SNEP first-half 2026 music market report reveals streaming growth

The SNEP first-half 2026 music market report presents an overview of the French recorded music market’s business volume and revenue trends for the first half of 2026. It shows that total revenues rose 3.5% compared with the same period in 2025, while noting that the first half traditionally represents a lower business volume than the second half of the year.

Paid streaming revenues grew by 7.5%, and digital formats — including subscription streaming, ad-supported audio streaming, and video streaming — increased by 5.2% and together account for 81% of combined digital and physical revenues.

Physical formats declined overall by 3.4%, with CDs down 14.4% and vinyl up 5.8%, while paid subscription audio streams have doubled since 2020 and first-half revenues have increased by 68% over the past six years.

The SNEP first-half 2026 music market report provides a detailed analysis of the revenue developments within the French recorded music market. The overall revenues increased by 3.5% compared with the first half of 2025, demonstrating continued growth in the industry.

Paid streaming revenues have experienced significant growth, increasing by 7.5% during the same period. This growth is reflected in the digital revenue sector, which saw a 5.2% increase and now accounts for 81% of the combined revenues from both digital and physical formats.

Physical formats, however, have continued to decline, marking a 3.4% decrease. Within this category, CDs saw a substantial drop of 14.4%, while vinyl records bucked the trend with an increase of 5.8%.

Looking at longer-term trends, the report highlights that paid subscription audio streams have doubled since 2020, indicating a shift in consumer listening habits towards streaming services. Over a six-year period, first-half revenues have surged by 68%, marking a significant upward trajectory in the market’s financial performance. This six-year growth underscores the robust expansion of the digital music industry in France.

Digital music consumption in the SNEP first-half 2026 music market report is defined as the combined total of subscription streaming, ad-supported audio streaming, and video streaming for the first half of 2026. The report records a 5.2% increase for this digital segment in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period in 2025.

Digital formats represent 81% of the combined revenues from digital and physical formats in the period covered by the report. These figures are presented in the report’s digital consumption section without additional breakdowns in the provided facts.

Paid streaming revenues are reported to have grown by 7.5% year-on-year in the first half of 2026 compared with the first half of 2025. The report states that paid subscription audio streams have doubled since 2020. No further digital consumption metrics beyond these growth rates and the digital revenue share are provided in the facts supplied for this task.

The SNEP first-half 2026 music market report records a decline in physical format revenues for the first half of 2026. Overall physical formats decreased by 3.4% year-on-year in the period covered by the report.

Within physical formats, compact discs (CDs) registered a decrease of 14.4% while vinyl records showed an increase of 5.8% over the same period. These percentage changes are presented in the report’s sales figures for the first half of 2026 without additional subdivision by format beyond CDs and vinyl.

The report’s physical format data is limited to the overall decline and the specific percentage changes for CDs and vinyl for the first half of 2026. The available sources do not provide this information. No further breakdowns of physical sales by subcategory, distribution channel, or region are included in the supplied material for this task.

consolidating this model is essential to enable labels and producers to continue investing, supporting talents, and sustaining a diverse musical production.

Referenced entities include SNEP and the National Syndicate of Phonographic Publishing.

CONCLUSION

The SNEP first-half 2026 music market report presents a French recorded music market in which digital and streaming formats account for the primary share of revenues while physical formats show an overall decline, with compact discs and vinyl moving in opposite directions within that category. The report records a multi-year expansion of first-half revenues and notes that the first half generally represents a lower business volume than the second half of the year, situating the reported short-term revenue growth within a longer-term upward trend established over several years.

The material includes a direct statement that “consolidating this model is essential to enable labels and producers to continue investing, supporting talents, and sustaining a diverse musical production,” reflecting the cautious optimism present in the report’s framing. The available sources for this article do not provide additional statistical breakdowns or further qualifying context beyond the figures and statements already presented earlier in this piece.