Italy has, alongside its European neighbours Germany and France, emerged as a real beneficiary of the streaming age, with the country experiencing a boom in domestic listening alongside steady, streaming-driven growth.

According to the full-year figures from industry body FIMI, Italy experienced its seventh consecutive year of growth in 2024, with an overall increase in revenue of 8.5% to €461.2m, a result that FIMI says confirms Italy’s place as the third largest music market in the EU. 

But what, exactly, are Italians listening to? Largely domestic hip hop, if the FIMI lists are to be believed. Rapper Tony Effe had the biggest album of 2024 with his second LP Icon, which went five-times platinum. In fact, the whole 2024 top five was taken up by local rappers: Geolier, with his Dio lo Sa in second; Anna, with her debut studio album Vera Baddie in third; Kid Yugi, with I Nomi del Diavolo, in fourth; and La Divina Commedia by Tedua in fifth.

“In the last five years rap and trap dominated our charts,” says FIMI’s Enzo Mazza. “For example, these are the most recent best-selling artists, all rappers: Marracash – 2020, Rkomi – 2021, Lazza – 2022, Geolier – 2023, Tony Effe – 2024.”

While domestic hip hop may dominate within Italy, it is a different picture in terms of exports. The top 10 most listened to Italian artists on Spotify outside of Italy are dominated by pop, electronic and classical acts, including Måneskin, Ludovico Einaudi, Antonio Vivaldi, Andrea Bocelli and Eros Ramazzotti.

Dance music – in which Italy has a strong history – is also present in the Spotify run down, courtesy of Meduza and former Eiffel 65 member Gabry Ponte, while Tale of Us are one of the most popular DJ duos internationally.

“Italian dance music and Italo-disco are experiencing a renaissance,” says WMG Italy’s president Pico Cibelli. “These genres, which last peaked in the 1980s, have enjoyed renewed interest in Europe and beyond.” Perhaps more unexpectedly, Cibelli says that Italian pop has also been undergoing a period of growth in Latin America.

In terms of live music, a recent report from Italian collecting society SIAE into the country’s live market found that the distribution of concerts “has become more widespread, extending beyond the traditional major centres of the north”.

The regions with the highest number of concerts are Lombardy (home to Milan), Emilia-Romagna (also in the north, Bologna is the capital), Piedmont (home to Turin) and Lazio (whose capital is Rome).

How to get a pisa Italy

Keep favourite genres by city in mind. While Milan is a mainstream, hip-hop and indie city due to major industry placement, Naples is a hub for rap and music with lyrics in dialect, rather than Italian. Also note Lombardy (home to Milan), Emilia-Romagna (also in the north, Bologna is the capital), Piedmont (home to Turin) and Lazio (whose capital is Rome) as regions with a high number of concerts. 

Something old, something new. Success in Italy means blending the authority of legacy media with the energy of online communities. Media outlets like Rockol, Billboard Italia, RockIt and AllMusic Italia are important legacy outlets, and Gianluca Gazzoli, Carlo Pastore and Michele Wad Caporosso (all best known for their Instagram accounts); and Alice Perego, Giada Stabile and Maria Vittoria de Mattei (on TikTok) are some important online tastemakers. 

For more insights on Italy, check out our full Country Profile.