How music is made, recorded, and sold today — the shift from physical to digital, the economics of streaming, and what it takes to make it as a musician now — together with the key facts every follower of the industry should know. An independent editorial platform on Musicians.com, continuously held since the mid-1990s.
Musicians.com — held continuously since
Albums released each year — ~200 are Billboard top releases
Per-song price when iTunes unbundled the album (from $19.99 in 1991)
ASCAP est. songwriter earnings per one million streams
Global recorded-music revenue, 2025 (IFPI)
Editorial sections — three decades of coverage
Musicians.com has covered the music industry and the musician’s craft since the mid-1990s — one of the longest continuously held category names on its subject. What began as a resource for musicians, fans, and the industry has grown, across three decades, into a structured editorial platform spanning getting heard, the music industry, the genres, a reference layer of resources, and a deep archive. The profile on this page draws on that accumulated editorial to introduce the subject — how music is made and sold today, how the economics have shifted, and the facts every musician should know.
Whether you aspire to be a professional musician, wish to pursue music as a hobbyist or occasional performer, or take pleasure out of being a dedicated fan or listener, we created this website for you. Not all musicians want to be famous. Some musicians play for the pure enjoyment. Others play to earn a living. Others derive pleasure by enjoying this timeless art form. Whatever “music” means to the listener or artist, we have assembled some resources and information so you can learn about the industry, connect with other musicians, and have some handy resources to help you expand your knowledge of music and how the industry works.
Today, the music industry mostly relies upon the sale, creation, distribution, and delivery of music through a digital medium. In fact, the buying and selling of music happens mostly through online and electronic storefronts. For most musicians, performers, and listeners, mobile phones and wireless speakers have replaced the phonograph, compact disc, and Walkman.
The old brick-and-mortar record stores that required physical locations to promote and sell music have passed. Unimaginable only a few years ago, the sale and distribution of music has become commoditized — it can be easily “streamed,” takes very little shelf space, and requires no physical presence. Music is recorded digitally and is device-independent, freely distributed, mixed, and transferred, and can be heard on a variety of different electronic devices rather than being limited to a single analogue player. The way we listened to music is now untethered. It can be recorded and played back on devices anywhere. Our music is no longer confined. It is free to roam with us.
Because the music industry has been experiencing many transformational changes ranging from publishing to performing, the future of the music industry is exciting and offers musicians unparalleled opportunities. Although the music industry, like many others, is coping with change, we should embrace it. One example of how these changes are benefiting the industry can be understood by examining how indie artists and talent are free to record and distribute their creative works without the encumbrances and formalities that the previous generation of artists experienced.
Today, musicians can reach fans by distributing their recorded musical works and performances through social media rather than relying on multinational companies for record deals that necessitated significant resources and industry contacts based upon cronyism and handshakes. Long gone are the prerequisites for auditions, access to start-up capital, expensive recording studios and supporting artists, and the relinquishment of large profit margins to studio executives.
The new world order of digital music resources and collaborative tools has replaced the analog and offline hierarchy, giving musicians viable options and outlets for expressing themselves on their own terms.
Streaming apps give appreciators of music easy access to a library of preferred songs. If you talk to music lovers about how they listened to music 20 years ago, they will talk fondly about the radio. They often bought an album, based more on a performer’s popularity than the music he or she played.
Digital personal playlists have changed how we listen to musician-created music. For example, in 1991, you could buy a popular rock album for $19.99 at a record store or retail outlet. However, 10 years later, everything changed. That is when iTunes emerged and songs could be purchased individually at $1.29 each, which also removed the need to buy an entire album.
Experts in the music industry believe that streaming saved the careers of musicians and the music industry. The web, which was once a venue for pirating songs, is now the music industry’s biggest source of revenue. After two separate lawsuits in 2000 stopped peer-to-peer sharing sites from offering illegal downloads, streaming companies such as Apple Music and Spotify have controlled how people listen to music.
However, musicians often believe that streaming devalues the energy and creativity they put into their music. While musicians in the past often received royalties from vinyl or CDs, their revenue has dropped significantly with streaming. In fact, according to the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP), songwriters earn only about $125 for each song streamed a million times via an audio streaming service.
Therefore, if you are a musician and want to make money at your craft, you cannot depend on streaming. It may help you to get your name and music out into the mainstream, but that is where the benefit ends.
As a result, many musical artists have depended on their recordings to schedule tours. In the past, it was the other way around. Musicians used touring or concert engagement to sell albums.
So, how do you make it as a musician in the music industry today?
First, you must remain optimistic — not just every now and then, but during every step of the process — recording, promotion, and communicating with your fan base. Statistics reveal the release of about 80,000 albums each year — 200 of which Billboard reports as top releases. That type of margin can make musicians doubt themselves.
To make it in the music field, musicians need to be excellent at their craft. You need to know what excellence means and what it means to excel. Mediocrity is not an option. If you are a music student, listen carefully to your teachers. Learn from those performers who have succeeded in music. Listen to all the genres — see the beauty in all musical forms.
While it may be easy to take advice from someone who has been exceptionally successful, you usually will learn more from those who have failed and learned from their mistakes. Lean on those professionals in the music industry who can give you constructive feedback. Doing so will enable you to pursue more realistic goals.
Whether musicians want to become famous or not, they still need to get paid. The three main moneymakers in the industry revolve around touring, publishing, and branding. Since COVID-19, touring is not as feasible as it once was, but that does not mean you cannot stay in and write and record original music. Doing so will ensure you own both the performance/mechanical rights along with the master rights of each piece you create.
By taking this approach, a musician gains the ability to control and publish his or her own works. You can check on sites, such as CD Baby Pro, to find out if you are getting all the royalties you are owed internationally. Think of the platform as a go-to source for music promotion and branding.
Speaking of branding, you also want to emphasize your music logo, so you can share your music and what you represent to the public. All this should be aligned with your music and identity. Musicians also need to set up their band or music offerings by establishing a business entity.
That way, you can separate your band or musical persona from who you are personally. The easiest entity to set up is a limited liability company (LLC), as it limits your personal liability and benefits you by providing pass-through taxation. Anything you make passes through your business and can be reported individually.
However, this website is not just about the business of music but a platform for you to create and collaborate with other musicians. Get inspired, stay inspired, and design your career as a musician. What are your goals as a musician? What do you hope to achieve as an artist? Share your musical story with this community.
Three decades of coverage, organized into five enduring sections. Each links to its live hub.
A profile of facts and figures about music and the industry, compiled from a variety of sources (credited below). Figures carrying a date qualifier are presented as originally published.
| Albums released each year | About 80,000 (~200 reported by Billboard as top releases) |
| Per-song price after iTunes unbundled the album | $1.29 (from $19.99 for an album in 1991) |
| ASCAP estimated songwriter earnings | About $125 per one million streams |
| Three main moneymakers for musicians | Touring, publishing, and branding |
| Rights a self-releasing musician retains | Performance/mechanical rights and master rights |
| Global recorded-music revenue, 2025 | $31.7 billion (IFPI Global Music Report 2026) |
| Streaming’s share of recorded-music revenue, 2025 | Nearly 70% (IFPI Global Music Report 2026) |
| Paid streaming subscribers worldwide, 2025 | 837 million (IFPI Global Music Report 2026) |
| Musicians.com — held continuously since | The mid-1990s |
| Editorial sections | Five, spanning three decades of coverage |
If you love music and the craft, explore more on getting heard, the music industry, the genres, and the resources that make the subject as rich as it is enduring — or browse the full archive.
The facts and figures on this page were compiled from a variety of published resources. Current industry figures are sourced to the IFPI Global Music Report 2026; figures carrying a date qualifier are presented as originally published.
Musicians.com is not only an editorial heritage — it is a category-defining name at the convergence of music IP, AI music, and identity infrastructure. The ways to engage, the white paper backing the thesis, and direct enquiry are all reachable here.
Read the White Paper → Begin the Conversation →