London
– Worldwide recorded music sales fell 7% in 2009 to $17.03 billion, as sales of
physical products like CDs dropped 12.7% globally, according to a new report
from record label trade group IFPI. Meanwhile, global digital music revenues
were up 9.2% in 2009, to $4.31 billion; 30 countries saw double-digit growth in
digital sales, and 17 markets saw growth of more than 40%.Digital now accounts
for 25.3% of all music sales globally, and 43% of the U.S. recorded
music market.
Overall, the U.S.
and Japan
were said to account for 80% of total industry losses, as the worldwide decline
in revenues outside these two territories was just 3.2% for the year.
The
sharpest declines in revenues were seen in Italy
(-17.4%) and Spain
(-14.3%), which the IFPI said have "some of the world’s weakest legal
defenses against piracy."
IFPI noted that the best-selling album globally
in 2009 was Susan Boyle’s "I Dreamed a Dream," which sold 8.3 million
units.
Despite gains in revenues from live music, songwriters’ music copyrights
and the performance rights market, IFPI found that the broader music industry
— whose definition also includes radio advertising, live performance sales and
the sale of audio equipment — declined 8% to an estimated $140 billion in
2009.
Related Links:
http://www.ifpi.org/content/section_news/20100428.html
http://snipurl.com/vulkr
(Billboard)
