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Digital Economy

US on demand audio consumption remained strong during lockdown

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By Emmanuel Legrand The report card from the US recorded music industry during the first half of 2020 remained positive despite the Covid-19 pandemic: audio streams were up 16.2% to 420 billion compared to the same period of 2019 (361m), according to data from Nielsen Music/MRC Data. Vinyl LP sales were up 11.2%, despite the lockdown (through March 12, LP sales were up 45%, or 1.41 million units). Total album-equivalent audio consumption -- which includes sales of albums and songs, as well as ...

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Emmanuel is a Washington, DC-based freelance journalist, blogger and media consultant, specialising in the entertainment business and cultural trends. He was the US editor for British music industry trade publication Music Week. Previously, he was the editor of Impact, a magazine for the music publishing community (2007-2009), the global editor of US trade publication Billboard (2003-2006), and the editor in chief of Billboard’s sister publication Music & Media (1997-2003).

Creative Industries

Calendar — Week 7, 2026

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2026 MARCH 2026 - March 2-4: Women in Music Global Summit in Toronto, Canada at the Allied Music Centre and TD Music Hall. – March 12-18: South by South West in Austin, Texas.

– March 22-25: MUSEXPO, known as “The United Nations of Music”, will return for its 26th global edition in Burbank, California. – March 2-25: Winter Music Conference (WMC) in Miami Beach, Florida, as part of Miami Music Week. APRIL 2026 – April 9-10: Tallinn Music Week in Estonia. – Ap...

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Digital Economy

Spotify counted 290 million Premium Subscribers at the end of 2025, up 10% Y/Y

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Spotify closed the year 2025 with 290 million Premium Subscribers, a 10% year-over-year increase, and a record 751 million monthly active users (MAUs), an 11% increase over 2024. For full year 2025, revenue reached €17.18 billion, up 9.6% year-over-year, with cost of revenue at €11.69bn, up 6.8% over 2024. Operating income for the year was of €3.29bn. Total revenue for Q4 2025 increased 13% to €4.5 billion, with operating income reached €701m. The streaming service's gross margin improved to 33....

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Digital Economy

Alphabet’s revenue exceeded $400bn in 2025 with YouTube income over $60bn

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Alphabet, the parent company of Google, posted full year revenues of $402.8 billion in 2025, up 15% from $350.0bn in 2024, with net income for 2025 reaching $132.2bn, up 32% from $100.1bn in 2024. The company enjoyed a strong final quarter in 2025, with revenues of $113.8bn, up from $96.5bn in the same period of 2024. Net income for the quarter was up 32% to $34.5bn. For the full year, Alphabet's operating expenses, including cost of revenues, research and development, sales and marketing, and ...

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