2025 Streaming Hit 5.1 Trillion, but Nearly Half of Tracks Got 10 Plays or Less
- Michele
- 30 January 2026, Friday
The streaming landscape is growing faster than ever, but the reality for most artists is more complicated. In 2025, total streams hit 5.1 trillion, yet most tracks see little engagement. This article explores what the numbers reveal about audience concentration, discovery, and strategies for growing a loyal fanbase both online and offline.
Streaming Numbers vs. Track Visibility: Understanding the Data
According to a new Luminate report presented by Music Ally, there is a huge discrepancy between the number of tracks available on streaming platforms and the number of tracks that actually get played frequently.
In 2025, global on-demand music streams reached 5.1 trillion, up 9.6% year over year. Listeners streamed music across roughly 253 million individual tracks (ISRCs). However, the distribution of streams was extremely uneven. Around 120.5 million tracks received between zero and ten streams, and 88% of all tracks received 1,000 streams or fewer. In contrast, only about 541,000 tracks were streamed frequently, while tracks with 1 million to 50 million streams accounted for 49.4% of all streaming volume. Just 29 tracks surpassed one billion streams in 2025. What can we take away from this data, and what does it mean for artists?
First of all, it is important to note that the overall growing numbers can be misleading for creators. While it is true that total consumption continues to rise, a relatively small share of tracks captures most listening activity. Although it has never been easier to make and release music, building and maintaining an audience remains a challenge. As a result, a huge number of tracks exist on platforms without ever really finding an audience.
This is partly rooted in the changing approach to music discovery. Algorithms, playlists, and social platforms increasingly determine which tracks reach audiences, shifting power toward platforms and intermediaries. As a result, fans miss out on smaller artists or music that simply hasn’t been picked up by algorithmic systems, regardless of quality.
These dynamics are contributing to the erosion of the market’s middle tier. Instead of a broad range of moderately successful releases, the landscape is becoming more polarized: tracks either break through at scale or remain largely invisible, with fewer sustainable “in-between” outcomes. However, the same platforms also provide unprecedented global reach and tools for audience building, suggesting that success is less constrained by access but rather by the current nature of music discovery and positioning strategies.
What the Streaming Landscape Means for Artists
What does this mean for artists? In practical terms, success in the streaming era is primarily about navigating visibility. Building an audience increasingly requires a strategic use of platforms, communities, and narratives beyond the music itself, while relying on passive discovery is unlikely to be sufficient.
At the same time, global distribution and direct-to-fan tools create real opportunities for niche audiences and sustainable careers outside the mainstream hit economy. That’s exactly why offline activities, such as live shows, collaborations, and local networks, remain critical for building loyal fan bases and industry connections, providing both financial support and a pathway to growth that complements digital presence.
Ultimately, the key for artists is combining online reach with real-world engagement to stand out in a crowded and competitive landscape. It also means staying aware of where the industry is heading and adapting to changes. Curious about what’s next? Read our article on the state of the music industry in 2026 to explore the trends shaping the year ahead.
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Michele is a Berlin-based writer passionate about music in its many forms, from soulful house and groovy techno to alternative rock, dark wave, and beyond. With experience in production, journalism, and a growing interest in DJing, they engage with the culture of sound from multiple perspectives. Their current topics of interest include club culture, music discovery & curation, dance, and the ways music affects perception & feeling. Michele writes in English.
