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Since Duetti was founded in 2022, our mission has been to expand financial opportunities for independent music creators. In the past four years, we have partnered with over 1,100 artists, songwriters, and music creators around the world, fueling creativity and financial independence.
Because of this mission, we spend every day monitoring and analyzing the royalty payouts of independent artists and songwriters. In this report, we leverage our proprietary data to generate concrete insights around catalog durability, intended to inform independent creators on the factors that influence the financial performance of their catalogs over time.
Setting the Stage
about this report
No two catalogs follow the same streaming trajectory over time, but with sophisticated statistical analysis, we have surfaced key insights that influence catalog financial value. When it comes to financial value, the catalogs that command the highest valuation multiples are “durable catalogs” - those that decay the slowest, or maintain streams over time.
For this report, we have selected four key insights that provide an interesting angle on what durable catalogs have in common. Some of these insights are highly actionable, while others may be more inherent to an artist’s audience.
At Duetti, we always believe that music comes first. In an industry where some of the most meaningful metrics of success - creative expression, artistic evolution, and audience connection - are not neatly quantifiable, we aim to provide a layer of statistical insight that can fuel artistic growth.
Defining Terms
Independent Artists
Over 12M artists have released music on streaming services. For the purpose of this report, we focused on artists who are making at least $100 per year, and less than $350K per year, of streaming income.
Durable Catalog
There are many ways to define music catalogs as durable over time¹. For the purpose of this report, we define durable catalogs as those with less than 10% annual decay in their streaming activity in 2025.
¹The average catalog age for tracks included in this report is 4.2 years.
Key Insights
What do durable catalogs have in common?
Slower growth endures more than short term virality
+60% likelihood of durable catalog
Frequent and strategically-timed releases fuel streams
~20% increase in revenue
Focused audiences drive long-term results
+50% likelihood of durable catalog
Investing in YouTube FIRST fuels growth across platforms
+16% likelihood of durable catalog
Jesse Barrera
Full report Available
See our complete 2025 Music Economics Report.
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01 Chasing Virality
Chasing Virality
We studied streaming data for over 6 million established indie tracks’ virality trends to see if the viral explosion most indie artists are chasing is all it’s cut out to be.
only 1.14%
of indie tracks go viral
Going viral is like playing the lottery, but without the big payoff. It’s almost impossible to go viral and even when it happens, odds are it won’t last.
For this analysis, virality is defined as increasing streams by 5x in one month.
For this analysis, virality is defined as increasing streams by 5x in one month.
For this analysis, virality is defined as increasing streams by 5x in one month.
Only 0.17%
sustained virality for more than 3 months
Only 0.11%
sustained virality for more than 6 months
1.14%
of indie tracks go viral
Only 0.17%
sustained virality for more than 3 months
Only 0.11%
sustained virality for more than 6 months
For this analysis, sustaining virality is defined as maintaining at least 90% of viral streams.
slow steady growth > hot fast growth
Slow, steady growth over 6 months is 60% more likely to result in durable catalog over time
... while hot, fast growth over 3 months only creates short term income
03 Greedo
Mario
Virlán García
Imen Es
02 Release Strategy
release timing matters
For certain genres, when you release matters, even years later.
Hip-Hop
tracks released in the Spring are 1.4x more likely to succeed than those released in Winter
Dance/Electronic
tracks released in the Spring are 1.7x more likely to succeed than those released in Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
alternative / Indie
tracks released in the Summer are 2.2x more likely to succeed than those released in Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
gospel / christian
tracks released in the Winter are 2.5x more likely to succeed than those released in Fall
country / americana
tracks released in the Winter are 1.7x more likely to succeed than those released in Summer
Spring
Summer
Fall
Winter
Spring
Hip-Hop
tracks released in the Spring are 1.4x more likely to succeed than those released in Winter
Dance/Electronic
tracks released in the Spring are 1.7x more likely to succeed than those released in Winter
Summer
Alternative / Indie
tracks released in the Summer are 2.2x more likely to succeed than those released in Winter
winter
Gospel / Christian
tracks released in the Winter are 2.5x more likely to succeed than those released in Fall
Country / Americana
tracks released in the Winter are 1.7x more likely to succeed than those released in Summer
Success is defined as achieving durable catalog performance over time.
release frequency
It’s advantageous to release frequently.
Independent artists that released at least 3 tracks per year saw an average of 18% higher revenue per track in the first year post-release compared to those who released less frequently.
Track Release
Track Release
Track Release
+18% revenue per track
and ...
albums are even more powerful.
Independent artists that released at least 1 album per year saw an average of 16% higher revenue per track in the first year post-release compared to those who only released singles.
Album Release
+16% revenue per track
03 Audience Concentration
country concentration
Doubling down in the country where an artist’s music is most popular may produce better results than chasing diversified growth.
Artists with a high concentration of listeners in one country are
50% more likely to achieve durable catalog.
For this analysis, high concentration is defined as having >85% of listeners from one country.
age concentration
Age-diverse audiences are good for stability but older audiences are most associated with long-term stable catalog.
Artists with a higher concentration of older fans are
40% more likely to achieve durable catalog.
For this analysis, higher concentration is defined as having >30% of listeners aged 35+.
04 Platform Growth
Youtube growth
is a leading indicator of durability
youtube growth is a leading indicator of durability
We analyzed growth trends across all digital streaming platforms and found that artists who saw two consecutive months of YouTube growth first are more likely to perform durably over time.
Artists who grow on YouTube firstare
>16% more likely to achieve durable catalog.
Across all streaming platforms, YouTube growth is the clearest differentiator between artists who achieve durability and those who don’t.
+10%
+5%
+12%
Duetti partners with independent artists and songwriters to unlock the value of their masters and publishing catalogs through flexible, straightforward deals, while also offering top-tier catalog management, distribution, and marketing services.
Duetti has worked with over 1,100 artists, songwriters, and music creators across genres, fueling creativity and financial independence.
We help independent music creators monetize and market their catalogs, navigate label and distribution options, and address questions about their current setups.
“Duetti understands the value of artists and our work. Beyond the transaction, the partnership has supported my ability to plan ahead, stay independent, and continue building my career in a sustainable way.”
Mario
“What stood out to me about working with Duetti was how transparent and straightforward the entire process was. Everything was clearly explained, I felt supported at every step, and I always knew what my options were. Beyond the deal itself, the marketing opportunities and ongoing support have helped me think more intentionally about my career and how to build for the long term while staying independent.”
Ingrid Contreras
“Partnering with Duetti has been huge for me. As an independent artist, it’s given me the resources to build my business, hire a team, and take my music to the next level with new producers, video editors, and marketing support. It’s also brought financial stability, allowing me to plan ahead and focus on growth. I’m grateful for the genuine connections I’ve made with the Duetti team and the support they’ve provided every step of the way.”
Seon
“Our partnership with Duetti has been really meaningful, with the added benefit of the marketing services we received around our latest release, Live in ’25. That support helped elevate the album in a way that felt thoughtful and aligned with who we are as a band. The team was communicative, genuinely invested in our success, and made the entire experience feel collaborative and artist first.”
Tim Regan, Uncle Lucius
“Duetti is the gold standard in music industry accountability. They show up, follow through, and proactively deliver value for their partners. For any artist that is serious about high agency in their workflows, strategy, and execution, Duetti should be at the top of your partnership wishlist.”
Jon Ricci, Lansdowne
Thank you for reading our
2025 report
If you are interested in talking about the report or your catalog, we'd love to connect.
Duetti has invested heavily in cutting-edge tech and data systems, serving as the foundation for our work. We unite data from various sources, generating tailored pricing options and insights for our artist partners.
This report reflects our efforts, highlighting key trends for artists and their teams managing music income.
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