Latin America Leads Global Music Growth, Up 17% in 2025

Culture · Music Industry

Latin America drove global music growth in 2025 as the world’s fastest-rising region, with Brazil and Mexico entering the global top 10 of recorded-music markets for the first time, according to the industry’s annual report.

What the numbers show on global music growth

Recorded-music revenue in Latin America climbed 17.1 percent in 2025, making it the fastest-growing of the world’s regions and extending its expansion to a sixteenth consecutive year, according to the Global Music Report from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Streaming did the heavy lifting, accounting for 88.1 percent of the region’s revenue, a notably higher share than the global average.

Globally, recorded-music revenue rose 6.4 percent to $31.7 billion, the eleventh straight year of growth, with paid subscription streaming passing half of all revenue. The report framed the year as broad-based, noting that every region posted gains.

Brazil and Mexico break into the top 10

Brazil’s revenue grew 14.1 percent, lifting it one place to the world’s eighth-largest recorded-music market. Mexico rose 13.3 percent to claim the tenth spot, marking the first time two Latin American countries appear together in the global top 10.

The dual entry underscores how quickly the region has moved from the margins of the recorded-music business to its commercial core. It also reflects the global reach of genres rooted in the region, from regional Mexican music to Brazilian funk and reggaeton, that now travel far beyond their home markets.

Why the shift matters for the region

A larger share of global revenue gives Latin American artists, labels and platforms more leverage in a business long centered on the United States and Europe. Industry gatherings in the region have begun to treat local repertoire as an export engine rather than a niche, with executives from major streaming and label groups debating how to scale that growth.

The streaming-heavy mix carries a caveat: revenue concentrated in subscriptions leaves the region exposed to pricing and competition among a handful of platforms. Still, the trajectory points to a market whose cultural output is increasingly matched by commercial weight.

Frequently Asked Questions

How fast did Latin America’s music market grow?

Recorded-music revenue in the region rose 17.1 percent in 2025, the fastest of any world region. It was the sixteenth consecutive year of growth for Latin America.

Which Latin countries are in the global top 10?

Brazil ranks eighth and Mexico tenth among the world’s largest recorded-music markets. It is the first time two Latin American countries appear in the top 10 together.

What is driving the growth?

Streaming is the main engine, accounting for 88.1 percent of the region’s recorded-music revenue. Paid subscriptions and the global spread of regional genres have fueled the rise.

How big is the global music market?

Worldwide recorded-music revenue reached $31.7 billion in 2025, up 6.4 percent. That was the eleventh straight year of growth for the global industry.

Who publishes these figures?

The data come from the Global Music Report by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, the body representing the recording industry worldwide. It is released annually.

Connected Coverage

The commercial rise of regional sound complements the heritage story in our coverage of Brazilian cultural institutions, and the broader market backdrop traced in our reporting on Brazil’s economy.