The American business magazine Forbes has released a list of the highest-paid artists who generated the highest revenue over the past 12 months.
The ranked names on the list earned a cumulative sum of $1.9 billion through activities such as tours, album sales, merch sales, publishing rights from catalogs, and streaming revenues, with no outside business ventures included. The figures were calculated using touring data from Pollstar, music sales data measured by Luminate, and interviews with industry insiders.
According to Forbes, the ranking is based “on earnings (before taxes) from December 31, 2024, to December 31, 2025 (projected). All costs, including the percentage retained by labels and publishers, and fees paid to agents, attorneys, and managers, have been deducted.”
The list is heavily dominated by singers, bands, and pop stars, with only three rappers, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, and Tyler the Creator, making the cut. For additional information, read more here.
Forbes List of Highest Paid Musicians in 2025
1. The Weeknd – $298 Million
2. Taylor Swift – $202 Million
3. Beyoncé – $148 Million
4. Kendrick Lamar – $109 Million
5. Cold Play – $105 Million
6. Shakira – $105 Million
7. Drake – $78 Million
8. Chris Brown – $74 Million
9. Zach Bryan – $70 Million
10. Bad Bunny – $66 Million
11. Post Malone – $62 Million
12. Ed Sheeran – $60 Million
13. Tyler the Creator – $53 Million
14. Metallica – $53 Million
15. Lady Gaga – $52 Million
16. Billie Eilish – $52 Million
17. Imagine Dragons – $48 Million
18. Dua Lipa – $44 Million
19. Linkin Park – $36 Million
20. Sza – $34 Million
21. Morgan Wallen – $33 Million
22. Bruno Mars – $31 Million
23. Sabrina Carpenter – $29 Million
24. Andrea Bocelli – $25 Million
25. Iron Maiden – $25 Million