The UK’s audio music streaming surged past 210 billion in 2025, but the momentum is waning.
The recorded music trade group BPI has released its annual report, revealing that the UK achieved over 210 billion audio music streams in 2025. This marks a significant milestone, with a growth of 5.5% year-on-year, translating to 210.3 billion streams. However, the increase in volume represents a slowdown compared to previous years, with 10.7 billion more streams than the 199.6 billion recorded in 2024.
In contrast to 2024’s audio streaming growth of 11.0%, the recent figure reflects a general deceleration across the industry, with year-on-year growth dropping from 9.7% in 2024 and 12.8% in 2023. Streaming now accounts for an impressive 89.3% of all music consumption in the UK, a percentage derived from the BPI�s concept of �Album Equivalent Sales.� This calculation equates one album sale to 1,000 streams from a premium service or 6,000 from a free service.
Physical music sales also experienced a slight growth, climbing 1.4%, with vinyl records leading the charge. Vinyl sales rose 13.3% year-on-year, reaching 7.6 million units, marking the 18th consecutive year of growth for this format. In contrast, CD sales fell by 7.6%, totaling 9.7 million units sold.
Neil Gibbons, COO of Key Production Group, noted the sustained demand for vinyl, stating that the core audience is evolving beyond just Gen Z, as listeners increasingly engage with full albums and seek various formats to collect. Interestingly, six of the ten best-selling vinyl albums in 2025 were released within the last two years, with Taylor Swift�s ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ topping the list, selling over 147,000 units�the highest number in sales recorded since 1994.
Despite the record-breaking consumption figures, the pace of growth is noticeably slower than in prior years. For example, the streaming growth rate of 5.5% in 2025 is less than half that of 2024’s 11%. The BPI noted that while 2025 was a landmark year for recorded music, the slowing growth underscores evolving market dynamics.
New British talent is gaining traction, with artists like Lola Young and Olivia Dean making notable impacts. Dean recently became the first female artist to secure both a No. 1 album and single simultaneously in UK chart history. The BPI report highlighted that 2025 was another strong year for female artists, including Taylor Swift, who achieved unprecedented success by securing the biggest album in the UK for two consecutive years with different releases.
As the BPI celebrates the accomplishments of UK artists, it acknowledges the pressures faced by the market, particularly as the global share of English-language music streaming continues to decline. Dr. Jo Twist OBE, BPI Chief Executive, emphasized the need for government support and robust copyright protections to ensure the UK music industry�s future success as it navigates an increasingly competitive global market.