Photo Credit: Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana (FIMI)
Italian streaming revenues see a 9.9% jump in the first half of 2025, driven primarily by paid streaming of predominantly Italian artists.
While streaming has largely plateaued in most of the industry, things show no signs of slowing down in Italy. The Italian music market—Europe’s third-largest music market as of early this year—saw solid growth in the first half of the year. Recorded music saw a 9.7% year-over-year jump, with increased revenue in nearly all sectors, at €208.1 million. That’s equivalent to around $236.1 million.
In addition to physical music seeing a 13% increase in the first half of the year, the dominance of the Italian repertoire flexed strongly with both the Top 10 albums and singles made up of 90% domestic artists. Unsurprisingly, Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny also made the Top 10 with Debí Tirar Más Fotos, his sixth studio album.
Streaming saw 9.9% overall growth in the first half of 2025, with the premium segment up 12.7%, with a turnover of €113.3 million ($132.13 million). Total streaming revenue, including ad-supported and video, came to €166.4 million ($194 million). Of that, €113.3 million ($128.5 million) came from subscriptions, with a 12.7% revenue increase year-over-year.
Perhaps most remarkable is that physical music revenue grew at a faster clip than digital this year. Physical music was also up 13% in the first half of the year at €33.3 million ($38.8 million), driven by vinyl with a 17% year-over-year increase to €21.9 million ($25.6 million). However, there was also a not-too-shabby 4.7% increase in CD sales revenue, at €11.0 million ($12.8 million). CDs have become nostalgic for many older Gen Z, who remember listening to the format as kids.
The dominance of local artists in Italy reflects a shift that can be seen in many European countries, in which local acts are now finding greater success on streaming platforms. That’s a far cry from how things have traditionally been, with local acts taking a backseat to major international acts dominating the airwaves.
