Latin music continues to expand its presence in the U.S. music industry, with the genre generating $542.2 million in wholesale recorded-music revenue during the first six months of 2026, according to the Recording Industry Association of America’s latest mid-year report.
The figure represents an 8.6% increase compared with the same period in 2025, giving Latin music another strong start to the year as demand for its artists and releases continues to grow across different formats.
Latin music also outpaced the wider U.S. recorded-music market during the first half of the year. The overall U.S. market grew 6.9% over the same period, meaning Latin music expanded at a faster rate.
The genre’s share of the American recorded-music business also increased. Latin music accounted for 9.1% of total U.S. recorded-music revenue at mid-year, compared with 8.8% during the first half of 2025.
The latest figures mark the 13th consecutive mid-year period in which Latin music has recorded year-over-year growth, extending a run that has continued to strengthen the genre’s position in the American market.
The momentum follows a strong 2025 as well. According to Music Business Worldwide, Latin music generated $1.009 billion in full-year U.S. revenue last year, representing a 4.2% increase.
Streaming remains the overwhelming source of revenue for Latin music, accounting for 96% of the genre’s total revenue during the first half of 2026.
Paid streaming subscriptions were particularly important, generating $308.4 million during the period. That figure represents a 12.4% increase compared with the first half of 2025.
While streaming continues to dominate, physical music experienced one of the most dramatic increases in the report.
Physical revenue more than tripled to $14 million during the first half of 2026. Vinyl was responsible for almost all of that figure, generating $13.7 million in revenue.
Vinyl revenue jumped 245.8% year over year, showing that physical formats are becoming an increasingly visible part of the Latin music business even as most listeners consume music digitally.
The resurgence of vinyl also points to the changing ways fans interact with their favorite Latin artists. Records can serve not only as a way to listen to music, but also as collectible items connected to an artist’s identity, album artwork and fan culture.
Other areas of the business also recorded strong growth. Synchronization revenue, which comes from music being used in areas such as film, television, advertising and other visual media, increased 104.2% to $3.3 million.
RIAA Senior Vice President of State Public Policy & Latin Music Rafael Fernandez Jr. said the genre’s growth reflects the expanding number of ways listeners are discovering and engaging with Latin artists.
“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.
Fernandez also pointed to the importance of investment and the broader health of the music industry in helping artists build audiences over time.
“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.
The strong numbers arrive during a particularly active period for some of Latin music’s biggest global stars.
Bad Bunny has continued to demonstrate the commercial power of Latin music through his Debí Tirar Más Fotos World Tour. The tour generated $467.5 million, pushing his career touring revenue beyond $1 billion and making him the first Latin artist to reach that milestone.
His success also reflects how Latin artists are increasingly operating on a global scale, with major tours, streaming audiences and cultural moments extending far beyond Spanish-speaking markets.
Shakira has also remained a major force during 2026. Her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour continued its successful run in the United States, while her collaboration with Burna Boy on the 2026 FIFA World Cup anthem “Dai Dai” added another major international moment to her year.
“Dai Dai” spent several weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200, while its official music video surpassed 1.1 billion views on YouTube, further demonstrating the reach of major Latin artists across streaming platforms and global entertainment.
Karol G has also contributed to the genre’s momentum with “BbY WOW,” a viral track from her latest album, No Me Arrepiento De Sentir Tanto.
The song recently reached No. 1 on both the Billboard Global 200 and the Global Excl. U.S. chart, giving Karol G another major international achievement and adding to the growing list of Latin releases finding audiences around the world.
Together, the latest RIAA figures and the success of major Latin artists show how broad the genre’s commercial reach has become.
Streaming continues to provide the foundation of the business, but the rapid growth in vinyl, physical music and synchronization revenue shows that Latin music’s expansion is happening across multiple parts of the industry.
With $542.2 million generated in the first six months of 2026 alone, Latin music is on another strong growth trajectory in the U.S., while its biggest artists continue to push the genre further into mainstream global culture.
