Listen up. Spotify just hit a high note — 675 million people (one in 12 worldwide) tuned in last quarter, pushing the streaming giant to its first-ever full year of profitability with $16.1 billion in revenue.*

Streaming services are driving the soundtrack of daily life, now making up two-thirds* of all recorded music revenues from paid subscriptions. On average, Americans pay $237 a month for subscription services. But it’s not just about what’s playing through the speakers — according to Empower research, nearly one in five people say spending on concert tickets brings them happiness. Fans are willing to splurge to attend live events, paying an average of $110 a month. 

— The Editors 

💸 Paper jam: The Treasury Department is eliminating paper Series I Bonds and going digital via TreasuryDirect. The annual purchase limit is $10,000 for electronic purchases, and the additional $5,000 in paper bonds that previously could be purchased using tax refunds is no longer available.

🖼️ Garage act: A Minnesota bargain hunter spent $50* at a garage sale on what turned out to be a lost van Gogh painting — now verified to be worth a cool $15 million.

🎮 Press play: The PlayStation 5 is selling like a platinum record, with nearly 75 million* units shipped, including 9.5 million during the holiday season (up 16%* year-over-year). Sony’s latest earnings report* shows that gaming revenue hit $10.9 billion, and gaming profit soared 37%.

🤠 Wall Street two-step: The New York Stock Exchange is heading south, moving* its Chicago exchange to Dallas due to the strong business climate and increase in corporate relocations to Texas. The Lone Star State is already home to over $3.7 trillion in NYSE-listed companies.

Silence is golden

Aldi is expanding at record speed, with plans to open more than 225* stores in 2025, marking its largest expansion in a single year and strengthening its presence in the Southeast. In Q3 2024, Aldi increased* its average starting wage to $18 an hour for store employees and $23 for its warehouse workers.

Unlike many retailers that use music to influence shopping behavior, Aldi takes a different approach — playing no music at all. This quiet, no-frills environment is part of its cost-cutting strategy, designed to keep operations efficient and prices low.  

Pop charts

The latest chart-topper in the beverage world is prebiotic soda. Coca-Cola* is launching a new gut-friendly drink, Simply Pop, packed with 6 grams of prebiotic fiber and no added sugar. The prebiotic drink market is set to hit $27.4 billion by 2032, with brands like Olipop and Poppi already building a loyal fan base.

As prebiotic soda goes mainstream, Olipop* is now available at Starbucks alongside cold brew. Cold drinks make up about 75% of Starbucks’ beverage sales, up from 37% in 2013.

Priceless sound

A rare 1714 Stradivarius violin just sold for  $11.3 million* at Sotheby’s, after passing through the hands of musical legends like Joseph Joachim of Hungary and Si-Hon Ma of China, and influencing Johannes Brahms when he wrote the famed “Violin Concerto in D Major.” The sale is helping fund the New England Conservatory’s largest-ever named endowed scholarship.

Most professional violinists earn an average of $54,498* a year, with top earners making $77,000 annually.

📝 Side gig

More side hustlers could be receiving tax forms this year as the new 1099-K threshold has dropped to $5,000 (down from $20K). This change impacts a wider range of independent earners — including those selling goods, reselling event tickets, or earning income through digital platforms.

With 52% of Americans engaged in side work, according to Empower research, the shift could impact tax planning and financial strategies for these individuals.