France’s recorded music revenues grow as streaming and exports rise
France’s recorded music revenues reached $1.1 billion in 2024, marking a 7% increase YoY.
France’s recorded music industry experienced strong growth in 2024, with revenues reaching €1.031 billion ($1.12 billion). This marked a 7% increase from the previous year, driven by rising streaming revenues and a surge in music exports. Similarly, the UK’s recorded music market saw significant growth in 2024, surpassing £1 billion for the first time. While the industry in France continues to expand, challenges remain in streaming adoption compared to other major markets.
Streaming contributed €664 million ($718.6 million) to the total revenue, growing 9.5% year on year. Paid subscriptions made up the majority, surpassing the half-billion-euro mark for the first time at €522 million ($565 million), an 11.4% increase. Ad-supported streaming also grew by 6%, bringing in €75.2 million ($81.4 million).
Despite this growth, France’s streaming penetration remains lower than in countries like the UK, Germany, and the US. In 2024, only 25.9% of French consumers used streaming services, with user growth lagging behind the global average. In total, 27 million people streamed 138 billion songs in the country last year, with 80% of streams coming from paid subscriptions.
France also maintains a strong physical music market, which accounted for nearly 19% of total recorded music revenues. Physical sales generated €195.6 million ($211.7 million), with vinyl revenues rising by 5.4% to €98 million ($106.1 million). This was the first year since 1987 that vinyl sales revenue surpassed CDs, although CDs remained more popular in terms of units sold, with 10 million copies purchased—two-thirds more than vinyl. Direct-to-consumer (D2C) sales played a key role in this growth, with artist-led online store sales increasing by 33% year on year and growing fivefold over the past five years.
French music exports saw impressive growth, rising 19% year on year to €162 million ($175.3 million). This surge was driven by increased global streaming and promotional efforts by labels, alongside heightened exposure from the Paris Olympics and Paralympics.
At home, French artists dominated the charts in 2024, securing three-quarters of the top 200 best-selling albums and 18 of the top 20 biggest-selling albums. Streaming played a key role in this success, as did the power of fan-driven movements. SNEP highlighted how K-pop’s dedicated fanbases have influenced global trends, stating: “The ‘armies’ of K-pop artists have indeed led the way: across all genres, exclusive experiences and content offered through D2C are building fan loyalty.”
For independent musicians, these trends offer valuable insights. The continued growth of streaming, the resilience of physical sales, and the rise of direct-to-fan engagement all provide opportunities to build an audience and increase earnings.