Songs, artists and catalogs increasingly functioned as long-term economic units rather than short-lived cultural moments, creating an environment where endurance mattered as much as visibility. This evolution has been gradual, but 2025 gave it shape.
The Songs That Structured the Year
The global hits of 2025 formed a stable core across streaming platforms, radio and social video, establishing a shared musical landscape that remained present throughout the year rather than cycling rapidly from one trend to the next.
Among the most streamed tracks worldwide were:
- Die With A Smile – Lady Gaga & Bruno Mars
- Golden – HUNTR/X, EJAE, Audrey Nuna & REI AMI
- Ordinary – Alex Warren
- APT. – ROSÉ & Bruno Mars
- BIRDS OF A FEATHER – Billie Eilish
- DtMF – Bad Bunny
- luther – Kendrick Lamar & SZA
- Beautiful Things – Benson Boone
- back to friends – sombr
- That’s So True – Gracie Abrams
These songs remained in heavy rotation across territories and formats, supported by consistent playlist placement, algorithmic reinforcement and strong listener retention. Their impact came from repeated exposure across everyday listening environments, which allowed them to accumulate value in a way that aligned closely with the economics of modern streaming.
The Shape of Contemporary Stardom
The artists behind these records illustrate how stardom now functions within a platform-driven industry. Sabrina Carpenter and Billie Eilish have built positions that combine cultural relevance with structural consistency, allowing each new release to reinforce a broader listening ecosystem. Taylor Swift continues to operate as the industry’s central node, with both new material and her extensive back catalog generating continuous engagement. The Weeknd and Bruno Mars benefit from similarly deep repertoires, while Benson Boone’s ascent shows how a precisely positioned release can still achieve rapid international scale.
Together, these careers suggest a model in which success is increasingly cumulative, with each project adding to a long-term portfolio rather than standing alone.
The United States as a Stabilised Market
In the United States, audio streaming grew by around 2.6% during 2025, a figure that reflects a market characterised by high penetration and strong retention. Within this environment, large-scale releases continue to concentrate attention and revenue, as illustrated by Taylor Swift’s The Life of a Showgirl, which delivered more than four million equivalent album units in its opening week. Beyond such moments, growth is driven by steady premium subscription uptake and by the sustained performance of established repertoires.
Shifts in genre consumption also played a role, with Rock increasing its share, Christian and Gospel expanding their audiences and Latin music continuing to strengthen its premium base, contributing to a more diversified revenue structure.
France and the Logic of the Catalog
The French market in 2025 provides a particularly clear view of how long-term listening has become the main driver of value. French-language repertoire dominated consumption, led by artists whose releases accumulated streams gradually over extended periods.
The most prominent titles included:
- CIEL – GIMS
- NINAO – GIMS
- PARISIENNE – GIMS and La Mano 1.9
- SOIS PAS TIMIDE – GIMS
- Soleil Bleu – Bleu Soleil and LUIZA
- CARTIER SANTOS – SDM
- Melrose Place – KeBlack and Guy2bezbar
- KYKY2BONDY – Hamza
- SPIDER – GIMS and DYSTINCT
- Mood – KeBlack
Several of these tracks reached levels above 80 to 120 million streams, supported by consistent listening rather than sudden peaks, while older songs continued to perform alongside new releases. This pattern reflects a market where catalogs play a central economic role, offering stability and predictability for rights holders.
How Platform Logic Shapes Musical Form
The musical profile of 2025’s hits aligns closely with how platforms surface and sustain content. Mid-tempo structures, early vocal entry and clearly defined hooks improve listener retention during the crucial opening moments of a track, which directly affects algorithmic visibility. Production choices that favour clean mixes and prominent vocals also ensure that songs translate effectively across mobile devices, playlists and short-form video, extending their usable life within the digital ecosystem.
These structural traits contribute to a track’s capacity to circulate widely and remain relevant over time, reinforcing its long-term economic value.
Music as Cross-Platform Property
By 2025, music had become deeply integrated into film, television, gaming and social platforms, creating additional layers of monetisation and exposure. Successful placements often lead to sustained increases in streaming rather than temporary spikes, effectively resetting a track’s baseline level of consumption. This dynamic positions music rights as cross-platform intellectual property, with multiple revenue streams reinforcing one another over extended periods.
The Broader Picture
The music industry now operates within a more selective environment, where enormous volumes of new material compete for limited attention. With more than 100,000 tracks arriving on streaming platforms every day, the works that endure tend to be those designed for adaptability, repetition and long-term circulation. In this context, value accrues to catalogs that continue to perform across formats, territories and cultural moments.
Nearly 224 million tracks ended the year with fewer than 1,000 streams, while a narrow segment at the top continues to absorb the vast majority of plays. The system rewards longevity but only for the few that break through.
2025 illustrates how music has settled into this new equilibrium, one in which creativity and capital are increasingly aligned around durability, structure and sustained engagement. This is precisely where Bolero operates identifying the few that rise to the top, and making them accessible to those who seek lasting value.
