The latest Luminate Midyear Music Report is out, and one thing is clear: streaming isn’t slowing down. It’s grown another 10.3% globally in the first half of 2025. That’s not just a stat, it’s a signal.
While formats and trends continue to shift, streaming remains the backbone of the music business, and it's evolving in ways that matter to labels, publishers, and rights holders.
But this report isn’t just about volume. It also sheds light on where growth is happening, what genres are moving, and how superfan behavior and smarter data are shaping the second half of the year.
Here’s what music companies should take from the numbers and how platforms like Reprtoir can support the decisions that follow:
Streaming Isn’t Saturated, It’s Maturing
That 10.3% growth in global audio streams means more than increased listening. It points to the ongoing maturity of streaming as the central revenue engine for the industry. We’re not just adding casual listeners anymore.
What’s growing now is depth: more repeat plays, more niche discovery, and higher fan engagement around catalog as well as new releases.
For catalog-focused businesses or publishers with deep backlists, this is a clear cue to revisit metadata, search visibility, and how their tracks are surfaced through DSPs.
Discovery is being driven as much by passive algorithmic placements as by active listening, which means data hygiene is no longer optional.
Genre Movement and Audience Shifts
The report shows notable shifts in genre performance. Although pop and hip-hop remain dominant in volume, there’s a rise in genre fluidity. Latin music continues its international surge, while afrobeats and alt-R&B are seeing above-average growth, especially among Gen Z and emerging markets.
These changes are about more than taste. They signal new markets, new audience behaviors, and new licensing opportunities. For music businesses managing large catalogs, these shifts present a real advantage, provided the right data systems are in place to track usage, regional performance, and trend velocity.
This is where a platform like Reprtoir adds value. Teams can quickly pull reports by region, artist cluster, or genre, and match those against campaign efforts or revenue performance.
Superfans Are the New Business Model
One of the most talked-about insights from Luminate this year is the increasing influence of superfans. These are listeners who follow, buy, repost, playlist, attend, and comment. And they're driving a disproportionate share of the value.
According to Luminate, superfans are nearly twice as likely to pay for subscriptions, purchase merchandise, and attend events. That’s significant for two reasons.
First, it proves that volume alone isn’t the metric to chase. Second, it highlights how important it is to identify, understand, and retain these listeners.
For music businesses, the takeaway is simple.
Targeting superfans needs to be baked into marketing and release planning, not treated as a side effect of success. Having access to granular audience data is the difference between making broad decisions and making smart ones.
Data Isn’t Just a Trend. It’s the Job.
Across all metrics in the report, one thing is consistent: data is driving decisions at every level of the business. Data sits at the center, whether it’s timing a release to align with peak listening trends, reactivating a catalog that’s trending again on TikTok, or tailoring sync pitches to match what’s gaining traction.
But raw data isn’t enough. Teams need systems that make data usable, not just visible. They need dashboards that filter the signal from the noise. And they need the ability to move quickly when the numbers shift.
Reprtoir’s suite does this by bringing catalog, rights, contacts, and analytics into a single workspace. It’s built for professionals who want to act on the market.
What to Do With This Report
Reading the Luminate report is one thing. Acting on it is another. Here are three practical takeaways for music companies heading into Q3 and Q4:
1. Re-audit your catalog for discoverability
If you're managing a large catalog, now's the time to look at metadata quality, playlist positioning, and regional targeting. What used to be a passive asset could become a high-performing track with the right positioning.
2. Double down on superfans
Segment your audience. Who are your top listeners? Where are they located? What formats are they responding to?
Use this to shape release cycles, merch drops, and fan activations.
3. Sync marketing and analytics teams
Too often, campaign plans and data teams work in silos. The Luminate report shows that smart coordination, across marketing, A&R, and rights teams, can uncover opportunities faster.
The mid-2025 Luminate report confirms that streaming is alive and well. It shows that the game has changed. It’s not about chasing plays, it's about understanding who's listening, where, and why.
Music businesses that treat streaming, data, and fan behavior as a connected ecosystem, not separate metrics, will be better positioned to make the right calls in the second half of the year.
And if that sounds like a lot to manage, it is.
But platforms like Reprtoir are designed to make it simpler. Smarter structure leads to smarter decisions, and smarter decisions lead to long-term results.
