Korean has officially broken into the top three languages in the US music streaming market, securing a 1.1% share in the first quarter of 2025 — trailing only English (86%) and Spanish (9.5%), according to music and entertainment data firm Luminate, as reported by Yonhap News TV.
BTS and the K-pop Wave Get the Credit
Luminate directly credited the genre's global momentum — and its biggest act — for the milestone. In its report, the firm stated that "Korean-language streaming firmly maintained a 1.1% share, driven by BTS and K-pop sensations." Luminate also specifically highlighted BTS's full-group comeback in 2025 as a notable factor in sustaining that presence.
The firm went further, pointing to what the numbers mean for the music industry at large. According to Luminate, "the music industry has become more globalized than ever, and international artists are now able to achieve the kind of worldwide recognition that was once only possible for English-language acts."
South Korea Also Ranks 5th Among Non-US Countries
It's not just the language chart where Korea is making noise. When Luminate broke down US streaming share by country of origin, South Korea ranked 5th among non-US nations — sitting behind the UK, Mexico, Canada, and Puerto Rico. That places Korea ahead of virtually every other non-English-speaking country in the world's largest music market.
For fans who've spent years watching BTS perform in packed stadiums and defending K-pop to skeptical relatives, these numbers are a full-circle moment. What started as a passionate online fandom has quietly reshaped how America listens to music — and the data now backs it up.
