Key Takeaways
- Latin music generated $542.2 million in U.S. wholesale recorded-music revenue in the first half of 2026, rising 8.6% year over year and outpacing the overall market’s 6.9% growth.
- Streaming supplied 96% of revenue, while paid subscriptions climbed 12.4% to $308.4 million and vinyl surged 245.8% to $13.7 million.
- The genre secured its 13th consecutive mid-year gain as Bad Bunny surpassed $1 billion in career touring revenue and Shakira topped the Billboard Global 200 with her Burna Boy-assisted World Cup anthem “Dai Dai.”
Latin music is making big gains yet again, according to the RIAA.
The organization’s new mid-year US Latin Revenue Report, visible here, shows that the genre generated $542.2 million in U.S. wholesale recorded-music revenue in the first half of 2026, up 8.6% year over year.
Music Business Worldwide reported that Latin music outpaced the overall U.S. market, which grew 6.9% during the same period. Rolling Stone reported that Latin music accounted for 9.1% of U.S. recorded-music revenue, up from 8.8% at mid-year 2025.
According to RIAA figures, it was the category's 13th consecutive mid-year gain. Music Business Worldwide reported that full-year 2025 revenue reached $1.009 billion, up 4.2%.
Streaming accounted for 96% of Latin revenue. Paid subscriptions rose 12.4% to $308.4 million. Physical revenue more than tripled to $14 million, including $13.7 million from vinyl, up 245.8%; sync revenue rose 104.2% to $3.3 million.
“Latin music keeps raising the bar as more fans connect with the artists they love and discover new favorites. Whether your first experience is an iconic performance like Bad Bunny at the Super Bowl or Shakira & Burna Boy’s World Cup anthem, a shared playlist or passed through a friend’s vinyl collection, there are more ways than ever to uncover and enjoy Latin music,” said RIAA Senior Vice President of State Public Policy & Latin Music Rafael Fernandez Jr. in a statement, per Rolling Stone.
“These mid-year results show that expanding reach and a healthy music marketplace where sustained label investment helps artists break through, find fresh audiences and build lasting careers,” he added.
2026 was a major year for Latin acts like Bad Bunny, whose Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour grossed $467.5 million, pushing his career touring revenue past $1 billion, and making him the first Latin artist to reach that milestone.
Shakira, whose juggernaut Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour did a recent victory lap in the United States, scored another goal with her Burna Boy-assisted 2026 FIFA World Cup anthem, “Dai Dai.” The track spent several weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 and the official music video crossed 1.1 billion views on YouTube.
Karol G's "BbY WOW,” the viral hit from her latest album No Me Arrepiento De Sentir Tanto, recently reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S. chart.
