LONDON, UK (BPI)
- UK music fans are top CD buyers
- Record CD purchasing fuels 3.0% market growth in 2004
- IFPI figures confirm British music business as world beater
- Improving global market is good news for UK music
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Digital sales add to good news
New figures released today by the BPI (British Phonographic Industry) confirm that UK music fans are the biggest music buyers in the world, with each Briton buying on average 3.2 CDs per person per year.
And figures released today by the BPI's international counterpart the IFPI indicate that prospects for exports of UK signed repertoire around the world are improving, with the decline in the global music industry beginning to level out.
The news comes after the UK record industry announced its best ever year for album sales, with British-signed newcomers the Scissor Sisters and Keane topping the album charts in 2004.
The UK market recorded an overall 3.0% increase in volume sales over 2004, with much attributable to its robust albums market. The UK releases around 26,000 albums per year – second only to the US in the number of releases. With a record 174.6 million units sold, the UK CD albums market continued to outperform its international counterparts in 2004, growing by 4.5%.
After a dramatic increase in online and offline piracy in recent years, this represents a significant achievement for the UK recorded music industry. vBPI Chairman Peter Jamieson says: 'The strength of the UK market in the face of worldwide decline is a testament to the skills and courage of UK record companies who have never stopped taking risks in signing and developing some of the best talent in the world. Improving prospects for recorded music internationally is also good news for the UK since after the US we remain the world's biggest exporter of music.'
UK music fans are top CD buyers
Britons remain the biggest buyers of recorded music in the world, with each UK resident buying on average 3.2 units in 2004.
A recovering US market saw per capita sales increase to 2.8 units, while the French, German and Japanese all bought around two units each.
Sales per capita - 2004
UK (3.2), USA (2.8), France (2.1), Japan (2.0), Germany (2.2)
These latest statistics follow recent BPI research showing 55.4% of the UK population between 12 and 74 bought at least one album last year.
Overall, it was new UK-signed artists that drove sales last year, with three of 2004's Top 5 albums UK-signed debuts.
2004's Top 5 UK albums
1. SCISSOR SISTERS, SCISSOR SISTERS
2. HOPES AND FEARS, KEANE
3. GREATEST HITS, ROBBIE WILLIAMS
4. SONGS ABOUT JANE, MAROON 5
5. CALL OFF THE SEARCH, KATIE MELUA
BPI Chairman Peter Jamieson says: 'The UK is a nation of music lovers, so it's not surprising to see the UK at the top of this list. A slew of great new British artists have met UK music fans' demand for great music.'
IFPI figures confirm British music business as world beater
Today's figures show that the global business remained flat over 2004, with the UK once again outperforming its international rivals with a growth rate of 3.0% by volume.
The slowing rate of decline elsewhere in the world and growth in both music DVD and digital sales comes as good news for the British music business; which is second only to the US globally as a source of repertoire.
Today's figures also demonstrate that UK sales have bucked the trend of global decline over the past five years, with market value growing since 2000 by 3.4%. Over the same period the global market dropped 15%.
Continued strong investment in UK music, and a resultant string of domestic artist success stories has helped the UK market outperform the world's other leading markets.
Market Growth, 2000-2004
UK (+3.4%), USA (-13.4%), France (-13.9%), Japan (-19.5%), Germany (-33.6%)
Digital sales add gloss to global recovery
The growth in digital sales has also played a major part in helping the global music business tackle its five year decline, with 200 million downloads sold in the world's four leading digital markets (US, UK, France and Germany) last year.
The arrival of high-profile legitimate digital music services helped lift UK single-track purchasing by 4.0% in 2004 with 5.7 million downloads sold, the British singles market is also showing signs of recovery.
With album bundles and sales of digital EPs also good in the UK, the Official UK Charts Company estimate that the total UK market for downloads topped 9 million units in 2004.
Peter Jamieson said: 'The main choice today's music fan now has to make is whether to get music legally or illegally. As these figures show, more and more music fans are now making the right choice and helping make great British music.'
