Global music industry grows by 6.4 percent

Revenue from paid streaming grew by 8.8 percent and contributed 52.4 percent to global market sales, according to the German Music Industry Association. There are now 837 million people worldwide using paid streaming subscriptions. Due to the sustained demand for vinyl (up 13.7 percent), the physical business also grew significantly overall (up 8.0 percent). The figures are taken from the IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry) Global Music Report 2026.

However, the threat to the industry from streaming manipulation is increasing worldwide, the association continues. Artificially generated view figures for manipulated or falsified content deprive creators and everyone else who invests in the music industry of important revenue. The music industry expects all players at every point in the streaming value chain to take proactive measures to detect and prevent fraud.