The Weeknd leads Forbes’ ranking as the highest-paid musician of 2025 with US$298 million By Bruna
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The Weeknd closed 2025 as the highest-paid musician in the world, according to the annual ranking published by Forbes magazine. The Canadian singer, whose real name is The list considers a 12-month period and highlights the financial performance of 25 artists who collectively totaled US$1.9 billion.
Taylor Swift took second place with US$202 million, followed by Beyoncé with US$148 million. The ranking reflects a year of major negotiations in the music industry, including partial catalog sales and high-grossing tours. Oito women are among the 25 names, with an average earnings of US$52 million per artist.
The publication of Forbes highlights the consolidation of streaming, global tours and copyright agreements as the main sources of revenue in the sector.
Million-dollar deal boosts leadership of The Weeknd
The Weeknd entered into a partnership valued at around US$1 billion with Lyric Capital for partial monetization of its musical catalog until 2025. The artist maintained creative control over the works and received approximately US$200 million net. Esse contract does not cover future recordings and represents one of the biggest negotiations of its kind this year.
The After Hours Til Dawn tour also contributed significantly, with more than 40 shows that generated profits estimated at US$77 million. The singer reached a historic milestone by becoming the first artist with 30 songs surpassing 1 billion streams each on Spotify.
Sources of income of Taylor Swift in the year
Taylor Swift regained the master rights to her first six albums in an operation concluded in May 2025. The singer paid close to US$360 million to Essa movement substantially increased its streaming and licensing revenues.
The artist also benefited from follow-ups to Eras Tour and robust sales of re-recorded albums. Seus earnings placed her as the highest-paid woman on the list for the second time in a row.
Financial rise of Beyoncé
Beyoncé reached billionaire status by the end of 2025, according to an assessment by Forbes. The singer accumulated US$148 million in the period, driven by the success of the album Cowboy Carter and associated tour. Projetos parallels in fashion and entertainment supplemented their sources of income.
The Texan artist joined a select group of billionaire musicians, alongside names like Jay-Z and Rihanna. Seu performance reinforces female dominance at the top of the ranking.
Highlights from the top 10
The Forbes ranking presents a diversity of genders and origins among the highest paid.
- Kendrick Lamar ranked fourth with US$109 million, driven by tours and partnerships.
- Coldplay and Shakira tied for fifth with $105 million each, thanks to sold-out global tours.
- Drake appeared in seventh with US$78 million, maintaining a strong presence in streaming.
- Chris Brown, Zach Bryan and Bad Bunny completed the top 10 with values between US$66 million and US$74 million.
These artists benefited from combinations between live shows and digital platforms.
Complete list of the 25 highest paid
Forbes released the full ranking with estimates in US dollars and approximate conversion to reais.
- The Weeknd – US$298 million (R$1.638 billion)
- Taylor Swift – US$202 million (R$1.11 billion)
- Beyoncé – US$148 million (R$813.4 million)
- Kendrick Lamar – US$109 million (R$599 million)
- Coldplay – US$105 million (R$577 million)
- Shakira – US$105 million (R$577 million)
- Drake – US$78 million (R$428.7 million)
- Chris Brown – US$74 million (R$406.7 million)
- Zach Bryan – US$70 million (R$384.7 million)
- Bad Bunny – US$66 million (R$362.7 million)
- Post Malone – US$62 million (R$340.7 million)
- Ed Sheeran – US$60 million (R$329.7 million)
- Tyler, The Creator – US$53 million (R$291.3 million)
- Metallica – US$53 million (R$291.3 million)
- Lady Gaga – US$52 million (R$285.8 million)
- Billie Eilish – US$52 million (R$285.8 million)
- Imagine Dragons – US$48 million (R$263.8 million)
- Dua Lipa – US$44 million (R$241.8 million)
- Linkin Park – US$36 million (R$197.8 million)
- SZA – US$34 million (R$186.8 million)
- Morgan Wallen – US$33 million (R$181.3 million)
- Bruno Mars – US$31 million (R$170.3 million)
- Sabrina Carpenter – US$29 million (R$159.3 million)
- Andrea Bocelli – US$25 million (R$137.4 million)
- Iron Maiden – US$25 million (R$137.4 million)
Tours and streaming as pillars
Tours remained the largest source of income for most artists listed. Plataformas like Spotify and Apple Music increased earnings via royalties and curated playlists. Acordos catalog gained relevance in 2025.
Veteran artists like Metallica and Iron Maiden have demonstrated commercial longevity with live shows.
Female presence in the ranking
Eight women made the list of 25 positions, representing progress compared to previous years. Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and Shakira led among them with values above US$ 100 million. Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish, Dua Lipa, SZA and Sabrina Carpenter also appeared.
This distribution reflects greater gender balance in global music industry earnings.
Music Industry Trends in 2025
The year saw record box office tours and continued growth in worldwide streaming. Negociações of copyrights moved billions of dollars between artists and investment funds. Forbes highlighted that collective revenues from the 25 names surpassed previous marks.
The global live music market has fully recovered from previous periods of sold-out stadium events.
