The RIAA released new data about the Latin music market, which supports the overall trends laid out in the organization’s half-year report. Revenue from Latin music in the first six months of 2017 totaled $115 million, up 44% from the year prior. That gives Latin music a 2.9% share of the total U.S. music market.
Streaming was responsible for 82% of the genre’s total revenue at $94 million. In H1 2016, streaming revenue was $60 million. Paid subscription revenue for streaming reached $40 million, up 74% from the year-ago period. Ad-supported on-demand streams provided $20 million in revenue, up 34% from H1 2016.
Permanent downloads contributed a 9% share of total revenue and physical formats were responsible for a 6% share.
Latin music has always had a devoted following, but the genre saw a surge in mainstream visibility this year thanks to breakout hit Despacito. The song took the crown as the most-streamed of all time in July and the music video has billions of views on YouTube.