IFPI Tallies Global Music Sales: Lady Gaga Rules The Planet

Videos by American Songwriter

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The IFPI (or International Federation of the Phonographic Industry), which represents 1400 record companies in 72 countries, has compiled their Digital Music Report for 2010, which looks at international trends in the industry over the past year.

The group found that in 2009, the music industry pulled in $15.8 billion dollars. Physical music sales (including online purchases of CDs) accounted for $11.6 billion dollars, while digital sales totaled $4.2 billion dollars.

That’s a 16% decline in physical music sales since 2008, but a 12% increase for digital sales. The overall market slid 10% compared to 2008.

Download sales of single tracks went up 10% in 2009, totaling 1.5 billion units, and digital albums sales went up approximately 20%.

Who had the best selling track in the planet in 2009? If you guessed Susan Boyle, you’d be wrong. Lady Gaga’s single “Poker Face” takes those honors, selling 9.8 million units. The best-selling single track of 2008 was Lil Wayne’s “Lollipop,” which sold 9.1 million units. The year before, it was Avril Lavigne’s “Girlfriend,” which only totaled 7.3 million in sales.

Overall, digital sales have increased by 940% in 2004, while total music sales decreased by 30%.

4 Comments

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  1. The IFPI etc. want laws to stop file sharing, but there is little point in making laws that cannot be policed and there are so many ways to get a musical track from the internet without being detected that it cannot be policed. Back in the 60’s the advent of the tape recorder was blamed for dropping sales, so a small levy was put on tape and paid to the music industry. I don’t see why something similar can’t be organised today.

  2. I dont think anyone would guess Susan Boyle for the top single track. Susan’s success was with her album. Best selling album world wide of 2009. (in just 7 weeks).
    Lady gaga had the 2nd best album.
    But well done to the both of them! 🙂

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