Duetti Inc., the music company enabling independent artists¹ and writers to monetize their catalogs, today released its annual Music Economics Report, focusing on the core drivers of long-term financial value and durability for independent artists and their catalogs.

Drawing on proprietary data from over six million tracks, the report finds that virality² is almost impossible to achieve – and even if a track does go viral, it rarely compounds into long-term streaming income. Instead, a strategic approach that leverages optimal release timing, clear audience focus, and YouTube-led growth is a more reliable driver of catalogs that keep paying. This analysis focuses on creators earning between $100 and $350k annually and defines a durable catalog as one with an annual decay of less than 10%.

Key findings from the Annual Economics Report include:

• Only 1.1% of tracks go viral, and achieving virality does not equal long-term success³ – 99.9% of tracks do not sustain streams after 6 months
• Tracks that exhibit slower, steady growth are ~60% more likely to build durable catalogs, while pursuing rapid, viral growth tends to produce short-term gains with limited longevity
• Artists who grow on YouTube first are 16% more likely to develop a durable catalog than those whose growth began on any other platform
• Independent artists who follow a frequent and strategically timed release schedule see a ~20% higher revenue compared to those who release less frequently or focus solely on standalone singles
• Audience concentration⁴ within a core country increases durability by ~50% compared to artists whose audiences are more broadly dispersed across the globe

Duetti’s analysis suggests viral exposure is often tied to short-lived trends that may not fully feature the track itself, rather than sustained engagement with an artist’s broader body of work, making it difficult for those spikes to compound into durable catalog performance.

“Viral moments are often over-rewarded in success narratives, but the reality is that they almost never result in longer-term financial value,” said Lior Tibon, CEO and Co-founder of Duetti. “Our report is focused on key drivers associated with developing a durable, sustainable music catalog over time.”

In another finding, YouTube emerged as the strongest platform associated with early audience incubation. Artists who grow on YouTube first are 16% more likely to develop a durable catalog than those whose growth began on any other platform. This suggests that active engagement with an artist’s work on YouTube, through video content, is a leading indicator of success.

The report also highlights the impact of seasonal release timing by genre, with Hip-Hop and Dance/Electronic performing best in spring, Alternative/Indie in summer, and Gospel/Christian and Country/Americana peaking in winter. Artists with three or more tracks per year earned 18% higher revenue per track, while album releases outperformed single-only strategies by 16%.

“Duetti’s Music Economics Report provides actionable insights to help independent artists and songwriters make informed, long-term decisions about their careers,” said Angelo Sasso, Head of Growth at Duetti. “This data is typically reserved for large companies, and sharing it reflects our commitment to provide meaningful information to artists and their teams.”

Check out the full report HERE

1Independent Artist: Over 12M artists have released music on streaming services. For the effectiveness of this report, Duetti focused on artists earning at least $100 annually and less than $350K annually in streaming income.

2 Virality: For this analysis, virality is defined as increasing streams by 5x within one month.

3 Success: Defined as achieving durable catalog performance over time.

4 High Audience Concentration: Defined as having more than 85% of listeners located within one country

 

About Duetti

Duetti is a music finance and services platform that partners with independent artists and creators. Founded in 2022 by CEO Lior Tibon and COO Christopher Nolte, Duetti provides capital and operational support to help creators monetize, manage, and grow their music catalogs.

Through flexible deal structures, Duetti works with a broad range of music creators and supports them with catalog management and marketing services. Since its founding, Duetti has partnered with more than 1,100 creators across over 40 countries.

Duetti is backed by The Raine Group, Flexpoint Ford, Nyca Partners, Viola Ventures, and Roc Nation, and has raised more than $635 million to date through a combination of equity and debt financing.