Latin Music Nears $500 Million in Mid-Year 2025 Revenue, Per RIAA Report

Latin music's commercial power in the United States remains formidable, generating $490.3 million in wholesale revenue during the first half of 2025. This figure represents a nearly 6% increase compared to the same period in 2024, outpacing the growth of the overall U.S. music market. The genre's dynamism is fueled by a diverse array of hit-making artists from across Latin America, including chart-toppers like Bad Bunny, Fuerza Regida, Rauw Alejandro, and Karol G.

The engine behind this expansion is overwhelmingly streaming, which accounted for a staggering 98% of the revenue surge. Of the total $481.6 million attributed to streaming, paid subscriptions alone contributed $271.1 million. This dominance underscores a long-term trend, marking the 12th consecutive year of mid-year growth for the genre. As a result, Latin music now constitutes a significant 8.8% of the entire U.S. recorded music revenue pie.

RIAA Vice President of Research Matt Bass highlighted the genre's broadening appeal, stating, "Latin music in the US continues to gain popularity and generate increased value thanks to the incredible artists whose music connects across language and geographical barriers." He further noted that with streaming providing unprecedented access to both classic and contemporary artists, "Latin has become the second-fastest growing genre in America." This sustained growth, nearing half a billion dollars at mid-year, points to a deep and expanding fanbase.

It is important to note that these figures reflect a recent methodological shift by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the trade organization that represents the music industry in the United States. As announced last month, the RIAA now reports wholesale values instead of retail values. The organization stated this change is designed to more accurately capture the "continued evolution in the music business across new formats, platforms and business models." This adjustment provides a different, potentially more industry-focused, perspective on the market's financial health compared to the previous sales-based retail benchmark.