Music Industry Analysis
Music Biz curates a feed of music industry news articles, business statistics and trend analysis from a variety of media outlets, filtering out the noise to deliver you the actionable insights you need to succeed. Starting in 2024, these articles will be accessible exclusively from Music Biz’s social media feeds.
January 14, 2019 – In 2018 the Ticketing Industry Finally Killed the ‘Sold-Out’ Show
Among the many myths that were laid low in 2018, perhaps none was as welcome to throngs of live-event fans as the fantasy of the sold-out show. Indeed, as the ticket market has moved to adopt new technology, the newfound transparency has had one prime victim: The Sellout. Rather than a lack of demand, unsold tickets for high-profile events are the result of the latest trend in the ticketing industry — making sure you have tickets to sell when fans want to buy them.... Read More
January 14, 2019 – New Report Illustrates How Modern Record Labels Remade Themselves in the Streaming Era
In their new report, “Same Heart. New Beat. How Record Labels Amplify Talent in the Modern Music Marketplace,” Musonomics examines how modern record labels have remade themselves to thrive in the era of streaming music. Based on almost 50 interviews with top-level executives at both major and independent record labels and commissioned by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the report digs into the changes that have taken place in the past decade to make labels an indispensable partner for the most ambitious new,... Read More
January 11, 2019 – Vinyl and Cassette Sales Saw Double Digit Growth Last Year
Albums sold on vinyl and cassette both saw double digit sales growth in the US last year, according to a new report produced by BuzzAngle. Vinyl sales grew by just shy of 12 percent from 8.6 to 9.7 million sales, while cassette sales grew by almost 19 percent from 99,400 to 118,200 copies sold in the US. The popularity of both physical formats seems to be being driven by sales of older albums. BuzzAngle reports that over 66 percent of vinyl sales are of albums that are over three years old,... Read More
January 8, 2019 – CES: Consumer Tech Industry Could Reach $398 Billion in 2019, CTA Projects
Products that take advantage of artificial intelligence and fast connectivity will drive the U.S. consumer tech industry to $398 billion in retail revenues in 2019 — a 3.9 percent year-over-year growth, which includes streaming services revenue — projected the Consumer Technology Association just prior to the opening of its annual CES in Las Vegas. According to the report, consumer spending on music and video streaming services is valued at $26 billion in revenue, 25 percent higher than last year.... Read More
January 8, 2019 – Nielsen Year-End Report: Total Album Equivalent Consumption In The U.S. Increased 23% in 2018
Nielsen today released its 2018 Music Year-End Highlights which includes music consumption for the 12 month period beginning December 29, 2017 through January 3, 2019, as well as consumer trends and behaviors that shaped the year in music across today’s most popular platforms, including streaming, social media, radio, film and more. According to Nielsen, the music industry experienced significant overall growth in 2018, with total album equivalent audio consumption up 23% over 2017, driven by a 49% increase in on-demand audio song streams compared to last year.... Read More
January 3, 2019 – BuzzAngle Music 2018 Year-End Report Highlights Double-Digit Growth in Music Consumption
Overall music consumption in the U.S. grew by double digits for the second year in a row, according to BuzzAngle Music’s 2018 Year-End Report released earlier today. As stated in the welcome message from CEO Jim Lidestri, overall music consumption increased by 16.2% in 2018, building on the 12.8% growth achieved in 2017. The number of unique streamed audio titles increased by 3 million in 2018, with total on-demand streaming growing 41.8% over last year to reach 534.6 billion streams.... Read More
January 2, 2019 – Could the Music of the Future Transgress the Walls of Genres?
A couple of decades ago, if a teenager walked up to another and asked what kind of music he or she listens to, and one said “rap” and the other said “metal,” the odds of them hanging out together would be very slim. Cut to 2018 and the very possibility of either of them naming a single genre is minimal. Until the era of online bootlegs and peer-to-peer sharing, which sprouted somewhere in the early 2000s,... Read More
January 2, 2019 – How the Battle for the Indian Streaming Market Will Heat Up in 2019
Music streaming is a crowded market in India, with both Indian and international companies vying for space. Indian media have been reporting about Spotify’s impending launch for months: there were initial reports global streaming leader had planned to buy out a local service around a year or so ago, though it hasn’t to date. But meanwhile Google Play Music has been amassing a growing share of the streaming market, while Gaana, Amazon’s Prime Music, Wynk, and the new JioSaavn are already competing as well.... Read More
December 20, 2018 – How The World Sounds: The Future of Radio
The gathering of world radio at this year’s International Radio Festival in Malta painted a positive picture for the future of radio, with vital international shows broadcasting live and the best minds answering questions about the future (and raising more) at its one-day Audio Conference. As Will Jackson, Conference Organizer and Managing Director of Audio UK, explained, “There has never been a more exciting time for radio.” But how true is this appraisal from inside the radio industry and what exactly does the future of radio listening look like?... Read More
December 19, 2018 – Farewell Tours Were One of the Biggest Stories of 2018 – Here’s What Comes Next For the Live Arena Circuit
Towards the end of the first show of his farewell tour at Allentown, Pennsylvania’s PPL Center, Elton John paused to explain why, after 50 years of being one of the biggest and most profitable forces on the live circuit, he decided it was time to say his extended goodbye. “I have the most beautiful family and I really need to spend more time with them,” he said. “I know you understand since a lot of you have children of your own.... Read More
