SYDNEY — Australia’s recorded music industry posted a gain of just 1.4% to A$727 million ($512 million) in 2025, according to ARIA, a rate of growth that was considerably slower than the global result.
The total wholesale sum is the largest ever reported, for the seventh consecutive year of upward progress, and is thanks to the uptick in consumer appetite for CDs, which added almost A$5 million ($3.5 million) in value for the period, to $20.9 million (or $14.7 million up 29%), and the income from subscription platforms, the dominant format which posted a year-on-year lift of about A$7 million ($5 million), to $516 million ($363 million), up 1.4%.
Growth is good. And in a time of economic uncertainty, any growth is welcome. The rate of growth, and the slowdown in the streaming space (ad supported models were roughly flat, posting a 0.4% lift to A$69.9 million or $49 million) is surely a concern.
Overnight, with the presentation in London of the Global Music Report 2026 – State of the Industry, the IFPI reported music revenue grew to US$31.7 billion worldwide in 2025, up 6.4% year-on-year. China was a standout, posting revenue growth of 20.1% and leapfrogging Germany as the fourth largest global market.
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Australia was nudged out of the top 10 in 2024, and doesn’t appear to be heading back into the top tier anytime soon, as markets with greater populations, including Mexico, clamor to streaming brands.
“A seventh consecutive year of growth reflects the enduring connection Australians have with music, and the sustained investment of our record labels in developing and backing artists,” explains ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd. “While the pace of growth eased last year as streaming markets mature, the surge in physical sales shows that fans want to engage with music in deeper, more tangible ways.”
Australia isn’t alone. That slowed but sustained growth is a pattern seen in other mature recorded music markets across Europe (Germany +1.7%, France +3.7%) and the United Kingdom (U.K. +4.8%).
“We are also seeing the rapid development of artificial intelligence globally. AI presents genuine new opportunities for the music industry – and AI licensing deals are emerging with major and independent labels and rightsholders globally – but these opportunities must be built on a foundation of consent, transparency, and fair compensation for artists and rights holders,” Herd continues.
Australia’s copyright law is “the foundation for innovative technological development and strong local culture, and ARIA will continue to advocate strongly against threats to dismantle our copyright framework in the interests of a small number of major international AI tech companies.”
Meanwhile, the wax revolution continues. The vinyl album format in Australia grew 4.1% in revenue to A$46.3 million ($32 million) in 2025, ARIA reports, with more than 1.2 million shipped units. Vinyl now accounts for more than two-thirds of all physical revenue (68.2%).
Breaking new Australian music locally and earning a living as an artist has “never been harder,” ARIA’s Herd asserts. “Every new release enters an increasingly crowded global landscape, but the success of artists like Amyl and The Sniffers, Ninajirachi, Dom Dolla, and Troye Sivan — all recognized at the 2025 ARIA Awards — proves Australian artists can cut through anywhere in the world. We have extraordinary talent coming through at every level, and our domestic policy settings should reflect and support that.”
Removing the “arcane and deeply unfair statutory 1% cap and ABC fixed price on radio recording royalties would ensure recording artists are fairly compensated in their home radio market and send a clear signal that Australia backs its creators,” Herd continues. It has never been a “more important time to invest in and protect local culture.”
