Industry Statistics and Trends
Market size and recent performance (2015-2030)
Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 3.4 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $8.7bn in 2025.
Trends and Insights
Consumers move to online streaming
- The most significant driver of the US music publishing industry is the explosive growth of digital streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube. Streaming now accounts for more than half of total publishing revenues.
- Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Source: IBISWorld
Industry outlook (2025-2030)
Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.
Trends and Insights
Album sales will rise as hobbyists make up the main customer base
- Album sales have steadily declined over the past two decades as consumers have moved to streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music. Still, vinyl CDs and cassette tapes have become popular with a more niche demographic of those who enjoy collecting physical copies of their favorite albums as a hobby. While older, less tech-savvy consumers still buy physical albums, these hobbyists have come to account for a top consumer base for album sales.
Biggest companies in the Music Publishing in the US
| Company | Market Share (%)
2025 | Revenue ($m)
2025 | Profit ($m)
2025 | Profit Margin (%)
2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Universal Music | 988.0 | 163.1 | 16.5 | |
Sony Music Publishing LLC | 857.8 | 75.7 | 8.8 | |
Warner | 625.1 | 41.4 | 6.6 |
To view the market share and analysis for all 3 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.
Products & Services Segmentation
Source: IBISWorld
Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Mechanical royalties, Performance royalties and Synchronization royalties. Mechanical royalties is the largest segment of the Music Publishing in the US.
Trends and Insights
Performance royalties make up nearly half the industry's revenue
- Performance royalties include the broadcast of music on TV, radio, cable and satellite, as well as the live performance of licensed songs at concert halls or other venues. This segment also includes the broadcasting of music at sporting events, restaurants or bars and the performance of music in staged theatrical productions.
- More insights available in the full report
Table of Contents
About this industry
Industry definition
This industry acquires, copyrights and authorizes the licensed use of musical compositions and recordings. Publishers may own the rights to various musical works or have been chosen to administer copyright and licensing agreements on behalf of musicians, songwriters and composers. Licensing agreements specify the royalties paid to publishers in exchange for authorized use of these works through various media channels.
What's included in this industry?
Products and services covered in the Music Publishing industry in the United States include Acquiring and registering copyrights to musical works, Licensing and distributing musical works, Collecting royalty payments from licensed users of musical works and Issuing royalty payments to composers and performers.Companies
Companies covered in the Music Publishing industry in the United States include Universal Music, Sony Music Publishing LLC and Warner.Purchase this report to view all 3 major companies in this industry.
Related Terms
Related terms covered in the Music Publishing industry in the United States include peer-to-peer (p2p) , label and mechanical royalties.Industry Code
NAICS 51223 - Music Publishing in the US
Performance
Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.
Analyst insights
Streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music now drive most of the industry’s revenue, pushing publishers to reinvent how they license, collect royalties and market music....
In this chapter (4)
- Current Performance
- Outlook
- Volatility
- Life Cycle
Key metrics
- Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
- Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
- Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
- Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business
Charts
- Revenue, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
- Employees, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
- Businesses, including historical (2015-2024) and forecast (2025-2030)
- Profit, including historical (2015-2025)
- Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
- Industry Life Cycle
Detailed analysis
- Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
- Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
- Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
- How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.
Products and Markets
Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.
Analyst insight
Online music streaming has skyrocketed in popularity. Spotify and other streaming platforms have been criticized for underpaying publishers and artists though, forcing publis...
In this chapter
- Products & Services
- Major Markets
Key metrics
- Largest market segment and value in 2025
- Product innovation level
Charts
- Products & services segmentation in 2025
- Major market segmentation in 2025
Detailed analysis
- Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
- Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
- Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
- Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services
Geographic Breakdown
Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.
Analyst insights
More than one-third of all publishers are in California. New artists are constantly moving to the state to make deals with music publishers, providing a stream of talent read...
In this chapter (1)
- Business Locations
Charts
- Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each state
- Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2025
Tables
- Number and share of establishments in each state in 2025
- Number and share of revenue each state accounts for in 2025
- Number and share of wages each state accounts for in 2025
- Number and share of employees in each state in 2025
Detailed analysis
- Geographic spread of the industry across North America, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
- Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage
Competitive Forces
Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.
Analyst insights
Publishers compete on the success of their releases. Getting a single to chart is sure to bring massive revenue for the publisher, as well as boost its ability to acquire the...
In this chapter (4)
- Concentration
- Barriers to Entry
- Substitutes
- Buyer & Supplier Analysis
Key metrics
- Industry concentration level
- Industry competition level and trend
- Barriers to entry level and trend
- Substitutes level and trend
- Buyer power level and trend
- Supplier power level and trend
Charts
- Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2020-2025
- Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart
Detailed analysis
- Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
- Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
- Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
- Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
- Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
- Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
- Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
- Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
- Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.
Companies
Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.
Analyst insights
Great talent makes for great revenue growth. Earnings soared for Universal in 2021 as live concerts returned and consumers packed venues to see the big-name artists they had ...
In this chapter
- Market Share Concentration
- Companies
- Company Spotlights
Charts
- Industry market share by company in 2021 through 2025
- Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2025
- Overview of Universal Music's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
- Overview of Sony Music Publishing LLC's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
- Overview of Warner's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2019 through 2025
Detailed analysis
- Description and key data for Universal Music, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for Sony Music Publishing LLC, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
- Description and key data for Warner, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
External Environment
Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.
Analyst insights
Digital music laws have rapidly evolved to tackle new challenges in the streaming era. From the DMCA’s “safe harbor” to the Music Modernization Act’s collective licensing, la...
In this chapter
- External Drivers
- Regulation & Policy
- Assistance
Key metrics
- Regulation & policy level and trend
- Assistance level and trend
Charts
- Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2015-2030)
- Assistance historical data and forecast (2015-2030)
Detailed analysis
- Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
- Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
- Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.
Financial Benchmarks
View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time.
Analyst insights
Streaming’s meteoric rise hasn’t translated into big profit for music publishers.Even as song plays soar, the minuscule per-stream payouts force publishers and songwriters to ...
In this chapter
- Cost Structure
- Financial Ratios
- Key Ratios
Key metrics
- Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
- Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
- Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
- Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio
Charts
- Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
- Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2025
- Investment vs. share of economy
Data tables
- Industry Multiples (2018-2023)
- Industry Tax Structure (2018-2023)
- Income Statement (2018-2023)
- Balance Sheet (2018-2023)
- Liquidity Ratios (2018-2023)
- Coverage Ratios (2018-2023)
- Leverage Ratios (2018-2023)
- Operating Ratios (2018-2023)
- Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2015-2030)
- Revenue per Employee (2015-2030)
- Revenue per Enterprise (2015-2030)
- Employees per Establishment (2015-2030)
- Employees per Enterprise (2015-2030)
- Average Wage (2015-2030)
- Wages/Revenue (2015-2030)
- Establishments per Enterprise (2015-2030)
- IVA/Revenue (2015-2030)
- Imports/Demand (2015-2030)
- Exports/Revenue (2015-2030)
Detailed analysis
- Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability
Key Statistics
Industry Data
Data Tables
Including values and annual change:
- Revenue (2015-2030)
- IVA (2015-2030)
- Establishments (2015-2030)
- Enterprises (2015-2030)
- Employment (2015-2030)
- Exports (2015-2030)
- Imports (2015-2030)
- Wages (2015-2030)
Top Questions Answered
Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.
What is the market size of the Music Publishing industry in the United States in 2025?
The market size of the Music Publishing industry in the United States is $8.7bn in 2025.
How many businesses are there in the Music Publishing industry in the United States in 2025?
There are 49,362 businesses in the Music Publishing industry in the United States, which has grown at a CAGR of 7.2 % between 2020 and 2025.
How may import tariffs affect the Music Publishing industry in the United States?
The Music Publishing industry in the United States is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
How may export tariffs affect the Music Publishing industry in the United States?
The Music Publishing industry in the United States is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
Has the Music Publishing industry in the United States grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Music Publishing industry in the United States has been growing at a CAGR of 3.4 % between 2020 and 2025.
What is the forecast growth of the Music Publishing industry in the United States over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Music Publishing industry in the United States is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the Music Publishing industry in the United States?
The biggest companies operating in the Music Publishing industry in the United States are Universal Music, Sony Music Publishing LLC and Warner
What does the Music Publishing industry in the United States include?
Acquiring and registering copyrights to musical works and Licensing and distributing musical works are part of the Music Publishing industry in the United States.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Music Publishing industry in the United States?
The company holding the most market share in the Music Publishing industry in the United States is Universal Music.
How competitive is the Music Publishing industry in the United States?
The level of competition is high and increasing in the Music Publishing industry in the United States.
Related Industries
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Competitors
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Complementors
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Methodology
How are IBISWorld reports created?
IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.
Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.
IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.
What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?
Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.
Key data sources in the US include:
- US Census Bureau
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics
- US International Trade Commission
Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.
These sources include:
- Industry and trade associations
- Industry federations or regulators
- Major industry players annual or quarterly filings
Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.
How does IBISWorld forecast its data?
IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.
IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.
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