Goodbye, old news! The major league record labels are back in the game. After years of seeing their turf slowly slip away on Spotify, 2025 has turned the tables. Yes, you heard it right – the majors and Merlin have reclaimed a tiny piece of their streaming kingdom!
Let’s break it down: From 2017 to 2024, Universal, Sony, Warner, and the indie supergroup Merlin saw their slice of the Spotify pie shrink from a whopping 87% to 71%. During this same period, indie labels were stealing the show, growing their share from a mere 13% to a mighty 29%.
But the saga took a turn in 2025! The fresh numbers from Spotify's latest report reveal that the majors-plus-Merlin clawed back ground, now jamming at 72%, with indie labels rocking 28% of the global streams.
What gives? Well, let’s not forget Merlin and indie arms of the big guns have been repping some of the planet’s streaming superstars. The Orchard was behind last year's massive Bad Bunny album, DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS. And who doesn’t love a star-studded lineup? The majors were behind all ten of the top-streamed albums on Spotify last year including hits from K-pop's Demon Hunters soundtrack, Billie Eilish, SZA, and Sabrina Carpenter.
This rebound marks a cool first for Spotify since its public debut – the majors and Merlin notched up their market share year-over-year.
Bottom line? The big players are still in the game, and they’re ready to keep the tunes rolling. Keep your eyes (and ears) peeled, because this music streaming battle is just getting started!