EU Music Revenue Reaches €6 Billion as Indian Artists’ Spotify Royalties Rise 29%

Europe and India are demonstrating two different routes to music-industry growth.

Recorded-music revenue in the European Union increased 5.1% to €6 billion in 2025. Meanwhile, Spotify reports that royalties generated by Indian artists rose 29%, supported by regional-language music and growing international demand.

Together, the figures show how subscription growth, localisation and international music discovery are expanding the global recorded-music economy.

The Key Figures

MarketKey resultWhy it mattersEuropean Union€6 billion in recorded-music revenueEurope still has significant room to increase paid subscriptionsIndian artists on Spotify29% annual royalty growthRegional-language music is attracting audiences inside and outside IndiaEU streamingApproximately 66% of revenueStreaming remains Europe’s main recorded-music formatIndian music exportsOver 40% of royalties came from outside IndiaLocal-language music can generate international revenue

How Much Revenue Did the EU Recorded-Music Market Generate?

Recorded-music revenue in the European Union reached €6 billion in 2025, representing annual growth of 5.1%.

The EU accounted for 21.3% of worldwide recorded-music revenue, while nine of the world’s 20 largest recorded-music markets were located within the bloc.

Streaming remained the largest source of income, generating approximately 66% of European recorded-music revenue. According to the IFPI Music in the EU 2026 report, the market added approximately €293 million in revenue during 2025.

Why Does Europe Still Have Streaming Growth Potential?

Only 27% of the EU population subscribes to a paid music-streaming service. That compares with 54% in the United States and 47% in the United Kingdom.

This suggests that Europe remains a developing subscription market despite already generating billions of euros in recorded-music revenue.

However, Europe should not be treated as one homogeneous market. Languages, pricing, streaming platforms, media habits and music preferences vary significantly between countries.

Artists and labels entering Europe should consider:

• Country-specific release campaigns

• Local and regional playlist pitching

• Translated artist biographies and lyrics

• Accurate multilingual metadata

• Pricing-sensitive marketing

• Diaspora audience targeting

• Local media and creator partnerships

IFPI also called for stronger enforcement of existing rights and meaningful transparency around artificial intelligence. Clear ownership and contributor information will become increasingly important as AI-generated and AI-assisted music enter commercial platforms.

How Quickly Are Spotify Royalties for Indian Artists Growing?

Spotify reports that royalties generated by Indian artists increased 29% year over year in 2025.

Indian artists attracted nearly 335 billion streams, representing more than 20 billion hours of listening. The number of artists generating more than INR 10 million annually increased 21%, while the number exceeding INR 50 million doubled compared with 2023.

These figures come from Spotify’s India Loud & Clear report.

Importantly, “royalties generated” does not necessarily mean money paid directly to an individual artist. Streaming services normally pay labels, distributors, publishers and other rightsholders, which then compensate artists and songwriters according to their agreements.

How Important Are International Listeners?

More than 40% of the royalties generated by Indian artists on Spotify came from listeners outside India.

This indicates that Indian music is no longer limited to its domestic market or diaspora audiences. Streaming recommendations, social platforms and international playlists are allowing releases to travel across languages and borders.

Spotify also reported that listeners played an Indian artist they had never previously heard approximately 12.8 billion times during 2025.

Independent music is contributing to this growth. Eleven of the 15 most-exported Indian songs on Spotify’s 2025 Global Impact List came directly from artists rather than film soundtracks.

Which Indian Languages Recorded the Strongest Growth?

Royalty growth extended beyond Hindi and established Bollywood releases.

Spotify reported the following annual increases in royalties generated by regional-language music:

• Telugu: more than 120%

• Marathi: nearly 50%

• Bengali: nearly 40%

• Malayalam: more than 30%

• Hindi: nearly 30%

• Tamil: 20%

Haryanvi streams also increased almost sevenfold between February 2023 and February 2026.

Regional reporting from Music Plus India further highlights how independent and regional artists are finding audiences across domestic and international markets.

What Do These Developments Mean for Artists and Labels?

The European and Indian results reveal several shared lessons.

1. Regional languages can generate international revenue

Artists do not necessarily need to replace their language or cultural identity to reach global audiences. Indian regional-language growth demonstrates that local music can travel when it is discoverable and professionally distributed.

2. Metadata must support international discovery

Artist names, song titles, contributor credits and lyrics should be available in the original language and reliable transliterations. Inconsistent spelling can divide streams between profiles and make catalogue discovery more difficult.

3. International marketing should be market-specific

Europe contains many separate music markets. A campaign that works in Germany may not produce the same results in France, Sweden or Italy.

Artists should use audience data to identify countries where their music is already gaining attention.

4. Rights administration determines who receives the money

Growth in streams does not automatically guarantee accurate payment. Recordings, compositions, performers and publishers must be correctly registered and connected to the appropriate rightsholders.

5. Diaspora audiences can become a starting point

For Kurdish and other regional-language artists, diaspora communities can provide the first audience base in Europe. Strong engagement within those communities can later support wider playlist discovery, media coverage and live-performance opportunities.

Frequently Asked Questions

How large was the EU recorded-music market in 2025?

EU recorded-music revenue reached €6 billion, increasing 5.1% from the previous year.

What percentage of European music revenue came from streaming?

Streaming generated approximately 66% of European recorded-music revenue.

Why does the EU still have growth potential?

Paid-streaming penetration was only 27%, considerably below the United States and United Kingdom.

How much did royalties generated by Indian artists increase?

Spotify reports that they increased 29% year over year in 2025.

Did Spotify pay these royalties directly to artists?

Not necessarily. Spotify normally pays the appropriate rightsholders, such as labels, distributors and publishers. Individual artists are then compensated according to their contracts.

How much Indian artist royalty income came from international listeners?

More than 40% of royalties generated by Indian artists on Spotify came from listeners outside India.

Conclusion

Europe’s €6 billion recorded-music market and India’s 29% increase in Spotify royalties show that global music growth is becoming more diverse.

Europe offers room for further paid-subscription growth, while India demonstrates the export potential of independent and regional-language music.

For Kurdish artists and labels, the opportunity is clear: preserve cultural identity, maintain accurate multilingual metadata, register every right correctly and build campaigns around the countries where audience demand already exists.