Reports: independent labels

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Recorded music market 2021
Red letter year

Cover image for Recorded music market 2021

Mark Mulligan

March 2022

Streaming Music

recorded music

independent labels

MIDiA suggested in 2020 that 2021 was going to be a strong year for the recorded music market. Indeed, 2021 turned out to be the fastest-growing year in living memory, with growth across most formats –...

Independent label market shares
Up on all counts

Cover image for Independent label market shares

Mark Mulligan

October 2021

Spotify

Record labels

independent labels

This report presents record label market share that is measured not just by label reported revenues, but also by separating the revenues of independent labels that are distributed by major label groups,...

Recorded music market 2020
Pandemic-era growth

Cover image for Recorded music market 2020

Mark Mulligan

March 2021

Streaming

Streaming Music

recorded music

The global pandemic turned the music industry upside down. While live was decimated throughout 2020, after an initial downturn, the recorded music market returned to growth and finished the year with an...

Music Marketing
The Velocity Game

Mark Mulligan

August 2020

Spotify

YouTube

Music streaming has become so central to the functioning of the record label business model that labels are becoming beholden to streaming service optimisation. A shift towards ever-larger numbers of new...

Recorded Music Market 2019
A Thriving and Transforming Industry

Cover image for Recorded Music Market 2019

Mark Mulligan

March 2020

music sales

Streaming

Streaming Music

With five successive years of growth, the recorded music market has transitioned from a recovering industry into a thriving business. The stars are aligning, with growing consumer demand, business model...

Independent Artists
The Music Industry Rewritten

Mark Mulligan

July 2019

Creators

Labels

rhapsody

The rise of independent artists is one of the most important changes to happen to the modern recorded music business. While traditional label models still dominate, ever more artists are pursuing non-traditional...

Recorded Music Market 2018
Stream Engine

Cover image for Recorded Music Market 2018

Mark Mulligan

March 2019

music sales

Streaming

Streaming Music

For the fourth consecutive year, recorded music revenues grew again in 2018 with streaming revenue the engine room of growth. For the first time, streaming became the majority of label revenue and...

Global Music Distribution
A Buyer’s Market

Cover image for Global Music Distribution

Mark Mulligan

May 2018

Labels

Spotify

Record labels

The internet was supposed to be the great leveller, enabling smaller artists and labels to reach global audiences in a way not previously possible. But, it turns out that getting music to these global...

Recorded Music Market 2017
Streaming Accelerating Growth

Cover image for Recorded Music Market 2017

Mark Mulligan

April 2018

music sales

Streaming

Streaming Music

Recorded music revenues are booming and the distribution end of the value chain is both vibrant and competitive. This has not been the case for many, many years. Streaming is on course to become the main...

Making and Marketing an Artist
Streaming Rewrites the Rules, Again

Cover image for Making and Marketing an Artist

Mark Mulligan

April 2018

Labels

Streaming

Streaming Music

Marketing is one of the core competencies of record labels. The rise of the internet and social media transformed label marketing strategies. Now streaming is turning everything upside down again. The...