:39:19","date_gmt":"2026-01-02T12:39:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/?p=106717"},"modified":"2026-01-02T12:39:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-02T12:39:21","slug":"how-music-streaming-growth-in-the-us-defied-trend-in-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/routenote.com\/blog\/how-music-streaming-growth-in-the-us-defied-trend-in-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"How music streaming growth in the US defied its usual trend in 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Q3 is typically a quiet quarter for music streaming growth, but that wasn\u2019t the case for the US in 2025. Here\u2019s how, and why it matters.<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Q3 2025 bucks streaming growth trend<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

2025 may not have been a standout year for culturally dominant music releases<\/a>, but it did buck a recent trend for music streaming growth in the US. Historically, data shows that streaming growth usually slows in Q3 of each year as summer winds down and release schedules thin out.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But in 2025, US music streaming growth actually increased year-over-year in Q3 compared to Q2. Luminate reports<\/a> that US on-demand audio streams grew 5.3% YoY, up from 4.6% in Q2. Notably, this uptick was unique to the US, with international markets maintaining steady growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Image credits: Luminate Data<\/a><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

But why?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Luminate suggests there are three reasons central to Q3\u2019s growth in the US, all of which are kind of interlinked with each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2024, Q2 was massive. Major releases from artists like Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa, Billie Eilish, and Gracie Abrams pushed streaming growth higher. That momentum carried straight into \u201cBrat Summer”, which dominated pop culture and listening habits globally. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2025 never had these iconic releases. With fewer era-defining, cultural releases, Q2 2025 growth was lower. That meant Q3 didn\u2019t have to clear such a high benchmark to outperform it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Q3 then arrived, and with it came a few notable releases. Albums like Sabrina Carpenter\u2019s \u201cMan\u2019s Best Friend\u201d and Justin Bieber\u2019s \u201cSwag\u201d helped to drive more streams later in the year. On top of that, the cultural success of KPop Demon Hunters and its soundtrack performed strongly. It resonated strongly in the US, where ODA streams reached 1.9 billion in Q3.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Is 2025 the year that chart music and hit singles died?<\/a><\/blockquote>