EU recorded music revenues reach €6 billion

Recorded music revenues in the European Union reached €6.0 billion in 2025, according to IFPI’s Music in the EU 2026 report, released on 9 September 2026. The total represents 5.1% annual growth and 21.3% of worldwide recorded music revenues. Nine EU countries sit among the world’s 20 largest recorded music markets.

Streaming leads, with room to grow

Streaming accounted for approximately two-thirds of European recorded music revenues in 2025. Yet IFPI places paid streaming subscriber penetration in the EU at 27%, below its cited figures of 54% for the United States and 47% for the United Kingdom. The comparison points to potential for further adoption, although it is not a forecast that those markets will converge.

Local repertoire also remains important. The report says domestic artists performed 53.5% of the tracks appearing in national year-end Top 10 charts. Alongside the revenue figures, that finding highlights the continuing relevance of individual markets, languages and audiences within a connected European business.

Growth comes with policy questions

IFPI links the sector’s performance to investment in artists and a legal framework protecting creative work. Its policy recommendations call for effective enforcement of existing rules and transparency around artificial intelligence. These are the industry organisation’s recommendations, rather than new measures announced by EU institutions.

For independent artists and labels, the report offers a useful distinction: a growing overall market does not remove the need for local audience development. Europe combines substantial streaming scale with strong domestic demand. Understanding both sides is more useful for release strategy than treating the region as a single, uniform audience.