Music Sales Reach a New Peak in the UK

Knowledgable on the interface between technology and media, Stephen Blackwell’s background includes a previous position as chief strategy officer with the Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group. Music industry-focused, Stephen Blackwell follows worldwide trends in the digital streaming sphere. 

As recently reported in the Guardian, the UK is experiencing its fastest level of music consumption growth in two decades on the strength of streaming services. In 2017, British consumers purchased the equivalent of approximately 135 million albums spanning formats such as subscription service streams, digital downloads, vinyl, and CDs. This represented a nearly 10 percent year-on-year increase, with Ed Sheeran heading a list of top earners that also included Pink, Drake, Liam Gallagher, and Sam Smith. 

The market expansion was spearheaded by audio streaming, which witnessed an unprecedented 51.5 percent surge, with more than half of all albums now listened to and purchased streamed. At the same time, vinyl continued on its upward arc, with traditional albums registering sales of 4.1 million, which was the highest number in 27 years. With Sheeran’s Divide topping UK vinyl sales and all other categories, the other top vinyl sellers were an eclectic bunch that included Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black (2006) and Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours (1977).