Contents
- Music streaming growth statistics: global revenue, growth and market share
- Music streaming growth statistics: paid subscriptions and account users
- Music streaming growth statistics: ad-supported streaming
- Music streaming growth statistics: regional streaming shares and penetration
- Music streaming growth statistics: US revenue, subscriptions and half-year trends
- Music streaming growth statistics: Canadian streaming revenue and listening
- Sources
Music streaming growth statistics: global revenue, growth and market share
Streaming continued to expand its share of recorded-music revenue in 2025, but growth was not uniform across formats. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) reported that global recorded-music streaming revenue grew 7.7% during the year, adding US$1.6 billion. Total streaming revenue exceeded US$22 billion for the first time, and streaming represented 69.6% of total recorded-music revenues. These are revenue measures: they describe money generated and its share of the recorded-music market, not the number of listeners or subscriptions. Source: IFPI, Global Music Report 2026 — State of the Industry, p. 5
The report also distinguishes subscription streaming from ad-supported formats. Subscription streaming revenue increased 8.8% in 2025, a faster rate than the 4.3% growth in combined ad-supported formats. That gap helps explain why the overall streaming total rose at a rate between the two reported format growth rates. The source does not provide a separate global revenue total for each format in the cited public edition, so the rates should not be used to infer dollar amounts for either segment. Source: IFPI, Global Music Report 2026 — State of the Industry, p. 5
| Global recorded-music measure | Reported result | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Streaming revenue growth | 7.7% | 2025 |
| Increase in streaming revenue | US$1.6 billion | 2025 |
| Total streaming revenue | More than US$22 billion | 2025 |
| Streaming share of recorded-music revenue | 69.6% | 2025 |
| Subscription streaming revenue growth | 8.8% | 2025 |
| Combined ad-supported streaming growth | 4.3% | 2025 |
Source: IFPI, Global Music Report 2026 — State of the Industry, p. 5
A historical comparison is available for 2022. IFPI reported that total streaming, including both paid subscriptions and advertising-supported streaming, grew 11.5% to US$17.5 billion that year. It represented 67.0% of global recorded-music revenue. Compared with the 2025 figures, the reported share was higher in 2025, while the reported annual growth rate was lower. The figures cover different years and do not by themselves explain what drove the change. Source: IFPI, Global Music Report: Global Recorded Music Revenues Grew 10.2% in 2023
Music streaming growth statistics: paid subscriptions and account users
Paid account users and subscriptions are different measures. An account may be shared or used through a multi-user plan, while a subscription count tracks service subscriptions. IFPI reported 837 million users of paid streaming subscription accounts in 2025. In its report on 2023, it reported more than 667 million users of paid subscription accounts and said paid subscriptions to music-streaming services passed 500 million globally for the first time. Those counts should not be treated as a single directly comparable series: the user figures count people using accounts, while the subscription milestone counts subscriptions. Sources: IFPI, Global Music Report 2026 release; IFPI, Global Music Report 2023 release
Revenue figures add a third perspective. Subscription streaming revenues increased 10.3% to US$12.7 billion globally in 2022. In 2023, subscription streaming revenues grew 11.2%, and subscription streaming made up 48.9% of the global recorded-music market. The 2022 dollar value and the 2023 growth and market-share figures come from the respective annual reports; the 2023 passage does not give a subscription revenue total in the cited statement. Source: IFPI, Global Music Report: Global Recorded Music Revenues Grew 10.2% in 2023
| Paid-streaming measure | Reported result | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Users of paid subscription accounts | 837 million | 2025 |
| Users of paid subscription accounts | More than 667 million | 2023 |
| Global paid subscriptions | Passed 500 million for the first time | 2023 |
| Subscription audio-streaming revenue | US$12.7 billion; growth of 10.3% | 2022 |
| Subscription share of global recorded-music market | 48.9%; revenue growth of 11.2% | 2023 |
Sources: IFPI, Global Music Report 2026 release; IFPI, Global Music Report 2023 release
Music streaming growth statistics: ad-supported streaming
Globally, combined ad-supported streaming formats grew 4.3% in 2025. They accounted for 17.1% of recorded-music revenue that year. The growth rate and market share answer separate questions: one measures year-over-year change, and the other shows the format’s portion of revenue. Together with subscription streaming’s 8.8% growth rate, they show that paid and ad-supported streaming had different revenue growth rates in the reported year. Source: IFPI, Global Music Report 2026 — State of the Industry, pp. 5–6
The United States year-end report gives a dollar value for on-demand streaming advertising. RIAA estimated US$1,831.9 million in 2024, down 1.8% from US$1,864.5 million in 2023. This is a US retail-value estimate in millions of dollars, net after returns. It is not the same measure as the global growth rate or revenue share above. Source: RIAA, 2024 Year-End Revenue Report, p. 3
| Ad-supported streaming measure | Reported result | Period and scope |
|---|---|---|
| Combined ad-supported streaming growth | 4.3% | Global, 2025 |
| Ad-supported streaming share of recorded-music revenue | 17.1% | Global, 2025 |
| On-demand streaming advertising revenue | US$1,831.9 million; down 1.8% | US, 2024 retail value |
Sources: IFPI, Global Music Report 2026 — State of the Industry, pp. 5–6; RIAA, 2024 Year-End Revenue Report, p. 3
Music streaming growth statistics: regional streaming shares and penetration
Streaming’s share of recorded-music revenues varies substantially across reported regions. In 2025, streaming accounted for 88.1% of Latin American recorded-music revenues and 97.5% of revenues in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The European report put streaming at approximately 66% of European recorded-music revenues. “Approximately” is the source’s qualification for the European figure; the other two values are reported as specific percentages. Sources: IFPI, Global Music Report 2026 release; IFPI, EU Recorded Music Revenues Reach €6.0 Billion
For comparison, streaming made up 86.3% of Latin America’s recorded-music revenues in 2023. That regional share was reported for a different year than the 2025 figure, and the pair indicates a higher reported share in 2025. It does not establish the reasons for the movement. Source: IFPI, Global Music Report: Global Recorded Music Revenues Grew 10.2% in 2023
| Region | Streaming share of recorded-music revenue | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Latin America | 88.1% | 2025 |
| Middle East and North Africa | 97.5% | 2025 |
| Europe | Approximately 66% | 2025 |
| Latin America | 86.3% | 2023 |
Sources: IFPI, Global Music Report 2026 release; IFPI, EU Recorded Music Revenues Reach €6.0 Billion; IFPI, Global Music Report 2023 release
Subscriber penetration offers a different regional comparison. In 2025, paid music-streaming subscriber penetration was 27% in the European Union, compared with 54% in the United States and 47% in the United Kingdom. These percentages concern paid subscriber penetration, not streaming’s share of recorded-music revenue. Because the source labels the measure as penetration but the cited passage does not provide a fuller methodological definition, it should be read as the reported territory-level comparison rather than converted into a listener count. Source: IFPI, EU Recorded Music Revenues Reach €6.0 Billion
Music streaming growth statistics: US revenue, subscriptions and half-year trends
RIAA’s 2024 year-end estimates show total US streaming revenue of US$14,877.7 million, up 3.6% from US$14,358.1 million in 2023. Within the same table, paid subscription revenue reached US$10,687.0 million, a 5.3% increase. The average number of paid subscriptions was 100.0 million, up 3.3% from 96.8 million. RIAA defines that unit as the average number of subscriptions and excludes limited-tier services; multi-user plans count as one subscription. Source: RIAA, 2024 Year-End Revenue Report, p. 3 and footnote 1
Other categories in the 2024 report moved differently. Limited-tier paid subscription revenue was US$998.3 million, down 2.3%. SoundExchange distributions were US$1,054.0 million, up 4.9%, while other ad-supported streaming revenue was US$306.5 million, down 3.5%. The on-demand streaming advertising figure in the previous section is listed as its own row. These categories should remain distinct when comparing revenue trends. All amounts in the table are US retail dollar values in millions, net after returns. Source: RIAA, 2024 Year-End Revenue Report, p. 3
| US retail-value measure | 2024 value | Change from 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Total streaming revenue | US$14,877.7 million | +3.6% |
| Paid subscription revenue | US$10,687.0 million | +5.3% |
| Limited-tier paid subscription revenue | US$998.3 million | −2.3% |
| SoundExchange distributions | US$1,054.0 million | +4.9% |
| Other ad-supported streaming revenue | US$306.5 million | −3.5% |
| Average paid subscriptions, excluding limited tier | 100.0 million | +3.3% |
Source: RIAA, 2024 Year-End Revenue Report, p. 3 and footnote 1
For the first half of 2025, RIAA reported US total streaming revenue of US$4,678.1 million, up 2.3% year over year. The report uses wholesale dollar values, so these figures should not be directly compared with the full-year retail-value estimates above. Premium paid subscriptions numbered 105.3 million, up 6.4%, and their wholesale revenue was US$2,887.5 million, up 6.3%. The half-year report’s combination of unit and value measures shows subscriber counts and revenue changing at similar reported rates for premium subscriptions during this period. Source: RIAA, Mid-Year Recorded Music Revenue Report 2025, p. 2
Free-streaming wholesale revenue was US$875.1 million in the first half of 2025, down 2.9% year over year. Non-premium paid subscription streaming revenue was US$262.7 million, down 0.4%. These categories provide a more detailed view of the half-year total: premium subscription revenue rose, while free and non-premium revenue declined over the same year-over-year period. Source: RIAA, Mid-Year Recorded Music Revenue Report 2025, p. 2
| US wholesale-value measure | First half of 2025 | Change from first half of 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Total streaming revenue | US$4,678.1 million | +2.3% |
| Premium paid subscriptions, units | 105.3 million | +6.4% |
| Premium paid subscription revenue | US$2,887.5 million | +6.3% |
| Free-streaming revenue | US$875.1 million | −2.9% |
| Non-premium paid subscription streaming revenue | US$262.7 million | −0.4% |
Source: RIAA, Mid-Year Recorded Music Revenue Report 2025, p. 2
Music streaming growth statistics: Canadian streaming revenue and listening
Canadian streaming revenue grew 4.5% to CAD$747 million in 2025. Subscription streaming revenue rose 3.4% to CAD$598.5 million, while combined ad-supported audio and video streaming revenue increased 9.4% to CAD$148.3 million. These Canadian-dollar revenue categories are reported separately, with the ad-supported category explicitly combining audio and video. Source: Music Canada, IFPI’s Global Music Report 2026 highlights renewed growth in Canada’s music market
Listening volume offers another view of the Canadian market. In the second week of December 2025, Canadians collectively listened to more than 3 billion on-demand audio streams across licensed services in a single week. Music Canada also cites earlier weekly milestones: 1 billion Canadian on-demand audio streams in March 2018 and 2 billion in November 2021. The three values refer to weekly on-demand audio streams, not revenue, unique listeners or subscriptions. Source: Music Canada, Canada reaches major milestone: 3 billion audio streams in one week
Sources
- IFPI Global Music Report 2026 — State of the Industry
- Global Music Report 2026: Global Recorded Music Revenues Grow 6.4% as Record Companies Drive Innovation
- IFPI Global Music Report: Global Recorded Music Revenues Grew 10.2% In 2023
- RIAA 2024 Year-End Revenue Report
- RIAA Mid-Year Recorded Music Revenue Report 25
- Music Canada News: IFPI’s Global Music Report 2026 highlights renewed growth in Canada’s music market
- EU Recorded Music Revenues Reach €6.0 Billion as European Music, Culture and Innovation Continue to Excel