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Joshua P. Friedlander
Vice President, Strategic Data Analysis, RIAA
The U.S. recorded music industry continues to
experience important changes in its revenue
composition. Full year 2014 U.S. recorded music
industry wholesale revenues were up 2.0% to $4.86
billion, the fourth year in a row of growth at
wholesale value. Stronger overall sales in the second
half of 2014 largely erased the revenue declines that
were seen at midyear. Revenues at estimated retail
value were down slightly (-0.5%) to $6.97 billion,
marking the fifth straight year of relatively flat retail
revenues.
Figure 2
Digital
Downloads
37%
Physical
32%
Figure 1
Streaming
27%
$ Billions
$7.00
$4.77
Synchronization
3%
$6.97
$4.86
Figure 3
US Paid Subscriptions
2013
Millions of Subscriptions
Source: RIAA
2014
7.7
6.2
3.4
1.8
2011
2012
2013
2014
Figure 5
$ Millions
Source: RIAA
SoundExchange Distributions
Subscription Services
On-Demand Ad-Supported Streaming $773 $799
$639
$590
$462
$400
$295
Figure 4
Source: RIAA
$220
$171
2012
15%
9%
2009
7%
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
21%
5%
2013
2014
Figure 6
$4,053
$4,370
$98
$4,510
$66
$ Millions
$145
Ringtones &
Ringbacks
$2,823
$2,577
Permanent
Downloads
$2,875
Streaming
$1,033
2012
2
$1,450
2013
$1,867
2014
Figure 7
The results for 2014 show that when the U.S.
recorded music market is analyzed beyond the
headline numbers, major changes are driving market
development beneath the surface. The industry
continues to rapidly grow the share of revenues
coming outside of traditional unit-based sales. Unit
sales accounted for more than 90% of revenues as
recently as 2010, but streaming and synch revenues
combined to account for 30% of total revenues in
2014.
Streaming
Digital Downloads
$2.9
$2.7
$2.8
$2.6
$ Billions
$2.3
$1.9
$1.4
$1.0
$0.5
2010
$0.7
2011
2012
2013
2014
Please note that the RIAA presents the most up-to-date information available in its annual
industry revenue reports and subscription-only online statistics database
(http://www.riaa.com/keystatistics.php?content_selector=riaa-shipment-database-log-in).
For news media inquiries, please contact: Jonathan Lamy
Cara Duckworth Weiblinger
Liz Kennedy
202/775-0101
1,327.9
$1,567.6
118.0
$1,232.1
3.7
$6.2
8.4
$16.7
39.4
$98.0
1,200.4
$1,409.6
117.6
$1,150.8
1.6
$2.6
6.8
$13.6
26.7
$66.5
-9.6%
-10.1%
-0.3%
-6.6%
-57.5%
-58.3%
-18.9%
-18.9%
-32.2%
-32.2%
SoundExchange Distributions3
$590.4
$773.4
31.0%
6.2
$639.2
7.7
$799.1
25.6%
25.0%
$220.0
$294.8
34.0%
$4,370.3
$4,510.3
3.2%
$189.7
$189.7
0.0%
172.2
$2,123.5
0.6
$2.4
9.4
$210.7
0.3
$3.0
4.7
$104.7
-0.1
-$0.5
0.0
$1.0
187.2
$2,444.8
144.1
$1,854.1
1.0
$3.8
13.2
$314.9
0.5
$5.9
4.1
$90.5
0.1
$2.1
0.0
$0.8
163.0
$2,272.2
-16.3%
-12.7%
60.1%
57.3%
41.0%
49.4%
61.4%
99.2%
-13.4%
-13.6%
-221.8%
-531.5%
-33.3%
-22.0%
-13.0%
-7.1%
159.1
$2,267.8
142.6
$2,132.9
-10.4%
-5.9%
Total Units7
Total Value
1,684.6
$7,004.8
1,516.1
$6,972.2
-10.0%
-0.5%
% of Shipments8
Physical
Digital
2013
36%
64%
2014
34%
66%
(Units Shipped)
(Dollar Value)
Download Single
Download Album
% CHANGE
2013-2014
2013
Kiosk1
Music Video
Ringtones & Ringbacks2
Paid Subscription
Physical
(Units Shipped)
(Dollar Value)
CD
CD Single
LP/EP
Vinyl Single
Music Video
DVD Audio
SACD
Total Physical Units
Total Physical Value