James Donio, President of the Music Business Association (Music Biz), commented on 2015 year-end music sales reports issued by Nielsen and Border City Media:
“Total music consumption was up significantly in 2015, and the supporting data illustrates promising trends that bode well for the industry as we begin 2016. First and foremost is the massive rise of streaming, which nearly doubled from 2014 to more than 300 billion combined audio and video streams in 2015. This amazing trajectory underscores that the access model is driving the business forward, enabling music from bright new talents and established artists’ catalogs to easily reach more fans. We even saw the most sought-after catalog of music in the world, that of The Beatles, make its way to streaming services by the end of 2015, a welcome development that will undoubtedly help turn on a new generation to their legendary repertoire.
“When it comes to 2015’s best-selling artist and album, there is simply no competition with Adele’s 25, which represented some 3% of all album sales for the entire year… in just six weeks. She single-handedly proved that there is an eager and robust audience that wants to own physical and digital music. Her album moved 5+ million CDs, 2+ million digital albums, and more than 100,000 vinyl records. It’s really a remarkable outcome in 2015, a year in which many analysts didn’t expect an album market, let alone a market for CDs, to still exist. Adding to the mix, vinyl sales were up for the 10th consecutive year, due in large measure to the vision and drive of the savvy and resourceful independent retail community.
“It’s particularly encouraging to see this type of vitality along the diverse music consumption spectrum. We look forward to seeing where the road takes us as an industry in the days, weeks, and months to come in 2016.”
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