106,000-a-Day Deluge: 88% of Tracks Starve for Streams
The global music streaming landscape is becoming increasingly saturated, according to Luminate’s 2025 Year-End Music Report, 106,000 new tracks are delivered to digital service providers (DSPs) every single day. This represents a 7% increase over the 2024 daily average of 99,000.
Here is a breakdown of the key findings regarding track volume as measured by International Standard Recording Codes (ISRCs), streaming activity, and market maturity in 2025:
The Global Streaming Pyramid:
The Luminate report highlights music streaming saturation and a staggering disparity in how these millions of tracks are actually consumed:
- Massive Catalog, Minimal Plays: Out of a total 253 million audio ISRCs, a overwhelming 88% of tracks (approx. 9 in 10) had 1,000 or fewer streams during the year.
- The “Invisible” Tier: Nearly half of all tracks (120.5 million) received zero to 10 streams throughout 2025.
- The Consumption Backbone: Tracks with 1 million to 50 million global streams make up the backbone of the industry, accounting for 49.4% of all streaming volume.
- The Elite Club: Only 29 tracks reached the milestone of 1 billion+ annual streams, which was two fewer than in 2024.
Music Streaming Market Growth and Maturity
While the total number of tracks continues to climb, the industry is seeing a shift in momentum:
- Global vs. Domestic Growth: Global On-Demand Audio (ODA) streaming grew by 9.6%, but the U.S. market showed signs of a mature music streaming market slowdown.
- Total Volume: Global ODA song streams reached 5.1 trillion in 2025, up from 4.7 trillion in 2024.
- Independent Surge: The share of major label distribution for daily ISRCs dropped to 3.8%, signaling that the vast majority of new music is coming from the independent and DIY distribution sector.
Evolving Consumer Habits
The report also identifies trends in how and what fans are listening to:
- The Longevity of Current Hits: U.S. on-demand streaming of “Current” music (tracks 18 months or newer) declined by 1.6% in volume compared to 2024.
- Short-Form Video Impact: Short-form video platforms continue to drive catalog success; for instance, 36% of U.S. Rock fans discovered new music through short-form video in 2025.
- Vinyl’s Winning Streak: In the physical realm, U.S. vinyl sales grew for the 19th consecutive year, increasing 8.6% to reach 47.9 million units.
Download a free copy of the Luminate Year End Report 2025 including more on music streaming saturation here.
Bruce Houghton is Founder & Editor of Hypebot, Senior Advisor at Bandsintown, a Berklee College Of Music professor and founder of Skyline Artists.
