In a year where billion-dollar tours became the new normal, record-breaking albums ruled the charts, and music’s biggest names cashed in like never before, the race for the top spot wasn’t short on drama. Sensations like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé dominated headlines, while global sensations kept the cash registers ringing—but when the dust settled, only one artist stood above the rest. And according to Forbes’ figures, that crown went to none other than The Weeknd.
Forbes’ highest-paid musician of 2025
One could have easily guessed Swift’s name to top the chart; however, as per Forbes’ figures, The Weeknd topped the list with a staggering $298 million in earnings in 2025, making him the highest-paid musician in the world.
The Canadian superstar, born Abel Tesfaye, had a year filled with smart business moves and blockbuster success. His After Hours Til Dawn Tour crossed the $1 billion mark, becoming one of the highest-grossing tours ever and the biggest by a solo male artist. From more than 40 shows in 2025 alone, he reportedly earned around $77 million in profits.
The massive catalogue deal with Lyric Capital, reportedly valued at $1 billion, was the cherry on top. While structured differently from traditional sales, Forbes estimates he personally pocketed around $200 million after fees.
It was also the year The Weeknd hinted he may soon retire his stage name, saying he feels he has “said everything” as the persona. Going further, he expanded his creative footprint with Hurry Up Tomorrow, a film and album pairing music and storytelling.
Taylor Swift’s total earnings in 2025
Coming in at No. 2, Taylor Swift had yet another blockbuster year, earning an estimated $202 million in 2025, according to Forbes’ figures. Even without topping the list, her influence on the industry remains unmatched. Her 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, didn’t just debut, rewrite record books and in a blink pulled in over 5.5 million global album-equivalent units in its first week, making it the biggest debut in music history and surpassing Adele’s long-standing benchmark.
2025 was also a personal success for Swift. The popstar bought back the master recordings of her first six albums in a deal reportedly worth $360 million. And that catalogue kept delivering: her music clocked 14.7 million album-equivalent units in 2025, more than double that of Drake, the next best-selling artist of the year.
On top of that, Swift turned her already iconic Eras Tour into another revenue stream through a lucrative Disney+ deal, which included rights to the final show and a behind-the-scenes docuseries, adding tens of millions more to her earnings.
Top 10 Highest-Paid Musicians of 2025 (Forbes figures)
- The Weeknd — $298 million
- Taylor Swift — $202 million
- Beyoncé — $148 million
- Kendrick Lamar — $109 million
- Coldplay — $105 million
- Shakira — $105 million
- Drake — $78 million
- Chris Brown — $74 million
- Zach Bryan — $70 million
- Bad Bunny — $66 million