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Music Publishing in the US Industry Data and Analysis
Music publishers have remained at the center of a long-term transition over the past five years. Consumers have increasingly used convenient online music streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music to listen to their favorite artists, but less-than-lucrative royalty rates have limited publishers' ability to properly monetize these platforms. Publishers licensing music to TV and movies enjoyed a similar climb in streaming as apps like Netflix and Amazon Prime saw increased viewership. Industry revenue has climbed at a CAGR of 3.4% to an estimated $8.6 billion through the current period and is set to climb 1.5% in 2025 alone.
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What's included in this industry analysis
IBISWorld's research coverage on the Music Publishing industry in the United States includes market sizing, forecasting, data and analysis from 2015-2030. The most recent publication was released June 2025.
About this industry
What's this industry report about?
The Music Publishing industry in the United States operates under the NAICS industry code 51223. This industry acquires, copyrights and authorizes the licensed use of musical compositions and recordings. Publishers may own the rights to various musical works or have been chosen to administer copyright and licensing agreements on behalf of musicians, songwriters and composers. Licensing agreements specify the royalties paid to publishers in exchange for authorized use of these works through various media channels. Related terms covered in the Music Publishing industry in the United States include peer-to-peer (p2p) , label and mechanical royalties.
What's included in this industry?
Products and services covered in Music Publishing industry in the United States include Mechanical royalties, Performance royalties and Synchronization royalties.
What companies are included in this industry?
Companies covered in the Music Publishing industry in the United States include Universal Music, Sony Music Publishing LLC and Warner.
Performance
What's included in the Performance chapter?
The Performance chapter covers detailed analysis, datasets, detailed current performance, sources of volatility and an outlook with forecasts for the Music Publishing industry in the United States.
Questions answered in this chapter include what's driving current industry performance, what influences industry volatility, how do successful businesses overcome volatility, what's driving the industry outlook. This analysis is supported with data and statistics on industry revenues, costs, profits, businesses and employees.
Products & Markets
What's included in the Products and Markets chapter?
The Products and Markets chapter covers detailed products and service segmentation and analysis of major markets for the for the Music Publishing industry in the United States.
Questions answered in this chapter include how are the industry's products and services performing, what are innovations in industry products and services, what products or services do successful businesses offer and what's influencing demand from the industry's markets. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by product and service segmentation and major markets.
Geographic Breakdown
What's included in the Geographic Breakdown chapter?
The Geographic Breakdown chapter covers detailed analysis and datasets on regional performance of the Music Publishing industry in the United States.
Questions answered in this chapter include where are industry businesses located and how do businesses use location to their advantage. This includes data and statistics on industry revenues by location.
Competitive Forces
What's included in the Competitive Forces chapter?
The Competitive Forces chapter covers the concentration, barriers to entry and supplier and buyer profiles in the Music Publishing industry in the United States. This includes data and statistics on industry market share concentration, barriers to entry, substitute products and buyer & supplier power.
Questions answered in this chapter include what impacts the industry's market share concentration, how do successful businesses handle concentration, what challenges do potential industry entrants face, how can potential entrants overcome barriers to entry, what are substitutes for industry services, how do successful businesses compete with substitutes and what power do buyers and suppliers have over the industry and how do successful businesses manage buyer & supplier power.
Companies
What's included in the Companies chapter?
The Companies chapter covers Key Takeaways, Market Share and Companies in the Music Publishing industry in the United States. This includes data and analysis on companies operating in the industry that hold a market share greater than 5%.
Questions answered in this chapter include what companies have a meaningful market share and how each company is performing.
External Environment
What's included in the External Environment chapter?
The External Environment chapter covers Key Takeaways, External Drivers, Regulation & Policy and Assistance in the Music Publishing industry in the United States. This includes data and statistics on factors impacting industry revenue such as economic indicators, regulation, policy and assistance programs.
Questions answered in this chapter include what demographic and macroeconomic factors impact the industry, what regulations impact the industry, what assistance is available to this industry.
Financial Benchmarks
What's included in the Financial Benchmarks chapter?
The Financial Benchmarks chapter covers Key Takeaways, Cost Structure, Financial Ratios, Valuation Multiples and Key Ratios in the Music Publishing industry in the United States. This includes financial data and statistics on industry performance including key cost inputs, profitability, key financial ratios and enterprise value multiples.
Questions answered in this chapter include what trends impact industry costs and how financial ratios have changed overtime.
Industry Data
What's included in the Industry Data chapter?
The Industry Data chapter includes 10 years of historical data with 5 years of forecast data covering statistics like revenue, industry value add, establishments, enterprises, employment and wages in the Music Publishing industry in the United States.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the market size of the Music Publishing industry in the United States in 2026?
The market size of the Music Publishing industry in the United States is $8.7bn in 2026.
How many businesses are there in the Music Publishing industry in the United States in 2025?
There are 49,362 businesses in the Music Publishing industry in the United States, which has grown at a CAGR of 7.2 % between 2020 and 2025.
How may import tariffs affect the Music Publishing industry in the United States?
The Music Publishing industry in the United States is unlikely to be materially impacted by import tariffs with imports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
How may export tariffs affect the Music Publishing industry in the United States?
The Music Publishing industry in the United States is unlikely to be materially impacted by export tariffs with exports accounting for a low share of industry revenue.
Has the Music Publishing industry in the United States grown or declined over the past 5 years?
The market size of the Music Publishing industry in the United States has been growing at a CAGR of 3.4 % between 2020 and 2025.
What is the forecast growth of the Music Publishing industry in the United States over the next 5 years?
Over the next five years, the Music Publishing industry in the United States is expected to grow.
What are the biggest companies in the Music Publishing industry in the United States?
The biggest companies operating in the Music Publishing industry in the United States are Universal Music, Sony Music Publishing LLC and Warner
What does the Music Publishing industry in the United States include?
Acquiring and registering copyrights to musical works and Licensing and distributing musical works are part of the Music Publishing industry in the United States.
Which companies have the highest market share in the Music Publishing industry in the United States?
The company holding the most market share in the Music Publishing industry in the United States is Universal Music.
How competitive is the Music Publishing industry in the United States?
The level of competition is high and increasing in the Music Publishing industry in the United States.
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