Spotify: Music and Podcasts, a music player & downloader app, recorded 261.6M downloads in 2025, according to data from AppTweak’s Market Intelligence. This performance cements its position as the market leader by volume, capturing a 7.5% share of all category downloads. However, this leadership exists within a market facing contraction.
The Music & Audio category accumulated 3.6B total downloads last year but saw an overall download decline of -13.4% year-over-year. While established streaming giants continue to command the top of the charts, their growth has slowed, indicating market maturity. In contrast, pockets of high growth are emerging in specialized segments. For instance, the Indian audiobook app Kuku FM achieved 73.4% download growth, and apps in the connected devices segment also saw positive download trends. This highlights a dual reality: a saturated core market alongside dynamic, high-opportunity niches.
Key takeaways
- Market contraction despite high volume: The Music & Audio category generated 3.6B downloads but experienced a significant -13.4% year-over-year decline. This suggests that while audio consumption remains high, the user acquisition landscape for new installs is becoming more challenging.
- Divergent growth in spoken word audio: The audio books segment shows conflicting trends. Kuku FM: Audiobooks & Stories grew by 73.4% to reach 63.4M downloads, while Pocket FM: Audio Series declined by -49.9% despite having 38.9M downloads. This indicates that success in spoken-word content is highly dependent on regional appeal and content strategy, not just segment demand.
- Downloads do not equal revenue leadership: The app with the most downloads, Spotify: Music and Podcasts (261.5.M), was second in revenue with $382.4M. In contrast, YouTube Music, ranked third for downloads (70.2M), was the top earner with $453.1M in revenue. This underscores the different monetization efficiencies at play among the top apps.
- Music discovery is shifting from search‑based behavior to passive, feed‑driven exploration, with swipeable previews, social‑style interfaces, and shareable audio snippets becoming core to how users find new content.
- Listening apps are evolving into multi‑format audio hubs, blending music, podcasts, audiobooks, and wellness audio into a single experience while adopting hybrid monetization models that balance free access with premium convenience.
About the data set
This data was derived from AppTweak’s Market Intelligence. The dataset covers January 2025 to December 2025 and reflects worldwide performance across both the App Store & Google Play. The ranking is created by combining each app’s estimated downloads from the App Store and Google Play and ordering them from highest to lowest.
- Data source: AppTweak Market Intelligence
- Coverage: App Store and Google Play
- Metrics: App downloads and app revenue (USD)
- Time period: January 2025 – December 2025
- Category: Music & Audio defined by AppTweak’s AppDNA taxonomy
- Geography: Global
- Last updated: January 2026
Category definition of Music & Audio apps (AppTweak AppDNA taxonomy):
AppTweak defines the Music & Audio category as apps that are for discovering, listening to, recording, performing, or composing music or audio, and that are interactive in nature. For example: music creation, radio, education, sound editing, music discovery, composition, lyric writing, band and recording artists, music videos and concerts, concert ticketing.
Segment definitions:
- Music player & downloader: Apps to listen to podcasts and radios, download and play music.
- Audio books: Apps that provide audiobooks.
- Karaoke: Karaoke apps.
- Music recognition: Apps to recognize music.
- Music & beat maker: Apps to make music, use DJ sets, etc.
- Connected devices: Apps that assist in connecting and controlling devices (such as headphones, speakers, routers, printers, etc.) from a phone.
Feel free to dig into your app category’s download and revenue estimates now in AppTweak’s Market Intelligence.
What are the top 10 most downloaded Music & Audio apps of 2025?
The table below lists the top 10 Music & Audio apps ordered by total downloads, including app name, publisher, HQ, app downloads, and year-over-year growth.
| App Name | Publisher | Publisher HQ | Downloads | YoY Growth % |
| Spotify: Music and Podcasts | Spotify AB | Sweden | 261.6M | -10.6% |
| Music Player, MP3 Player | Hitchhike Tech | Hong Kong | 85.5M | -24.1% |
| YouTube Music | United States | 70.2M | -1.5% | |
| Lark Player:Music Player & MP3 | Lark Player Studio – Music, MP3 & Video Player | Hong Kong | 68.3M | -14.7% |
| Kuku FM: Audiobooks & Stories | Mebigo Labs Private Limited | India | 63.4M | 73.4% |
| StarMaker: Sing Karaoke Songs | SKYWORK AI PTE. LTD. | Singapore | 63.3M | -33.0% |
| Shazam: Find Music & Concerts | Apple Inc. | United States | 54.3M | -17.0% |
| JioSaavn – Music & Podcasts | Saavn Media Limited | India | 43.1M | -28.4% |
| SoundCloud: The Music You Love | SoundCloud | Germany | 39.5M | -19.9% |
| Pocket FM: Audio Series | PocketFM | India | 38.9M | -49.9% |
Source: AppTweak Market Intelligence | App Store & Google Play | January 2025 – December 2025 | Global.
Notable apps at a glance
- Spotify: Music and Podcasts – Rank #1, 261.5M downloads, music player & downloader
- YouTube Music – Rank #3, 70.2M downloads, music player & downloader
- Kuku FM: Audiobooks & Stories – Rank #5, 63.4M downloads, audio books
- StarMaker: Sing Karaoke Songs – Rank #6, 63.3M downloads, karaoke
- Shazam: Find Music & Concerts – Rank #7, 54.3M downloads, music recognition
3 key learnings from the top 10 Music & Audio apps
The data reveals three clear patterns in how users interact with the most downloaded Music & Audio apps in 2025. These learnings summarize the strongest signals emerging from the top-ranking apps according to AppTweak’s Market Intelligence dataset.
1. Legacy streaming apps lead in volume but face market contraction
The top of the download chart is dominated by established music streaming services, but their growth has stalled. The market leader, Spotify: Music and Podcasts, secured 261.5M downloads but saw a decline of -10.6% year-over-year. Similarly, YouTube Music (#3) recorded 70.2M downloads with a slight decline of -1.5%. This pattern of high volume paired with negative or flat growth suggests the core music streaming market is reaching saturation, with fewer new users to acquire.
2. Spoken-word audio shows divergent performance
The audio books segment presents a story of two extremes within the top 10. Kuku FM: Audiobooks & Stories, an app from India, was a breakout star, growing downloads by 73.4% to reach 63.4M. In sharp contrast, Pocket FM: Audio Series, another app in the same segment, saw its downloads fall by -49.9% to 38.9M. This wide performance gap indicates that while there is strong demand for spoken-word content, success is highly regional and strategy-specific rather than a guaranteed trend.
3. Specialized audio utilities show demand but also volatility
Apps built for specific audio tasks, such as karaoke and music identification, maintain a strong presence in the top 10, but their download trends are unstable. StarMaker: Sing Karaoke Songs (#6) and Shazam: Find Music & Concerts (#7) recorded 63.3M and 54.3M downloads, respectively. However, both experienced significant year-over-year declines of -33.0% and -17.0%. This suggests that while there is a large user base for these utilities, they may be more vulnerable to shifting user behaviors or competition compared to daily-use streaming services.
Key facts about the top 10 Music & Audio apps
- The music player & downloader segment is the most dominant in the top 10, with six of the leading apps belonging to this segment. This highlights its foundational role in the category.
- A majority of the top 10 apps experienced negative year-over-year growth, with eight out of ten recording declines. This aligns with the broader market contraction of -13.4% for the category.
- A significant performance gap exists within the audio books segment, where one top-10 app grew by 73.4% while another declined by -49.9%, underscoring market volatility.
- Publishers from the United States are prominent in both high-download and high-revenue rankings, with Google’s YouTube Music leading in revenue and ranking third in downloads.
Music & Audio app market trends shaping 2025
The data reflects a category in transition, moving beyond simple library-based listening to more dynamic, multi-format audio experiences. Here are the key qualitative shifts shaping the market.
Discovery is shifting to feeds, clips, and sharing
In 2025, music and audio discovery is becoming more passive and socially driven. Leading apps are adopting scrolling, feed-like interfaces that feel closer to social media than a traditional music library. Short previews and swipeable recommendations reduce the need for users to search actively, instead surprising them with new content.
This trend also elevates the importance of shareable audio moments. Features like timestamped clips, lyric cards, and simple remix tools are becoming standard, as users increasingly expect to share audio across messaging and social platforms with full context, not just a link.
Apps are becoming all-in-one audio hubs
The lines between different audio formats are blurring as mainstream apps converge into single hubs for multiple listening modes. Background music, podcasts, audiobooks, and guided wellness sessions are now presented as adjacent options within one app. This “one app, many intents” model encourages users to treat the app as a default audio companion for any moment, from a commute to a focus session. To support this, user experiences are shifting toward mode-based navigation and seamless continuity across devices.
Monetization is normalizing hybrid models
User expectations around payment are becoming more flexible. Instead of a single, rigid subscription, leading apps are mixing revenue models, including ad-supported tiers, premium features, and one-time add-ons. The goal is to keep the free experience functional enough to build habit while clearly packaging the value of upgrading. This value is communicated through tangible benefits like higher-quality playback, offline reliability, or direct creator support, rather than just removing ads.
Key facts about Music & Audio app market trends in 2025
- Discovery flows are becoming scroll-first, preview-heavy, and designed for fast decisions rather than deliberate searching.
- Audio sharing is being productized into portable, contextual snippets (clips, timestamps, lyric-style cards) that travel well outside the app.
- Listening apps are consolidating multiple audio use cases into one daily hub, with UX tuned to routines and moments.
- Revenue approaches are increasingly mixed, aiming to keep free tiers functional while reserving the most tangible convenience and control for paid users.
Conclusion
The 2025 Music & Audio app landscape is defined by a mature core market and dynamic, emerging niches. While the category is large with 3.6B annual downloads, it is also contracting, with an overall decline of -13.4%. Legacy players like Spotify continue to dominate download volumes, but their growth has slowed.
The most significant growth is happening at the edges: regional spoken-word apps like Kuku FM (+73.4% growth) and innovative new segments like AI-powered music creation are capturing user interest. For marketers, this signals a shift in opportunity from competing in the saturated streaming market to identifying and serving specialized audio needs. Success in 2026 will depend on adapting to new discovery behaviors, offering multi-format experiences, and implementing flexible monetization strategies.
For deeper insights into these trends and to benchmark your own app’s performance, explore AppTweak’s Market Intelligence platform. You can start analyzing the data today with a Free Starter plan.
FAQs
Below we answer the top questions about the most downloaded Music & Audio apps.
Which Music & Audio app had the most downloads in 2025?
The Music & Audio app with the most downloads in 2025 was Spotify: Music and Podcasts, which recorded 261.5M downloads globally, according to data from AppTweak’s Market Intelligence.
What was the total number of downloads for Music & Audio apps in 2025?
Music & Audio apps accumulated approximately 3.6B total downloads in 2025. This figure represents an overall year-over-year decline of -13.4% for the category.
Which Music & Audio app generated the most revenue in 2025?
According to data from AppTweak’’ MArket Intelligence, the top-grossing Music & Audio app in 2025 was YouTube Music, which generated $453.1M in revenue from 70.2M downloads.
Are Music & Audio apps still growing in 2025?
The overall Music & Audio app category is not growing, as it saw a -13.4% decline in downloads in 2025. However, specific apps are showing strong growth, such as Kuku FM: Audiobooks & Stories, which grew by 73.4%.
What segment of Music & Audio apps is most common in the top 10?
The most common segment among the top 10 most downloaded Music & Audio apps is music player & downloader. Six of the top 10 apps belong to this segment, including the market leader, Spotify.
What is an example of a high-growth Music & Audio app in 2025?
A prime example of a high-growth Music & Audio app is Kuku FM: Audiobooks & Stories, which increased its downloads by 73.4% year-over-year, reaching 63.4M downloads in 2025.
How does download volume relate to revenue for top Music & Audio apps?
For top Music & Audio apps, high download volume does not always correlate with the highest revenue. The most downloaded app, Spotify (273.1M downloads), was second in revenue ($382.4M), while the third most downloaded app, YouTube Music (70.2M downloads), was first in revenue ($453.1M).
