Apple Music enters 2025 stronger than ever, boasting 104 million paid subscribers worldwide and generating $10.8 billion in annual revenue.
With the highest artist payout rate in the streaming industry at approximately $0.01 per stream, Apple Music continues to lead the market.
This Apple Music user statistics for 2025 Highlight why millions of listeners, independent artists, playlist curators, and even major labels prefer Apple Music over competitors like Spotify, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music.
With a global presence in 167 countries, more than 100 million songs, and integration on 2.35 billion active Apple devices, Apple Music offers unmatched benefits for creators and listeners alike.
Apple Music User Statistics: A Success Story
Apple Music reached 104 million paid subscribers in November 2025 and has seen steady growth of 9 to 11 million new subscribers per year since 2022.
Last year alone, Apple Music gained 9 million subscribers, solidifying its position as one of the top streaming platforms.
The platform’s subscriber base has grown rapidly since its launch, reflecting the increasing preference for premium audio quality, exclusive content and seamless integration into the Apple ecosystem.
Apple Music Subscriber Growth Timeline:
| Year/Period | Apple Music subscribers (millions) | Year-on-year growth |
| June 2015 (start) | 6.5 | – |
| June 2016 | 15 | +131% |
| June 2017 | 27 | +80% |
| June 2019 | 60 | +45% |
| June 2021 | 78 | +30% |
| June 2022 | 88 | +12.8% |
| June 2023 | 93-95 | +6–8% |
| June 2024 | 95-98 | +3–5% |
| November 2025 | 104 | +9–11% |
Source: statesman
Apple Music revenue:
In 2025, Apple Music generated over $10.8 billion, accounting for approximately 6.4-7% of total Apple Services revenue.
This represents an impressive 13% year-over-year increase, even as Spotify struggles with shrinking margins and artist payout concerns.
Apple Music’s revenue growth is a direct result of its higher paying subscriber base, strong focus on exclusive content, and integrated ecosystem.
Apple Music revenue history:
| fiscal year | Apple Music revenue ($ billion) | Increase compared to the previous year |
| 2016 | 1.7 | – |
| 2018 | 3.5 | +106% |
| 2020 | 6.3 | +80% |
| 2022 | 8.3 | +31% |
| 2023 | 9.2 | +10.8% |
| 2024 | 10.1–10.3 | +10–12% |
| 2025 (complete) | 10.8 | +13–15% |
Source: Business with apps, Statista.
Apple’s sizable payouts of around $0.01 per stream remain two to four times higher than Spotify’s payouts, which hover around $0.003 to $0.005.
For artists, this means significantly higher income for the same number of streams.
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Subscriber demographics
Apple Music’s user base is more diverse than many realize. Now representing women 56% of global subscribers, increased from 51% two years ago.
The primary demographic for Apple Music is between 25-44 yearsa group with higher disposable income and a greater willingness to pay for premium services. This demographic shift has been key to Apple Music’s continued growth.
Apple Music User Demographics:
| Demographic | Share of Apple Music users | Key insights for 2025 |
| Female | 56% | Fastest growing segment |
| Masculine | 44% | Declining share |
| 18-24 years | 17% | Smaller than expected |
| 25-34 years | 23-28% | Largest spending group |
| 35-44 years | 22-25% | Strong Spatial Audio users |
| 45-54 years | 15% | Rapid growth in older adults |
| 55+ years | 23% | Loyal user base |
Apple Music is popular with more mature users, many of them 30s and 40s praises the platform’s high-quality curation, elegant interface, and lack of podcast spam that is prevalent on competitors like Spotify.
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Apple Music by region: where the revenue comes from
North America remains the largest market for Apple Music and contributes about 59% the user with paid plans, especially in the United States where there are 35-40 million subscribers.
However, growth in Asia Pacific And Latin America is rising, driven by the affordability of Apple One packages and more accessible family plans.
Top Countries and Regions for Apple Music (November 2025):
| Region/Country | Estimated Subscribers (Millions) | % on paid plans | Fastest growing? |
| United States | 35-40 | 80-85% | Stable |
| Europe (total) | 22-25 | 36-40% | Moderate |
| Asia Pacific | 18-22 | 38-45% | Very fast |
| Latin America | 12-15 | 44% | Fast |
| United Kingdom | 8-10 | 70% | Stable |
| Canada | 6-8 | 75% | Stable |
| Australia | 4-6 | 70% | Stable |
| Japan | 7-9 | 65% | Cultivation |
| India | 5-8 | 40% | Explosive |
India and Brazil experienced significant growth due to new affordable tariffs such as Student plan for ₹49 and full Spatial audio Support.
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Apple Music: The best platform for artists
Among streaming platforms, Apple Music continues to pay the most per stream. Independent artists see things in between $0.01 to $0.012 per stream, do Apple Music a top choice for creators looking to earn higher royalties.
Artists earn $10,000-$12,000 for 1 million streamscompared to the significantly lower ones $3,000-$5,000 offered by Spotify.
Pay per stream comparison:
| platform | Average pay per stream | 1 million streams pays off |
| Apple Music | $0.01 – $0.012 | $10,000 – $12,000 |
| Spotify | $0.003 – $0.005 | $3,000 – $5,000 |
| YouTube music | $0.001 – $0.003 | $1,000 – $3,000 |
| Amazon Music | $0.004 – $0.007 | $4,000 – $7,000 |
Artists now have the potential to make something $4,000-$8,000 per month With just 100,000 monthly listeners on Apple Music, 2025 is the best year ever for music releases on the platform.
Features that keep Apple Music users loyal
Apple Music offers exclusive features that encourage long-term subscriptions, including:
- Lossless audio And Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio on over 90 million titles.
- Apple Music Classicnow free for all subscribers, with the world’s largest catalog of classical music.
- Apple Music Singing (Karaoke mode) with real-time lyrics and vocal reduction.
- Discovery station And Strong rotation – AI-driven playlists for smarter music recommendations.
- Live concert streams and exclusive Apple Music sessions.
- Seamlessly integrates with the Apple ecosystem, including iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, HomePod and more.
Many users have expressed their satisfaction with Apple Music’s excellent sound quality in particular Spatial audio above AirPods Pro 2as seen in various discussions about Reddit.
Top 10 Most Streamed Artists on Apple Music
Apple Music continues to showcase a diverse selection of artists Taylor Swift It asserts its global dominance. Other popular artists include drake, The WeekndAnd Bad bunny. In Asia Pacific, BTS And BLACK PINK still at the top of the charts.
Top Artists of 2025:
| rank | artist | Total Streams (Billions) | Dominance in 2025 |
| 1 | Taylor Swift | 80+ | Global No. 1 |
| 2 | drake | 68-72 | North America |
| 3 | The Weeknd | 55-60 | Canada + Europe |
| 4 | Bad bunny | 52-58 | Latin America |
| 5 | Morgan Wallen | 48-52 | US country rise |
| 6 | Billie Eilish | 45-50 | Gen Z favorite |
| 7 | Ed Sheeran | 48-52 | UK + Europe |
| 8 | Ariana Grande | 42-46 | Pop Queen |
| 9 | BTS | 40-45 | Asia Pacific |
| 10 | Travis Scott | 38-42 | Hip hop leader |
How listeners, artists and creators will benefit in 2025
Apple Music’s growing success in 2025 benefits everyone – listeners enjoy premium sound quality, artists earn the highest royalties, and creators build meaningful careers. Playlist curators and influencers thrive because Apple Music users actively follow and save playlists.
Real success stories in 2025:
- Making independent producers $15,000-$50,000/month from playlist placements.
- Bedroom artists strike 1 million streams in a few weeks thanks to activated functions “New music every day”.
- Fans are discovering new genres Apple Music Classic And Spatial audio.
The Apple Music user statistics for 2025 reflect a thriving ecosystem that benefits users, artists and creators alike, making Apple Music the leader in the music streaming industry.
Frequently asked questions
1. How many subscribers does Apple Music have in 2025?
Apple Music has 104 million paying subscribers worldwide (as of November 2025) with annual growth of 9 to 11 million new users.
2. Does Apple Music pay artists more than Spotify?
Yes, Apple Music pays $0.01-0.012 per streamthat’s two to four times more than Spotify $0.003-$0.005 per stream.
3. Is it worth switching from Spotify to Apple Music?
Apple Music deals outstanding sound qualityexclusive content and better personalization make it a good choice for music lovers.
4. Why are more women using Apple Music?
Women do make-up 56% of Apple Music users due to its focus on quality pop, R&B, country and singer-songwriter curation.
5. How can independent artists get noticed on Apple Music?
Independent artists can include tracks in editorial playlists, release consistent singles and engage with fans to be featured on prominent playlists.
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In summary, Apple Music’s remarkable growth in 2025, with 104 million paid subscribers and $10.8 billion in revenue, underscores the company’s dominance in the streaming industry.
The platform’s high artist payouts, excellent sound quality, and innovative features make it the preferred choice for both listeners and creators.
As Apple Music continues to expand globally and introduce new tools for artists, it provides a thriving ecosystem that benefits everyone involved.
Whether you want to discover new music, earn better royalties, or build a loyal fan base, Apple Music remains a smart platform for success in 2025 and beyond.
