The Nielsen Company & Billboard's 2012 Music Industry Report
The Nielsen Company & Billboard's 2012 Music Industry Report
Music Purchases at All-Time High
Surpass 1.65 Billion Unit Transactions
Digital Sales Gain - Albums up 14% - Tracks up 5%
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Nielsen SoundScan and Nielsen BDS, the entertainment industry's leading data information systems, announced the 2012 year-end U.S. music sales figures for the 12-month period of January 2, 2012 through December 30, 2012. Nielsen SoundScan measures U.S. point-of-sale of recorded music product. Nielsen BDS tracks U.S. radio airplay and music streams. Both systems power many of the Billboard charts.
For 2012, sales of albums and track equivalents are down slightly at -1.8% vs. 2011. Digital Albums are up 14% and Digital Tracks are up 5%. CD sales declined 13%.
"Overall music purchases surpassed 1.65 billion units in 2012, up 3.1% vs. the previous record high set in 2011, driven by digital music sales, which continue be a key growth element within the market," said David Bakula, SVP Client Development, Nielsen. "Digital Album sales are up 14.1% and Digital Track sales are up 5.1%, but despite being down 12.8%, physical is still the dominant album format.
"The big artist stories of the year are Adele and Taylor Swift," continued Bakula. "Adele's album, 21, is the first album ever to be the top seller of the year for two consecutive years, and Taylor Swift's Red has sold more than 3.1 million copies in only 10 weeks, debuting with the highest weekly sales of any title since 2002."
Overall Music Sales | Overall Album Sales w/TEA | ||||||||||||||||||||
(Transactions: Albums, Singles, Music Video, Digital Tracks - In Millions) | (Includes All Albums & Track Equivalent Albums - In Millions) | ||||||||||||||||||||
2012 | 2011 | % Chg. | 2012 | 2011 | % Chg. | ||||||||||||||||
Units Sold | 1,661 | 1,611 | 3.10% | Units Sold | 450 | 458 | -1.80% | ||||||||||||||
NOTE: TRACK EQUIVALENT ALBUMS EQUATE RATIO OF 10 TRACKS TO 1 ALBUM | |||||||||||||||||||||
Total Album Sales | Physical Music Sales | ||||||||||||||||||||
(Includes CDs, Cassettes, LPs, Digital Albums - In Millions) | (Includes CDs, Cassettes, LPs - In Millions) | ||||||||||||||||||||
2012 | 2011 | % Chg. | 2012 | 2011 | % Chg. | ||||||||||||||||
Units Sold | 316 | 331 | -4.40% | Units Sold | 198 | 227 | -12.80% | ||||||||||||||
Digital Album Sales | Digital Track Sales | ||||||||||||||||||||
(In Millions) | (In Millions) - Nielsen SoundScan Sales Record* | ||||||||||||||||||||
2012 | 2011 | % Chg. | 2012 | 2011 | % Chg. | ||||||||||||||||
Units Sold | 118 | 103 | 14.10% | Units Sold | 1,336 * | 1,271 | 5.10% | ||||||||||||||
CD Album Sales | LP Album Sales | ||||||||||||||||||||
(CD Albums - In Millions) | (LP/Vinyl Records - In Millions) - Nielsen SoundScan Sales Record* | ||||||||||||||||||||
2012 | 2011 | % Chg. | 2012 | 2011 | % Chg. | ||||||||||||||||
Units Sold | 193 | 224 | -13.50% | Units Sold | 4.6 * | 3.9 | 17.70% | ||||||||||||||
Holiday Season Album Sales | Holiday Season Track Sales | ||||||||||||||||||||
(Sales 11/5/2012-12/30/2012 - In Millions) | (Sales 11/5/2012-12/30/2012 - In Millions) | ||||||||||||||||||||
2012 | 2011 | % Chg. | 2012 | 2011 | % Chg. | ||||||||||||||||
Units Sold | 76 | 81 | -7.10% | Units Sold | 238 | 237 | 0.60% | ||||||||||||||
Current vs. Catalog Sales | |||||||||||||||||||||
(In Millions) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Overall Albums | Digital Albums | ||||||||||||||||||||
2012 | 2011 | % Chg. | 2012 | 2011 | % Chg. | ||||||||||||||||
Current | 161 | 179 | -10.20% | Current | 60 | 53 | 13.70% | ||||||||||||||
Catalog | 155 | 151 | 2.50% | Catalog | 57 | 50 | 14.60% | ||||||||||||||
Deep Catalog | 123 | 119 | 3.30% | Deep Catalog | 45 | 38 | 18.10% | ||||||||||||||
Physical Albums | Digital Tracks | ||||||||||||||||||||
2012 | 2011 | % Chg. | 2012 | 2011 | % Chg. | ||||||||||||||||
Current | 101 | 126 | -20.30% | Current | 603 | 552 | 9.10% | ||||||||||||||
Catalog | 97 | 101 | -3.50% | Catalog | 733 | 718 | 2.10% | ||||||||||||||
Deep Catalog | 78 | 81 | -3.70% | ||||||||||||||||||
Genre Total Album Sales | Genre Digital Album Sales | ||||||||||||||||||||
(In Millions) | (In Millions) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Genre | 2012 | 2011 | % Chg. | Genre | 2012 | 2011 | % Chg. | ||||||||||||||
Alternative | 52.2 | 54.6 | -4.30% | Alternative | 26.7 | 24.4 | 9.50% | ||||||||||||||
Christian/Gospel* | 22.9 | 23.7 | -3.40% | Christian/Gospel* | 5.3 | 4.8 | 11.10% | ||||||||||||||
Classical | 7.5 | 9.4 | -20.50% | Classical | 2.6 | 2.3 | 14.60% | ||||||||||||||
Country | 44.6 | 42.8 | 4.20% | Country | 11.2 | 8.1 | 37.80% | ||||||||||||||
Dance/Electronic | 8.7 | 9.9 | -12.00% | Dance/Electronic | 4.9 | 4.8 | 1.20% | ||||||||||||||
Jazz | 8.1 | 11 | -26.20% | Jazz | 2.5 | 2.6 | -3.60% | ||||||||||||||
Latin | 9.7 | 11.7 | -17.60% | Latin | 1.4 | 1.1 | 23.20% | ||||||||||||||
Metal | 31.9 | 31.9 | -0.30% | Metal | 11.2 | 9.6 | 16.30% | ||||||||||||||
New Age | 1.7 | 1.9 | -12.90% | New Age | 0.6 | 0.6 | 13.60% | ||||||||||||||
R&B | 49.7 | 55.3 | -10.20% | R&B | 16.3 | 14.8 | 10.20% | ||||||||||||||
Rap | 24.2 | 27.3 | -11.40% | Rap | 10.7 | 9.3 | 14.70% | ||||||||||||||
Rock | 102.5 | 100.5 | 2.00% | Rock | 43.1 | 36.3 | 18.80% | ||||||||||||||
Soundtrack | 12.3 | 13 | -5.20% | Soundtrack | 6 | 5.4 | 12.70% | ||||||||||||||
Genre Digital Track Sales | Digital Track Sales by Decade | ||||||||||||||||||||
(Total Tracks, Core Genre - In Millions) | (Songs Grouped by Decade of Release - In Millions) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Genre | 2012 | 2011 | % Chg. | Genre | 2012 | 2011 | % Chg. | ||||||||||||||
Blues | 3 | 2.4 | 24.40% | 2010's | 699 | 542 | 29.00% | ||||||||||||||
Children | 4.7 | 4.2 | 10.30% | 2000's | 438 | 535 | -18.20% | ||||||||||||||
Christian/Gospel | 34.4 | 32.2 | 6.50% | 1990's | 91 | 87 | 5.00% | ||||||||||||||
Classical | 7 | 6.7 | 5.20% | 1980's | 54 | 41 | 32.70% | ||||||||||||||
Comedy | 5.1 | 6.7 | -23.40% | 1970's | 33 | 33 | 0.60% | ||||||||||||||
Country | 162.1 | 143.7 | 12.80% | 1960's | 16 | 18 | -14.40% | ||||||||||||||
Dance/Electronic | 53 | 39.1 | 35.60% | 1950's | 3 | 3 | -6.70% | ||||||||||||||
Holiday/Seasonal | 12.1 | 13.7 | -11.90% | 1940's | 1 | 1 | -6.00% | ||||||||||||||
Jazz | 8.8 | 9.2 | -5.00% | ||||||||||||||||||
Latin | 21.1 | 20.6 | 2.20% | ||||||||||||||||||
New Age | 1.5 | 1.4 | 10.70% | ||||||||||||||||||
Pop | 303.8 | 305.6 | -0.60% | ||||||||||||||||||
R&B/Hip Hop | 249.3 | 262.1 | -4.90% | ||||||||||||||||||
Rock | 323.8 | 291.7 | 11.00% | ||||||||||||||||||
World | 8.7 | 4.1 | 110.80% | ||||||||||||||||||
Notes: |
Current/Catalog Definitions: "current" represents albums 18 months or newer; "catalog" 18 months or older (with some considerations for airplay and billboard chart position). "Deep catalog" is a subset within "catalog". |
Genres: Albums and tracks may appear in more than one genre. Album genres are based on billboard chart eligibility and can differ from the track genre methodology. Not all genres are included in the above tables. |
* Includes sales figures tracked by Christian SoundScan. |
2012 YEAR-TO-DATE RECORD COMPANY MARKET SHARE
(REFLECTS THE MARKET SHARE FOR THE ENTIRE ENTITY INCLUDING SUB-DISTRIBUTED COMPANIES FOR THE 52-WEEK YEAR)
UMG COMPLETED THE ACQUISITION OF EMI DISTRIBUTION AT THE BEGINNING OF Q4 2012. MARKET SHARE REPORTING INCLUDED THE FOLLOWING ADJUSTMENTS: ALL OF THE LABELS FORMERLY ASSOCIATED WITH EMI WERE MOVED TO UMGD. EMI WAS CREDITED FOR ALL SALES THROUGH WEEK-ENDING 9/30/2012. ALL MARKET SHARE WAS ATTRIBUTED TO UMGD THEREAFTER.