Global Recorded Music Tops $30 Billion for the First Time — IFPI's Global Music Report 2026 Shows Japan Rebounding at 8.9% Growth

The IFPI has released its Global Music Report 2026. In 2025, the global recorded-music market grew 6.4% year on year, topping $30 billion for the first time to reach about $31.7 billion. Japan's market showed a strong rebound, growing 8.9%.

Streaming drove the growth, accounting for roughly 69.6% of revenue at about $22 billion. Paid subscription accounts reached 837 million, up sharply from 752 million at the end of 2024. Paid subscription revenue rose 8.8% year on year, while ad-supported free streaming grew 4.3%—both up.

This marks the global market's eleventh consecutive year of growth. Smartphone adoption and subscription penetration in emerging markets have broadened the base, while higher revenue per user supports growth in mature markets. Expansion of the overall market means a larger pool of revenue to distribute to rights holders.

Japan's 8.9% growth is notable for being achieved within a 'coexistence' market structure, where physical (CD) demand persists to a degree even as streaming grows. With collector demand and subscription use coexisting, Japan retains a structure that is distinctive even by global standards.

At the same time, the 'quality' of growth is a point of discussion. In a phase where subscriber growth eventually slows, the design of per-track revenue and distribution models becomes more important than ever. How to reconcile market expansion with returns to individual creators remains the next challenge.

From ZEN's editorial perspective, now—while the whole market is in an expansion phase—is precisely the time to understand the practicalities of distribution and rights processing and to design delivery of one's own songs through the right setup. ZEN CONTENTS HUB will continue to follow global and Japanese market data.

Sources: IFPI Global Music Report 2026, Music Ally Japan, RIAJ, and others.