MUSIC BUSINESS · ·That Eric Alper
US Music Revenues Reached $5.975 Billion in 2026
According to the RIAA 2026 mid-year report, US recorded music revenues rose 6.9% to $5.975 billion in the first half of the year.
According to the RIAA 2026 mid-year report, United States recorded music revenues grew by 6.9% in the first half of the year to reach $5.975 billion. Digital streaming services generated a total of $4.891 billion in revenue during the first half of 2026. Within the United States recorded music revenues, paid subscriptions accounted for 56% of the total, while free streaming services accounted for 15% of the total revenue.
The number of premium music subscription accounts increased from 105.3 million to 111.1 million. In addition to premium subscriptions, revenue generated from free streaming services rose by 3.7% to reach $899.6 million in the first half of the year.
Total physical music format revenues rose by 25.9% to reach $731.5 million. Vinyl sales revenue in the first half of 2026 increased by 17.7% to reach $543.8 million, and a total of 26.5 million vinyl albums were sold in the United States during the first half of 2026. Furthermore, CD revenues grew from $107.9 million in the first half of 2025 to $171.1 million in 2026. The number of CDs sold rose by 45.7%, increasing from 12 million to 17.5 million.
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