The Weeknd Overtakes Taylor Swift to Become the Highest-Earning Artist of 2025

In a dramatic change at the top of the music industry’s earnings chart, Canadian singer The Weeknd has officially surpassed Taylor Swift to become the highest-paid musician of 2025. With an estimated total income of $298 million, The Weeknd’s financial success this year is not just a result of music sales—it reflects strategic business moves and global touring dominance.

A Record-Breaking Year Fueled by Touring Success

The biggest driver of The Weeknd’s earnings in 2025 was his After Hours Til Dawn Tour, which has become one of the most financially successful tours in contemporary music. The tour, which began in July 2022 and continued through 2025 across North America, Europe, Latin America, and Australia, has sold over 7.5 million tickets in 153 shows.

What makes this achievement even more remarkable is that the tour surpassed $1 billion in gross revenue, breaking previous records and making it the highest-grossing tour ever by a solo male artist.

This milestone places The Weeknd in elite company alongside tours like Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour and Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres, both of which have grossed over a billion dollars.

Smart Business: Music Rights and Revenue Deals

In addition to ticket sales, The Weeknd’s income this year was significantly boosted by a major catalogue deal with Lyric Capital Group. Rather than selling his music rights outright, he chose a “share master” agreement model. Under this deal, he received roughly $250 million in cash upfront while still retaining artistic control and ownership over most of his master recordings.

This savvy business move has been praised within the industry as a bold strategy that balances immediate financial reward with long-term creative control.

Philanthropy and Broader Impact

Beyond money, The Weeknd also made headlines for his philanthropic contributions. He donated over $8.5 million to humanitarian causes, including the XO Humanitarian Fund and Global Citizen initiatives. Additionally, he pledged to contribute a portion of his 2026 earnings to support global food security programs.

Taylor Swift Falls to Second Place

Despite being dethroned this year, Taylor Swift still posted an impressive income of approximately $202 million in 2025, securing her position as the second-highest paid artist globally.

Her earnings were largely driven by multiple versions of her album The Life of a Showgirl and a lucrative $80 million contract with Disney for the documentary The Eras Tour.

Other Top Earners in 2025

Following The Weeknd and Taylor Swift, several major artists also made the top earnings list for 2025, showcasing the diverse landscape of today’s music industry:

• Beyoncé – $148 million

• Kendrick Lamar – $109 million

• Coldplay & Shakira – $105 million each

• Drake – $78 million

• Chris Brown – $74 million

• Zach Bryan – $70 million

• Bad Bunny – $66 million

This ranking demonstrates how global streaming, touring revenues, and strategic deals continue to drive artists’ financial success in 2025.

What This Means for the Music Industry

The Weeknd’s rise to the top income spot this year highlights a larger trend in the music business: live performances and smart rights management are now critical to an artist’s financial power. While streaming and album sales remain important, it’s the combination of worldwide touring and strategic catalogue deals that appear to be the biggest income drivers.

In summary, The Weeknd’s unprecedented success in 2025 shows that the modern music industry rewards not just talent, but also business strategy and global performance reach. From breaking touring records to maximizing revenue from music rights, he’s redefined what it means to be a top-earning artist in the 21st century.