3.21.15 Adam at Aston Michael Runway Show

Cait1602 ‏cait1602 21m21 minutes ago
Radio station in germany looking for top 100 of last 20yrs. Adam Lambert #WWFM for vote. Germany hasnt forgotten him!

I don't know if this has already been posted....the first I've seen it.





US recorded music revenues up 2.0% at $4.86 billion in 2014

by Emmanuel Legrand
3 days ago



Pushed by a surge in revenues from streaming, the US recorded music market grew for the fourth consecutive year in 2014, with wholesale revenues up 2.0% to $4.86 billion. However, revenues at estimated retail value reached $6.97 billion, down slightly -0.5%, marking the fifth straight year of relatively flat retail revenues.

Commenting on the data, Cary Sherman, CEO of Washington, DC-based trade body the RIAA, which compiles the data, welcomed the growth of the market, in wholesale terms, although he called it "modest." According to the RIAA, "stronger overall sales in the second half of 2014 largely erased the revenue declines that were seen at midyear."

Revenues from streaming music services such as Spotify, YouTube, Pandora and Sirius/XM grew 29% to $1.87 billion in 2014, and accounted for 27% of total industry revenues. "Streaming revenue growth was driven by relatively consistent increases from each of its components," noted RIAA VP of Strategic Data Analysis, Josh Friedlander. Paid subscription services grew 25% year-over-year to $799 million; revenues from ad-supported ondemand services grew 34% to $295 million, and distributions by collecting society SoundExchange grew 31% to $773 million.

Downloads remained the largest component at 37% of the total market by value (down from 40% in 2013). Streaming revenues grew from 21% in 2013 to 27% in 2014, while physical shipment revenues retracted from 35% to 32%. Synchronisation rights accounted for 3% of total revenues, while ringtones and ringback tones represent 1%.

Sherman said that these figures reflect the "staggering transformation" of the music business. "Record companies are now digital music firms, earning more than two third s of their revenues from a variety of digital formats," said Sherman. "Streaming services collectively are generating meaningful revenue: nearly $2 billion in 2014, a 29% percent increase over 2013."

He noted that "streaming music has been the subject of a healthy debate, which is appropriate," but he suggested that music fans have made their choice by switching to streaming and that it was "the job of the entire music community to make these services work for our fans."

He concluded, "The music business is not without its challenges, but the foundations of a continued comeback are strong. Just look at the Internet and social media, for example, where artists and music drive the conversation like nothing else. Music is more relevant to commerce and culture than ever before. It is fundamentals like these that continue to give us great hope. Here’s to a bright future for music and everyone who creates it."