Lewis Capaldi’s angst-loaded balloons were Britain’s biggest pandemic soundtrack, industry figures for 2020 show, as music streaming went up by 20% lock down.
Streaming accounted for over 80% of music consumption in the UK last year, when people listened to 139bn audio streams, up from 114bn in 2019. CD sales fell nearly a third year on year, although the market margins in vinyl and even audio allegations continued to rise.
UK artists led by Capaldi, Harry Styles and Dua Lipa made up eight of the top 10 albums. Nearly 200 artists were broadcast more than 100m times, with the BPI pulling a new wave of diverse talent driving growth in the music industry, including acts such as Aitch, AJ Tracey, Headie One, J Hus and KSI.
The 24-year-old Scottish singer and songwriter is Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent It was the most streamed record for the second year in a row in the UK, with scratches on which their words spoke appropriately of “day bleed[ing] until nightfall ”on their own. Capaldi also recorded two of the top 10 single, top-selling cards on The Weeknd’s Blinding Lights.
According to the BPI’s record labeling association, spending was up for the sixth year in a row, with the same 155m records sold, up 8.2% on last year. The figures have been rebalanced to include an element of weighted video streaming alongside other paid audio streams.
The increase in hearing came as the live sector was largely wiped out by lockout rules to combat the pandemic – and despite a decline in demand at the start of the first lockout. spring.
The BPI said the flow was driven by growing leaflets investing in A&R, or artists and repertoire, the talent scout side and artistic development of the industry. A&R spending rose by over £ 250m in 2019, including more diverse talent from rap, hip-hop, dance and other genres.
BPI chief executive Geoff Taylor said: “A new wave of British talent is taking advantage of the rapid flow to exceptional success, measured in the hundreds of millions, even billions of streams. Record labels are investing heavily in emerging artists to secure the future of British music, strengthening UK exports and soft power. ”
He said: “The performance of recorded music in 2020 was remarkable, and it reminds us of the importance of music to our country, even when our lives are in turmoil. ”
The top 10 streaming artists in 2020 achieved over half a billion streams in the UK alone, and 8,000 different acts now produce more than 1m streams each year.
CD sales fell by a further 31% to 16m units in the UK, although the BPI said the format was stable and still played a key role. Drew Hill, managing director of distributor Proper Music, said they were still a “kingmaker”, with most of the number one albums still getting there by getting the most physical shows.
Resurrection vinyl record sales continued to be the mainstay and form of collectors, rising for the 13th consecutive year, 11.5% to 4.8m copies purchased. Top vendors were the reissued albums of Happier Decades: Rumors of Fleetwood Mac, followed by Oasis and Amy Winehouse.
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An even unsatisfactory revival, if it is very special, has been an audio allegation, with UK sales almost doubling to 157,000 copies, led by Lady Gaga’s Chromatica.
Hill said: “As we celebrate this streaming stream, it’s important that we also remember the ongoing fan demand for something substantial and we recognize that streaming and music physical harmony. ”
Meanwhile, Taylor said it was vital that the government supported venues and festivals during Covid’s ongoing restrictions until the region re-established, with live income an important part. of the income of many artists. Despite growth in streaming, he said: “Any satisfaction we can take has been diminished by the devastating impact of the pandemic on live music. We update our calls on the government to support our cultural centers, nightclubs and festivals so that they can reopen safely. “