RIAA 2026 Mid-Year Report: Streaming Growth Drives Revenue to $6 Billion, CD Sales Increase More Than 50%
Categoria: Musica
Streaming remains the largest revenue driver, having grown by 4.7% to $4.9 billion.
Por Billboard | 01/09/2026
The RIAA released its 2026 mid-year report on Tuesday (Sept. 1), showing a 6.9% increase in revenue from the first half of 2025 and totaling $6 billion for the U.S. recorded music industry. The report shows increases in all major revenue categories for the first half of 2026 over the same period last year, with streaming remaining the largest revenue driver, having gone up 4.7% to $4.9 billion and accounting for 82% of overall revenues for the period. Vinyl sales are up 17.7% to $554 million, while CDs saw the greatest percentage increase of 58.6% to $171 million and synch revenue went up by 18.2% to $232 million. Related What Every Music Company Made in Q2 2026 (Updating) Major Lazer to Headline Melbourne's New Year's at the Bowl BigXthaPlug Pleads No Contest in 2025 Weapon Case Total streaming revenue (across paid subscriptions, free streaming and other streaming) increased 4.7% — with premium paid subscriptions increasing by 5.5% in units to 111.1 million subscribers and 7.8% in value to $3.1 billion. Non-premium paid subscriptions, where music is not the primary driver, decreased by 9% to $239 million. Free streaming (what the report formerly called ad-supported) saw a 3.7% increase, reaching about $900 million. Revenue from downloads dropped 12.7% overall, with single downloads falling 13% in units and 13.7% in revenue, having pulled in $49 million in the first half of 2026. Album downloads saw less of a decrease with a 2.5% fall in units and 3% fall in revenue, having grossed $53 million in the first half of 2023 compared to $55 million in the first half of 2025. Ringtones, meanwhile, fell 21.2%, going down from $2 million in the first half of 2025 to $1.6 million in the first half of 2026. “As U.S. music revenues continue to grow across formats, labels are strengthening connections between artists, fans and the platforms delivering creative work,” Mitch Glazier , chairman and CEO of RIAA, said in a statement. “That partnership is driving engagement in new and expanding ways to create opportunities that will lift up the entire music community for years to come.” Luminate’s mid-year report also showed a huge increase in CD sales , reporting a 16% increase to 16.3 million units during the first half of 2026. Luminate showed that the increase in CD sales outpaced vinyl. “The power of music, amplified from earbuds to basement listening parties to World Cup playlists across the U.S., is reflected not only in its cultural significance but also in the $6 billion revenue documented in RIAA’s Mid-Year Recorded Music Revenue Report,” said Matt Bass , vp of research at RIAA, in a statement. “These results point to a healthy, diversified marketplace supporting continued investment in artist and new ways for audiences to experience music.”