The world's largest recorded music markets are listed annually by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). The ranking is based on the retail value (rather than units) each market generates per year; retail value generated by each market varies from year to year. As all financial data is given in US dollars, annual rates of change for all countries other than the United States are heavily influenced by exchange rate fluctuations, as well as by actual changes in revenue in local currency terms.

The information presented on this page only accounts for revenue generated from the recorded music industry (recorded music and auxiliary revenues generated by these recordings), and is not reflective of the entirety of the music industry, including sectors such as publishing, live music, etc.

The United States has remained the biggest market for recorded music in IFPI history, except in 2010 when Japan topped the list. Japan has always stayed within the top two, while the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Canada have consistently appeared among the top ten music markets throughout IFPI history. Other countries historically having appeared in the top ten include Australia, Italy, Brazil, South Korea, Spain, the Netherlands, China, Mexico, and Russia.

IFPI annual data 2020–2025 +List of the world's top-ten music markets during the first half of the 2020s Country 2020 2021 2022 2023 20242025 Rank Value($ million) Rank Value($ million) Rank Value($ million) Rank Value($ million) Rank Value($ million)RankValue ($ million) United States 1 n/a 1 n/a 1 n/a 1 n/a 1 n/a1 n/a Japan 2 n/a 2 n/a 2 n/a 2 n/a 2 n/a2 n/a United Kingdom 3 n/a 3 n/a 3 n/a 3 n/a 3 n/a3 n/a Germany 4 n/a 4 n/a 4 n/a 4 n/a 4 n/a5 n/a France 5 n/a 5 n/a 6 n/a 6 n/a 6 n/a6 n/a South Korea 6 n/a 7 n/a 7 n/a 7 n/a 7 n/a7 n/a China 7 n/a 6 n/a 5 n/a 5 n/a 5 n/a4 n/a Canada 8 n/a 8 n/a 8 n/a 8 n/a 8 n/a8 n/a Australia 9 n/a 9 n/a 10 n/a 10 n/a Out Out Netherlands 10 n/a Out Out Out Out Out Italy Out 10 n/a Out Out Out Out Brazil Out Out 9 n/a 9 n/a 9 n/a9 n/a Mexico Out Out Out Out 10 n/a10 n/a

2015–2019 +List of the world's top-ten music markets during the second half of the 2010s Country 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 Rank Value($ million) Rank Value($ million) Rank Value($ million) Rank Value($ million) Rank Value($ million) United States 1 4,997.3 1 5,318.2 1 5,916.1 1 n/a 1 n/a Japan 2 2,446.7 2 2,745.9 2 2,727.5 2 n/a 2 n/a United Kingdom 3 1,354.0 3 1,251.1 4 1,310.7 3 n/a 3 n/a Germany 4 1,309.9 4 1,212.0 3 1,323.1 4 n/a 4 n/a France 5 809.1 5 849.5 5 925.1 5 n/a 5 n/a Australia 6 342.8 7 357.2 8 412.9 8 n/a 9 n/a Canada 7 335.8 6 367.9 7 437.2 9 n/a 8 n/a South Korea 8 281.3 8 330.1 6 494.4 6 n/a 6 n/a Italy 9 265.5 9 263.7 Out Out Out Brazil 10 247.0 Out 9 295.8 10 n/a 10 n/a Netherlands Out 10 243.3 Out Out Out China Out Out 10 292.3 7 n/a 7 n/a

2010–2014 +List of the world's top-ten music markets during the first half of the 2010s Country 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 Rank Value($ million) Rank Value($ million) Rank Value($ million) Rank Value($ million) Rank Value($ million) Japan 1 4,096.9 2 4,087.7 2 4,422.0 2 3,012.0 2 2,627.9 United States 2 3,635.2 1 4,372.9 1 4,481.8 1 4,473.5 1 4,898.3 Germany 3 1,713.6 3 1,473.7 4 1,297.9 3 1,365.1 3 1,404.8 United Kingdom 4 1,388.1 4 1,433.7 3 1,325.8 4 1,303.5 4 1,334.6 France 5 999.6 5 1,002.2 5 907.6 5 956.2 5 842.8 Australia 6 408 6 475.2 6 507.4 6 430.8 6 376.1 Canada 7 343.2 7 434.0 7 453.5 7 424.1 7 342.5 Italy 8 275.4 9 239.9 9 217.5 8 238.8 10 235.2 Netherlands 9 270.2 8 240.2 10 216.3 Out Out Brazil 10 258.7 10 262.6 8 257.2 9 227.9 9 246.5 South Korea Out Out Out 10 211.3 8 265.8

2005–2009 In 2006, Russia entered the top ten for the first time, staying for three years, with the highest rank at number 9 in both 2007 and 2008.

+List of the world's top-ten music markets during the second half of the 2000s Country 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 Rank Value($ million) Rank Value($ million) Rank Value($ million) Rank Value($ million) Rank Value($ million) United States 1 11,195 1 9,651.4 1 7,985.6 1 5,977.4 1 4,562 Japan 2 4,883.5 2 4,495.2 2 4,174.5 2 5,171.1 2 4,244.5 United Kingdom 3 3,330.4 3 3,051.1 3 2,696.4 4 2,274.9 4 1,730.5 Germany 4 2,146.4 4 2,029.1 4 2,142.2 3 2,370 3 1,945.8 France 5 1,940.3 5 1,661.7 5 1,471 5 1,342.5 5 1,157.5 Canada 6 708.3 6 667.8 7 561.8 7 530 7 401.6 Italy 7 639.8 8 556.9 8 493.3 8 427 9 293.8 Australia 8 637.7 7 583.6 6 564.8 6 555.3 6 456.2 Spain 9 547.1 9 464.8 Out 10 374.3 10 266.8 Netherlands 10 423.1 Out 10 385 Out 8 340.6 Russia Out 10 405 9 418.8 9 395.2 Out

2000–2004 +List of the world's top-ten music markets during the first half of the 2000s Country 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Rank Value($ million) Rank Value($ million) Rank Value($ million) Rank Value($ million) Rank Value($ million) United States 1 14,042.0 1 13,411 1 12,325.7 1 11,847.9 1 12,153.4 Japan 2 6,496.9 2 5,253 2 4,593.3 2 4,909.7 2 5,167.8 United Kingdom 3 2,828.7 3 2,808 3 2,859.4 3 3,215.7 3 3,508.7 Germany 4 2,420.6 4 2,128 5 1,988.0 5 2,022.1 4 2,149 France 5 1,694.7 5 1,828 4 1,989.7 4 2,114.7 5 1,979.3 Canada 6 819.3 6 659 6 587.9 6 676 7 693.8 Brazil 7 724.7 Out Out Out Out Mexico 8 665.9 8 565 10 445.5 Out Out Spain 9 562.9 7 613 8 542.3 9 595.9 9 572.8 Australia 10 561.3 10 522 9 499.9 7 673.8 6 716.7 Italy Out 9 524 7 554.7 8 644.6 8 652.5 Netherlands Out Out Out 10 498.8 10 507.7

1995–1999 This period saw an all-time peak of Brazil's music industry, reaching retail sales of $1.4 billion in 1996 (equivalent to $ in ). In 1998, the UK surpassed Germany for the first time as the world's third largest music market.

+List of the world's top-ten music markets during the second half of the 1990s Country 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 Rank Value($ million) Rank Value($ million) Rank Value($ million) Rank Value($ million) Rank Value($ million) United States 1 12,100 1 12,300 1 11,906.0 1 13,193.4 1 n/a Japan 2 7,500 2 6,800 2 6,261.7 2 6,521.0 2 n/a Germany 3 3,200 3 3,200 3 2,836.8 4 2,832.5 4 n/a United Kingdom 4 2,500 4 2,700 4 2,729.7 3 2,855.6 3 n/a France 5 2,300 5 2,300 5 2,199.5 5 2,134.8 5 n/a Brazil Unavailable 6 1,400 6 1,199.1 6 1,055.7 7 n/a Canada 7 912 7 977.5 7 969.3 6 n/a Australia 8 815 8 739.1 9 606.7 8 n/a Netherlands n/a 716.5 9 660 9 600.1 Out Out Italy n/a 582.7 10 637 Out 10 597.7 Out Spain n/a 557.3 Out 10 599.9 8 680.8 9 n/a Mexico Unavailable Out Out Out 10 n/a

1990–1994 +List of the world's top-ten music markets during the first half of the 1990s Country 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 Rank Value($ million) Rank Value($ million) Rank Value($ million) Rank Value($ million) Rank Value($ million) United States 1 7,541.1 Unavailable 1 8,866.6 1 9,833.1 1 11,836.9 Japan 2 2,981.8 2 4,328.5 2 5,082.4 2 5,933.4 Germany 3 2,273.9 3 2,636.9 3 2,690.7 3 2,876.5 United Kingdom 4 2,117.5 4 1,998.2 4 1,976.0 4 2,366.4 France 5 1,665.8 5 1,935.4 5 1,848.6 5 1,923.4 Canada Unavailable 6 861.7 6 896.8 6 975.0 Italy 7 653.8 Out Out Netherlands 8 647.4 7 618.8 9 629.4 Spain 9 586.7 10 493.7 Out Australia 10 492.4 9 545.6 10 598.4 Mexico Out 8 572.8 8 673.1 Brazil Out Out 7 782.5

Statistics

+List of countries by top 10 appearances (1990–2024) Country Geographicalregion Top 10 appearances(number of years) Latest year in the top 10 Highestrank United StatesNorth America 34 2024 1 JapanAsia 34 2024 1 United KingdomEurope 34 2024 3 GermanyEurope 34 2024 3 FranceEurope 34 2024 4 CanadaNorth America 32 2024 6 AustraliaOceania 3120236 ItalyEurope2020217 BrazilSouth America1820246 NetherlandsEurope1520207 SpainEurope1420097 South KoreaAsia1220246 ChinaAsia820245 MexicoNorth America720248 RussiaEurope / Asia320089

See also Record sales

References