2025 US tariffs drive up prices for instruments, vinyl, and live shows right now
2025 US tariffs drive up prices for instruments, vinyl, and live shows right now
It’s 2025, and the United States is deep into another tariff cycle. On April 9, President Donald Trump announced a 90-day tariff pause for most countries, reducing rates to 10%. The exception? China. Imports from there now face a 125% tariff. While the US tariffs move fits neatly into an election-year playbook, its consequences for the U.S. music industry are concrete, measurable, and disruptive.
Make Music Great Again? Not right now.
Table of contents
Equipment and instruments: costs up, margins gone
Tariffs on Chinese imports have already driven many U.S. music equipment manufacturers to shift production to countries like Vietnam. That workaround no longer works. Vietnamese goods now face a 46% tariff. For manufacturers dealing in specialized musical components, these supply chains are not easily rebuilt.
John Mlynczak, CEO of the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), points out that tight margins in the sector make these cost increases unsustainable. Manufacturers aren’t absorbing the losses – they’re passing them on. Expect higher prices across the board, from entry-level keyboards to professional stage rigs.
And it is nothing something that comes unexpected. This video dates from December 2024 for instance.
Vinyl production: inflation by pressing plant
Vinyl records continue to enjoy demand, but the raw materials needed to produce them – like PVC and specialty packaging – are mostly imported. These materials are now subject to elevated tariffs, raising production costs.
The result: higher retail prices, fewer pressings, longer delays, and less willingness from labels to take risks on new artists or niche genres. Independent record labels and smaller pressing plants, already operating on tight timelines and smaller batches, are now rethinking what gets made at all.
The U.S. music industry is facing higher vinyl prices, less tourism, foreign artists avoiding the U.S. and possible retaliation by other countries, including Canada: https://t.co/9cIMusWwg7
— Billboard Canada (@billboardca) April 8, 2025
Touring after US tariffs: logistics breakdown
Musicians touring the U.S. face increased costs for nearly every imported item required to perform: guitars, cables, amplifiers, speakers, lights, spare parts. None are exempt from the new tariffs. Rising fuel costs and transportation expenses add more friction.
For large acts with backing from labels or sponsors, this creates a logistical headache. For independent musicians, it’s a barrier to entry. Fewer dates, smaller venues, and reduced crew support are becoming common. For fans, this means fewer concerts and higher ticket prices – not as a reward for increased demand, but because the gear needed to run a show now costs more.
Streaming: The quiet taxation of entertainment
Streaming platforms aren’t taxed directly, but they are absorbing the ripple effects of this economic strategy. Hardware components for servers and data centers – most of which come from China – are now much more expensive. That cost increase doesn’t disappear; it filters through to operational budgets and then straight to consumers.
Streaming services reliant on ad revenue face another blow. Industries like automotive and electronics, also heavily impacted by tariffs, are pulling back on advertising budgets. Fewer ads mean less revenue, which means more pressure on subscription models. This could mean the end of free ad-supported services. And worse, when household budgets get tighter, streaming subscriptions are among the first to be cut.
US tariffs: Economic patriotism with cultural collateral
Tariffs are being framed as tools of national strength. But the US music industry – fragmented, globally integrated, and dependent on low-cost imports – is absorbing damage with little strategic upside. There’s no domestic PVC alternative. No Midwest-based circuit board supplier ready to fill the gaps. No “Made in America” guitar case manufacturer that can scale overnight. The policy assumes replacements exist. They don’t.
In practice, this approach punishes sectors that rely on international collaboration and niche manufacturing. The music industry isn’t a steel mill; it doesn’t get bailouts, and it doesn’t get headlines when plants shut down. But the consequences are real. Higher prices. Fewer releases. Limited access. Cultural stagnation under the guise of economic strength.
The administration might claim it’s striking a blow for American jobs. What it’s actually doing is making creative work more expensive, less accessible, and less sustainable – unless you’re a multinational tech giant or a luxury brand. Everyone else gets tariffs, delays, and excuses.
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