The Nielsen Company & Billboard’s 2012 Music Industry Report

Nielsen SoundScan and Nielsen BDS, the entertainment industry's leading data information systems, announced the 2012 year-end U.S. music sales figures for the 12-month period of January 2, 2012 through December 30, 2012. Nielsen SoundScan measures U.S. point-of-sale of recorded music product. Nielsen BDS tracks U.S. radio airplay and music streams. Both systems power many of the Billboard charts.

For 2012, sales of albums and track equivalents are down slightly at -1.8% vs. 2011. Digital Albums are up 14% and Digital Tracks are up 5%. CD sales declined 13%.

“Overall music purchases surpassed 1.65 billion units in 2012, up 3.1% vs. the previous record high set in 2011, driven by digital music sales, which continue be a key growth element within the market,” said David Bakula, SVP Client Development, Nielsen. “Digital Album sales are up 14.1% and Digital Track sales are up 5.1%, but despite being down 12.8%, physical is still the dominant album format.

“The big artist stories of the year are Adele and Taylor Swift,” continued Bakula. “Adele’s album, 21, is the first album ever to be the top seller of the year for two consecutive years, and Taylor Swift’s Red has sold more than 3.1 million copies in only 10 weeks, debuting with the highest weekly sales of any title since 2002.”

Overall Music Sales												Overall Album Sales w/TEA
(Transactions: Albums, Singles, Music Video, Digital Tracks – In Millions)												(Includes All Albums & Track Equivalent Albums – In Millions)
			2012			2011			% Chg.						2012			2011			% Chg.
Units Sold			1,661			1,611			3.10%			Units Sold			450			458			-1.80%
												NOTE: TRACK EQUIVALENT ALBUMS EQUATE RATIO OF 10 TRACKS TO 1 ALBUM
Total Album Sales												Physical Music Sales
(Includes CDs, Cassettes, LPs, Digital Albums - In Millions)												(Includes CDs, Cassettes, LPs - In Millions)
			2012			2011			% Chg.						2012			2011			% Chg.
Units Sold			316			331			-4.40%			Units Sold			198			227			-12.80%
Digital Album Sales												Digital Track Sales
(In Millions)												(In Millions) – Nielsen SoundScan Sales Record*
			2012			2011			% Chg.						2012			2011			% Chg.
Units Sold			118			103			14.10%			Units Sold			1,336 *			1,271			5.10%
CD Album Sales												LP Album Sales
(CD Albums – In Millions)												(LP/Vinyl Records – In Millions) – Nielsen SoundScan Sales Record*
			2012			2011			% Chg.						2012			2011			% Chg.
Units Sold			193			224			-13.50%			Units Sold			4.6 *			3.9			17.70%
Holiday Season Album Sales												Holiday Season Track Sales
(Sales 11/5/2012–12/30/2012 – In Millions)												(Sales 11/5/2012–12/30/2012 – In Millions)
			2012			2011			% Chg.						2012			2011			% Chg.
Units Sold			76			81			-7.10%			Units Sold			238			237			0.60%
Current vs. Catalog Sales
(In Millions)
Overall Albums												Digital Albums
			2012			2011			% Chg.						2012			2011			% Chg.
Current			161			179			-10.20%			Current			60			53			13.70%
Catalog			155			151			2.50%			Catalog			57			50			14.60%
Deep Catalog			123			119			3.30%			Deep Catalog			45			38			18.10%
Physical Albums												Digital Tracks
			2012			2011			% Chg.						2012			2011			% Chg.
Current			101			126			-20.30%			Current			603			552			9.10%
Catalog			97			101			-3.50%			Catalog			733			718			2.10%
Deep Catalog			78			81			-3.70%
Genre Total Album Sales												Genre Digital Album Sales
(In Millions)												(In Millions)
Genre			2012			2011			% Chg.			Genre			2012			2011			% Chg.
Alternative			52.2			54.6			-4.30%			Alternative			26.7			24.4			9.50%
Christian/Gospel*			22.9			23.7			-3.40%			Christian/Gospel*			5.3			4.8			11.10%
Classical			7.5			9.4			-20.50%			Classical			2.6			2.3			14.60%
Country			44.6			42.8			4.20%			Country			11.2			8.1			37.80%
Dance/Electronic			8.7			9.9			-12.00%			Dance/Electronic			4.9			4.8			1.20%
Jazz			8.1			11			-26.20%			Jazz			2.5			2.6			-3.60%
Latin			9.7			11.7			-17.60%			Latin			1.4			1.1			23.20%
Metal			31.9			31.9			-0.30%			Metal			11.2			9.6			16.30%
New Age			1.7			1.9			-12.90%			New Age			0.6			0.6			13.60%
R&B			49.7			55.3			-10.20%			R&B			16.3			14.8			10.20%
Rap			24.2			27.3			-11.40%			Rap			10.7			9.3			14.70%
Rock			102.5			100.5			2.00%			Rock			43.1			36.3			18.80%
Soundtrack			12.3			13			-5.20%			Soundtrack			6			5.4			12.70%
Genre Digital Track Sales												Digital Track Sales by Decade
(Total Tracks, Core Genre – In Millions)												(Songs Grouped by Decade of Release – In Millions)
Genre			2012			2011			% Chg.			Genre			2012			2011			% Chg.
Blues			3			2.4			24.40%			2010’s			699			542			29.00%
Children			4.7			4.2			10.30%			2000’s			438			535			-18.20%
Christian/Gospel			34.4			32.2			6.50%			1990’s			91			87			5.00%
Classical			7			6.7			5.20%			1980’s			54			41			32.70%
Comedy			5.1			6.7			-23.40%			1970’s			33			33			0.60%
Country			162.1			143.7			12.80%			1960’s			16			18			-14.40%
Dance/Electronic			53			39.1			35.60%			1950’s			3			3			-6.70%
Holiday/Seasonal			12.1			13.7			-11.90%			1940’s			1			1			-6.00%
Jazz			8.8			9.2			-5.00%
Latin			21.1			20.6			2.20%
New Age			1.5			1.4			10.70%
Pop			303.8			305.6			-0.60%
R&B/Hip Hop			249.3			262.1			-4.90%
Rock			323.8			291.7			11.00%
World			8.7			4.1			110.80%

Notes:

Current/Catalog Definitions: “current” represents albums 18 months or newer; “catalog” 18 months or older (with some considerations for airplay and billboard chart position). “Deep catalog” is a subset within “catalog”.

Genres: Albums and tracks may appear in more than one genre. Album genres are based on billboard chart eligibility and can differ from the track genre methodology. Not all genres are included in the above tables.

* Includes sales figures tracked by Christian SoundScan.

2012 YEAR-TO-DATE RECORD COMPANY MARKET SHARE

(REFLECTS THE MARKET SHARE FOR THE ENTIRE ENTITY INCLUDING SUB-DISTRIBUTED COMPANIES FOR THE 52-WEEK YEAR)

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