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Recorded music revenues in Sub-Saharan Africa grew 15.2% in 2025, reaching US$120 million, according to the IFPI Global Music Report 2026. South Africa remains the largest market in the region, accounting for 78.1% of revenues following growth of 12.9% in 2025.
This performance came amid global music growth of 6.4%, with worldwide revenues reaching US$31.7 billion, marking eleven consecutive years of music industry growth. Analysts attributed the strong regional performance to the growing global influence of African artists, expanding digital access and increasing use of licensed streaming services.
Paid streaming continues to drive growth, with subscription revenue increasing 8.8% and representing 52.4% of global revenue, now serving 837 million users worldwide.
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The report also highlights record companies’ active engagement with generative AI innovation, creating new revenue models while preserving artist rights. At the same time, the industry is responding to streaming fraud, where artificially inflated movie screenings threaten artists’ revenues, and calling for coordinated action across the streaming ecosystem to protect the value of music.
IFPI officials said the results reflect the continued and structured growth of Africa’s music economy. Angela Ndambuki, IFPI Regional Director for Sub-Saharan Africa, noted that the region’s performance demonstrated “more sustainable development of the music economy” and emphasized the importance of AI innovation combined with a strong copyright framework.
CEO Victoria Oakley added that the record company’s partnerships with AI developers and efforts to combat fraud are critical to ensuring that growth produces long-term benefits for artists and music communities around the world.
