France continues to buy mainly French music, according to the latest half-year figures from SNEP, the country’s recorded music industry association. Recorded music revenues grew moderately in the first six months of 2025, with streaming steady, vinyl booming, and CDs slipping slightly.
First Half 2025 vs H1 2024 Highlights
- Recorded music in France reached €432 million, up 3.4% year-on-year.
- Growth came from both physical and digital: physical sales rose 4.4%, digital up 3.1%.
- CD sales slipped slightly (–1.5%, 37,769 → 37,218 units).
- Vinyl continued to surge, confirming its role as the leading collectible format.
Streaming & Digital Breakdown
- Subscription streaming grew 4.9%, now 63% of digital revenue.
- Ad-supported audio grew slightly (+2%), while video dropped (–6.8%).
- Downloads fell sharply (–14.1%).
Physical Formats & Consumer Preferences
- Overall physical sales up 4.4%.
- Vinyl grew 9.4%, driving most of that growth.
- CDs remain the top format by volume, but sales continue their slow decline.
French Music & Local Artists Lead
- Around 75% of the Top 200 albums are by French artists.
- In paid streaming, 71% of top tracks are French.
- New domestic talent is strongly represented in the charts.
What It Means for Everyday Listeners
- Collectors: Vinyl keeps growing and has cultural momentum.
- CD buyers: CDs are still available but slowly declining.
- Streaming subscribers: Paid tiers remain the backbone of listening.
- Local fans: Expect French artists to dominate playlists and charts.
The Bottom Line
SNEP’s H1 2025 results underline a resilient French recorded music market: modest growth overall, streaming stable, vinyl booming, and French artists in the lead. CDs — while still important — are gently eroding, showing the future belongs increasingly to streaming and vinyl.
