The global record music market grew by 18.5% in 2021, driven by growth in paid subscription streaming, according to the IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry), the organization representing the recorded music industry worldwide. Figures released Tuesday in IFPI’s Global Music Report show that total revenue for 2021 was $ 25.9 billion.
Although the free version of the report does not attach numbers to all the rankings, they are still quite fascinating:
The 10 best global artists, based on “consumption across all formats and all countries, weighted based on the value of each consumption method”, are:
- BTS
- Taylor Swift
- Adele
- Drake
- Ed Sheeran
- The Weeknd
- Billie Eilish
- Justin Bieber
- Seventeen
- Olivia Rodrigo
The 10 best global digital singles were:
- The Weeknd “Save Your Tears” (2.15 billion streams)
- The Kid Lario, Justin Bieber “Stay” (2.07 billion)
- Dua Lipa “Levitating (1.88 billion)
- BTS “Butter” (1.76 billion)
- Olivia Rodrigo “Driving license” (1.73 billion)
- Justin Bieber (ft. Daniel Caesar and Giveon) “Peaches” (1.72 billion)
- The Weeknd “Blinding Lights” (1.61 billion)
- Olivia Rodrigo “Good 4 U” (1.61 billion)
- Lil Nas X “Montero” (1.6 billion)
- Ed Sheeran “Bad Habits” (1.57 billion)
The 10 best albums in all formats were:
- Adele “30”
- Olivia Rodrigo “Sur”
- Justin Bieber “Justice”
- Ed Sheeran “=”
- The Weeknd “After Hours”
- Dua Lipa “Future Nostalgia”
- The Kid Laroi “F— Love” (mixtape)
- ABBA “Travel”
- Morgan Wallen “Dangerous: The Double Album”
- Doja Cat “Planet Her”
And for the record, the best-selling vinyl titles around the world were:
- Adele “30” (862,000 global units)
- Harry Styles “Fine Line” (397,000)
- Fleetwood Mac “Rumors” (346,000)
- Olivia Rodrigo “Sour” (339,000)
- Billie Eilish “Happier Than Ever” (335,000)
- Taylor Swift “Red (Taylor’s Version)” (325,000)
- The Beatles’ Abbey Road (283,000)
- Nirvana “Nevermind” (274,000)
- Pink Floyd “Drk Side of the Moon” (272,000)
- Taylor Swift “Evermore” (270,000)
Digging into the data, the report notes that streaming revenue from paid subscriptions increased by 21.9% to $ 12.3 billion, with 523 million users of paid subscription accounts by the end of 2021. (See the full report here.)
Total streaming (including both paid subscription and advertising support) grew by 24.3% to reach $ 16.9 billion, or 65% of total global recorded music revenue. In addition to streaming revenue, growth was supported by gains in other areas, including physical formats (up 16.1%) and performance rights (up 4%).
Growth in the other regions of the world:
Revenue from recorded music grew in all regions around the world in 2021:
- Asia grew by 16.1% and its largest market, Japan, experienced growth of 9.3%. Excluding Japan, the region saw a 24.6% increase in revenue. In a continuing trend, Asia also accounted for a significant share of global physical income (49.6%).
- Australasia experienced a growth of 4.1 percent. Australia (up 3.4%) remained a top 10 market globally and New Zealand saw an increase in streaming revenue pushing the overall market to 8.2% growth.
- Revenue in Europe, the second largest recorded music region in the world, grew by 15.4%, a steep increase compared to the previous year’s growth rate of 3.2%. The region’s largest markets all experienced double-digit percentage growth: the United Kingdom (up 13.2%), Germany (up 12.6%) and France (up 11.8%).
- Latin America experienced growth of 31.2% – one of the highest growth rates globally. Streaming accounted for 85.9% of the market, one of the highest shares in any region.
- The Middle East and North Africa – divided as a separate region in the Global Music Report for the first time – saw growth of 35.0%; the fastest regional growth rate globally. Streaming was a particularly strong driving force in the region with a market share of 95.3%.
- Sub-Saharan Africa – also split for the first time in IFPI’s reporting – saw revenue growth of 9.6% in 2021, mainly driven by streaming. Ad-supported was particularly strong in this region, with revenue from this format growing by 56.4%.
- The US and Canada region grew by 22.0% in 2021, exceeding the global growth rate. The US market alone grew by 22.6% and Canadian music revenue grew by 12.6%.
When IFPI CEO Frances Moore opened a press conference in London to announce the report, expressed concern over events in Ukraine and the ensuing humanitarian crisis, saying: “IFPI stands with our colleagues across the music community in our support for emergency humanitarian aid to refugees and our call for an end to the violence. “
Commenting on the report, Moore continued: “Around the world, record companies are engaging at a very local level to support music cultures and promote the development of new music ecosystems – championing local music and creating opportunities to reach a global audience. markets mature, they join and contribute to the rich, globally connected music world.
“That is why today’s music market is the most competitive in memory. Fans enjoy more music than ever and in so many different and new ways. It creates huge opportunities for artists. Those who choose to partner with a record company do so to take advantage of the support of agile, highly responsive global teams of experts, dedicated to helping them achieve creative and commercial success and build their long-term careers.
“As technologies and the online environment continue to evolve and expand, so do the creative opportunities to share music experiences. From the meta-verse to the content of the game, record companies have invested in the people and technologies to deliver new, highly interactive experiences. – which contributes to the evolving ways in which artists can connect with their fans. “