We think we know the magic industry well: most of us have bought a trick or watched some trailers online. And since magic is a niche and the market relatively small, it’s easy to assume the system is straightforward—but that’s not quite the case.
Since the beginning of 2025, industries of all kinds have undergone a period of self-analysis to understand how they would respond to a rapidly shifting economic landscape, primarily due to tariffs. These kinds of conversations often expose the inner workings and, at times, the vulnerabilities of industries like magic that have carried certain structural patterns for years. But they can also help reveal where things might be headed.
We spoke with top figures from some of the largest magic companies to compile the most comprehensive picture possible of how the magic market works—and where it's going. The future of the magic we buy and perform as a community is being reshaped right now.
For this article, we interviewed the CEOs of Murphy’s Magic and Ellusionist, Austin Murphy and Geraint Clarke, and the COO of Vanishing Inc., George Luck. These three companies gave us valuable insights into their production chains and how they’ve evolved over time, as well as key data and figures.
Some of the insights you’ll find here will genuinely surprise you.
The Magic Market, in a Nutshell
Before diving into the real insights, let’s make sure we’re all on the same page with a super brief, ultra-simplified recap of the magic market in recent years.
It’s true that magicians have been sharing and learning secrets for centuries, but the arrival of computers and the internet completely revolutionised the industry. Magazines and books still exist, but they’ve been joined by new formats that make the production and distribution of magic more accessible and diverse.
Over time, DVDs have been entirely replaced by digital content—downloads and streaming. This shift made it easier to produce and distribute magic, allowing new companies to enter the market and empowering individual creators to go independent and bypass traditional companies.
Many future creators are discovered via social media or through submissions on magic company websites. The way social platforms and algorithms work has made it so that much of the magic that sells today is camera-friendly and fools other magicians (which isn’t necessarily a marker of good magic). The growing interest in digital products also fueled the rise and popularity of formats like streaming lectures and seminars.
Another major segment is custom playing cards, which peaked in the 2010s and into the COVID years. But since card production costs have risen dramatically, it’s become less common to see new decks released.
This great “boom” in the magic market gave birth to major companies, and some of today’s best-known magicians rose to prominence as creators. But it also brought questionable consequences: more magic is published today than is actually performed, and some of the material being released clearly doesn’t justify publication in terms of quality.
Within this context, the industry seems to be at a turning point. The market is now saturated with tricks, and even for creators, it’s become harder to capture attention.
