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Record Store Day already has a magnificent track record of bringing music fans out to stores, but this year, the event received an added boost from Taylor Swift’s folklore, the long pond studio sessions — a double LP that resulted in longer-than-usual lines at retailers.
While the spread of Record Store Day (RSD) releases is now a major draw unto itself, the Swift release, which enjoyed a 75,000-unit distribution to stores across the U.S., was the best-selling title by far. Or as Stu Goldberg, owner of Mr. Cheapo CD & Record Exchange on Long Island, N.Y., put it: “Today, it was all about Taylor Swift.”
An assessment of Record Store Day wouldn’t be complete without a call to its administrator and co-founder, Michael Kurtz, who noted that RSD is on course to break the sales record for the most vinyl sold in a single day. When RSD “began 16 years ago, we had 30 releases that sold about 80,000 copies,” Kurtz says. “On Saturday, we had one record, Taylor Swift, selling 75,000 or almost that amount, and plenty of sales from other releases.” It’s likely that her release could be a Top 5 record on next next week’s Billboard 200.
Likewise, Rough Trade store manager George Flanagan said the store’s line was “informed by Taylor Swift fans,” while Newbury Comics store manager Therrien Dolby says the Swift release was the “big draw.” And In Patchogue, NY, Jeff Berg, the owner of Record Stop, says there were so many Swift fans, the store had to create two lines: one for fans seeking her release and one for everybody else. The Swift line had its own dedicated cash register too.
In acknowledgement of the day’s impact, Alliance Entertainment, the largest music wholesaler, says that more than 800,000 units of vinyl were created and shipped for RSD, with retail sales expected to surpass $32 million. “Record Store Day has been a long-time partner to Alliance Entertainment, always collaborating to benefit the independent record store community,” Alliance senior vp of sales Ken Glaser said in a statement.
RSD In NYC
Billboard began its New York City-area Record Store Day trek by driving out to Newbury Comics at Roosevelt Field Mall on Long Island. Upon arrival at 9 a.m., about 40 people were lined up outside. Like other stores later in the day, store manager Dolby positioned himself at the front door, regulating entry to make sure the store didn’t get too crowded and overwhelm the staff. At the 8 a.m. opening time, about 150 people were waiting, Dolby reported, including one customer who arrived at 1 a.m. (Dolby added that mall management, the Simon Property Group, was very helpful and accommodating to the store for the event.)
A common sight on RSD.
Ed Christman
Inside the store, a quick scan revealed that roughly 25% of its bin floor space is devoted to music, with 17 bins dedicated to vinyl and two dedicated to CDs. The store also carries a healthy stock of music merch, mainly artists-t-shirts, and music titles also enjoy a prominent position in front-of-the-store end caps.
Upon leaving Newbury Comics, Billboard headed to Mr. Cheapo CD & Record Exchange in Mineola (the store has a second location in Commack, Long Island). When co-owner Goldberg arrived at the store on Saturday morning, he found a line around the block due in large part to the Swift record, though he admitted that the store underbought the title and quickly ran out of it as a result. That was the store’s number one title for the day, he says, and “if we had more, it would have been the biggest by a mile.”
Fortunately for Goldberg, most people stayed in line after learning the Swift release had sold out. The other big sellers on Saturday were Billy Joel‘s Live at the Great American Music Hall, 1975 and Eric Carr’s Rockology, because “Kiss is always a great seller here,” he adds. Behind the counter, store staffer Jessica commanded the cash register and bagged purchases while touting her band T.O.Y.S.’ next gig with a bag-stuffer flyer for their set supporting hardcore punk band Urban Waste at the Amityville Music Hall on May 5.
Beyond the vinyl explosion, Goldberg noted that CDs are again becoming a big deal because young fans “want something tangible” from their favorite artists.
While at Mr. Cheapo, Billboard ran into respected sales/commerce executive Ken Gullic, who was doing his best to support RSD by picking up Soul Asylum‘s MTV Unplugged 1993 and Tori Amos‘ Little Earthquakes – The B-Sides. Most recently with MNRK, Gullic is entertaining freelance options; entertainment suppliers can reach him at kengullic@gmail.com.
After Long Island, Billboard decided to hit record stores in Ridgewood, Queens and then Bushwick, Brooklyn, on the way to Rough Trade Records on Sixth Avenue near 49th Street in Manhattan. Trying Google for Ridgewood, Billboard hit Scorpio Records and then Deep Cut Records, but things didn’t work out so well. At 11:30 a.m., Scorpio Records was closed and, as it turns out, generally doesn’t open until 2 p.m.
While Deep Cut Records was open and had about 20 people in line, the owner effectively told Billboard to get lost by slamming the door after being asked what his best-selling title was.
Onward Octopus Records in Bushwick. While Octopus didn’t stock any RSD titles, Nigel, who identified himself as the store owner, says it wasn’t for a lack of trying. He explained that his store is relatively new, having opened last summer and that an e-mail to the Record Store Day website was never returned. Nevertheless, the store advertised a 10%-off sale for RSD on a sign placed outside to celebrate the event. Nigel says Octopus Records has a deep selection of electronica music and is now building out other genres.
Down the block from Octopus, Brooklyn Vintage, a clothing store that also sells other merchandise, including records, was getting some Record Store Day action too, with crates of vinyl set outside the door (where a DJ was spinning tunes) and a bin of vinyl inside.
Finally, Billboard headed to Rough Trade in Manhattan, where things were still swinging at 2 p.m. Upon arrival, at least 150 people were still in line, which ran to the corner of 6th Avenue and then a third of the way down 49th Street. The size of the line held steady throughout most of the day, as security never let more than eight or so customers in the store at one time to allow staff to handle sales in an orderly manner.
Store manager Flanagan reports that the first customer lined up sometime before 8 p.m. on Friday night and that the same customer has been the first person in line for at Rough Trade on RSD for at least five years. Meanwhile, beyond the hundreds of copies of the Swift record sold by the store, The 1975’s Dirty Hit release, Live With The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, was its second most popular, having sold out by 3 p.m.
After Rough Trade, Billboard called it a day but is sorry to have bypassed Record Stop in Patchogue on Long Island, as that store put on an old-school Record Store Day bash reminiscent of the early days when stores threw parties for the annual event. “The town of Patchogue is very pro-business, so we did a block party, getting permits and had the street closed off from cars,” Record Stop owner Berg reports. “We had a food truck and the nearby Burgerology restaurant was hawking Blue Point beer, while we had five bands and a DJ.” According to a Record Stop flyer, the bands were Thee Unsung, the Detonators, Bang For Your Buc and War Pigs, while the DJ set was supplied by Vinyl Guy Tom.
Berg says he decided to make this year special because he wanted to thank his customers as well as his staff. “Record Store Day is about a celebration of what we do,” he says.
The All Access Audio Summit 2023 began Wednesday (April 26), and is set to run through Friday (April 28). Bringing together leaders in radio, podcasting and more, the virtual convention is sparking conversation aimed at optimizing the impact of audio in multiple commercial forms.
Here’s a rundown of highlights from the gathering’s first day (as panels were introduced by Premiere Networks host Angela Yee).
‘What in This Day and Age is Free?’
In the day’s first session, All Access president and publisher Joel Denver chatted with Ginny Morris, Hubbard Broadcasting chairman and CEO, who highlighted a radio air talent’s value as an “entertainer, informer and connector,” with “the ability to move an audience.”
Mused Morris, “Localism and local autonomy are key tenets of what we do. We’re adding local talent in every market we’re in. Without our talent, we’re just another ubiquitous commodity. Those [broadcasting companies] that are committed to talent seem to outlast those that aren’t. And we know we’re not alone, thankfully.”
Morris also touched on AM radio, amid news that the band will not be available in certain vehicles going forward, prompting U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg to weigh in on AM’s “important role.”
“I think we’re a long way from it disappearing from cars,” Morris said. “I’m involved with the NAB to see to it that all of America has access to all the ways that we’ll provide service in case of an emergency: foreign-language programming… a local baseball or hockey game… or news.”
Denver and Morris also discussed the amount of commercials on radio – a challenge, obviously, that streaming services don’t face with paid subscribers. Per Denver, “We’ve been running radio the same way the last 50, 60, 70 years.” Morris conceded, “We have to make payroll and keep the lights on,” while pointing out that Hubbard stations limit hourly commercials to 12.
“I personally love commercials,” she said, citing financial benefits for both radio and advertisers. “I wish they were more entertaining. We’ve tried to work on our creative and commercial content – it works better for clients, and their business grows.”
Morris reinforced the century-plus history of radio’s “no-trial, no credit-card” model: “What [else] in this day and age is free?”
As for maintaining the medium’s overall place in audio, “Super-serve your local community,” she offered. “We’re making sure we’re earning our place in the lives of our listeners.”
‘Art and Science’
After Jacobs Media president Fred Jacobs presented the results of the company’s Techsurvey 2023, the newest edition of the spotlight on core radio listeners’ media consumption habits, a panel discussed streaming metrics and radio’s traditional reliance on callout research – and where the two meet.
Sean Ross, Ross on Radio editor, advised radio programmers to “listen to music” and “don’t let TikTok have it all,” when it comes to exposing rising songs. “Top 40 is too narrow” in its variety of sounds, he said. “I just don’t think TikTok should be the decider for everybody. It’s one great source, but I don’t think it should be everything.”
Mark Adams, iHeartMedia vp of CHR and program director of KIOI and KYLD San Francisco, echoed Morris’ view that radio, with its air talent, boasts an advantage over streaming. “Listeners are bombarded with choice,” he said. “We have the ability to curate a better experience. It’s about the content, stupid. Are we providing a companion-based music experience?”
The panel also featured Louie Diaz, Cumulus vp of top 40 and rhythmic formats; Alissa Pollack, iHeartMedia executive vp of global music marketing; and Amie Vaughan, 300/Elektra executive vp of promotion and streaming.
“Art and science,” Vaughan marveled. “What a great business we have.”
AI: ‘We Have To Be Careful How We Use It’
Tim Clarke, Audacy senior vp of audio content, led a panel that covered multiple topics, including mulling uncertainties “as we go through the forest with a machete” regarding artificial intelligence.
“The cons are pretty frightening,” admitted Jon Zellner, iHeartMedia president of programming operations, digital music, citing that AI could, among other downsides, lead to higher unemployment. He feels that AI’s most important risk to radio is that it jeopardizes “discovery, surprise, trust and companionship. There are ways we can use it, but it should never be at the expense of a human voice.”
Smith-Richards Collective partner Tim Richards believes that AI can be helpful during a public emergency if air talent is unavailable, by creating familiar-sounding and comforting audio from prior recordings, à la voice-tracking. Still, he cautioned, “We have to be careful how we use it.”
All Access urban/R&B format editor likened the current stages of AI to “the wild, wild west.” He praised that radio programming and sales departments can use it to find out more about audiences, while engineering departments can employ it for technological advances. “The good thing about AI is we can pull the data a little quicker,” he said. Still, “That human factor will always be a part of everything we do.”
The group also discussed radio’s place in breaking new music.
“You just have to be paying attention all the time. There are so many places hit music can come from,” said Rich Davis, iHeartMedia director of CHR and KDWB Minneapolis PD.
Zellner noted research revealing that over 50% of people say that they discover music from radio – a higher share than that of streaming. While he found that stat “surprising,” he feels that listeners like hearing a DJ tell the story of a new song, as “there’s a trust factor.”
Instead of waiting for streaming to introduce hits, “Sometimes you can try to create the story, as well,” said Richards.
Again referencing radio’s role as more than a music service, Zellner directed to air talent that one break in an entire shift might be the only one that a listener hears that day, so make it count. “Make sure everything you’re doing sounds entertaining,” he said. He also advised that a morning show promo that runs throughout that day is essentially a “power song” and should be treated as importantly, by being specific and representative of members’ appeal. “More people will hear the promo than your actual show,” he said. “So make the promo kick-ass.”
“You’ve got to work harder than you ever have before,” offered Richards about radio’s current challenges among so many listener options. “The human attention span is more fractured today than it has been in the history of mankind.”
‘Great Programmers Always Find a Way’
A session on audio production continued the All Access Audio Summit’s first day (with Kelly “K3” Doherty, president and founder of Imaging House, sharing a tip that if anyone looking to record audio can’t get to a studio, solid soundproofing can be found … in a car), followed by a closing segment focused on radio programming.
Moderator James Howard, iHeartMedia regional senior vp in Chicago, declared, “Today is the good old days” for radio, and that programmers should consider “not a wish list, but a ‘can’ list.”
Greg Strassell, Hubbard Radio executive vp of programming, said, “I always quote Steve Rivers, one of my mentors: ‘Great programmers always find a way.’ ”
On recruiting the next generation of air talent, Chris Eagan, Cox Media Group vp of audience and operations, said, “It’s everywhere. We’re a lot more open to letting someone on a radio station than we were 20 years ago. We’re a lot more flexible. If someone shows the talent, or ability, there’s a lot less, ‘Bring me a tape.’ The relationship has sort of flipped.”
The panel, which also included Reggie Rouse, Audacy vp of urban programming and WVEE Atlanta PD, and Tony Gray, president and founder of Gray Communications, cited eager board ops and personalities on TikTok and Instagram, among other social media, as potential on-air voices. Howard suggested bartenders, as they can multi-task and “are great storytellers.”
As for finding hit songs, Eagan cited the importance of simply loving music, as how could one be a chef without liking food? “Be a scholar of music,” he asserted.
Replied Howard, “People love music and animals. If you don’t, you’re a serial killer.”
Meanwhile, as talk turned back to streaming’s place among programmers’ menu of song options, fellow panelist Beata Murphy, PD of iHeartMedia’s KIIS Los Angeles, recalled how the station helped make Encanto’s “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” an unlikely radio hit last year.
“I like to look at streaming, Shazam, other stations,” she said. “But then there’ll be a song every once in while … [“Bruno”] was the No. 1 streaming record, by four times, in Los Angeles. LA is the home of Disney, and it’s a Hispanic-leaning song. We tried it, the jocks set it up properly, it started a conversation, we played the record and then it started testing. That’s something I grabbed from streaming. We set it up properly so it didn’t sound crazy. It worked.”
Murphy further noted, with pride, listener response about “two favorite brands” – Disney and KIIS – “colliding.”
Summed up Strassell about radio in 2023, “Especially coming out of the pandemic, create that awareness. Hopefully your products are great and people will find you. Let’s remind people how great we are.”
Corey Taylor, the frontman of Grammy Award-winning and multiplatinum-selling metal band Slipknot, has signed a “global recordings agreement” with BMG to release his second solo album, Billboard has exclusively learned. The project, called CMF2, will arrive later in 2023.
“I wanted to work with BMG because they came in super hot wanting to work with me, and they’ve been keeping the fires burning for rock, punk and metal over the last few years,” Taylor tells Billboard.
CMF2 will be released on Taylor’s label imprint, Decibel Cooper/BMG, and apparently, he has an eye on helping other talent as well. He explains, “Decibel Cooper will not only allow me to release my own music and art worldwide, but it also gives me a solid way to help bolster any rad new acts I want to put on the roster. BMG is going to help me put my money where my mouth is — giving a boost to the next generation.”
“We are thrilled to welcome Corey Taylor to the BMG family,” executive vp of New York/senior vp of international marketing Jason Hradil said in a statement. “His new album is an extension of the incredible body of work he’s assembled over his career, and we can’t wait for fans around the world to hear it later this year.”
Thomas Scherer, BMG president of repertoire and marketing, Los Angeles and New York, added, “We were completely blown away after hearing Corey’s new album. His music is absolutely brilliant with the marketing skills to match. It is an honor to be the partner for such an inspiring artist and entrepreneur like Corey Taylor and amplify his vision globally.”
Taylor delivered his first solo album, CMFT, in 2020 through Roadrunner Records. It debuted at No. 44 on the Billboard 200, No. 6 on Top Rock & Alternative Albums and Top Rock Albums, and No. 3 on the Top Hard Rock Albums charts. To date, it has earned 52,000 equivalent album units, according to Luminate. Lead single “Black Eyes Blue” earned him his first No. 1 as a solo artist on Mainstream Rock Songs.
When asked how CMF2 will differ from its predecessor, he described it as “bigger, better and harder than CMFT in almost every way: The songs are sick, the music is gigantic, and the risks were off the charts. CMFT was where I came from; CMF2 is where I’m going.”
Taylor, one of metal’s best-known personalities, has a multifaceted career within and beyond the music industry. Six of Slipknot’s studio albums have reached the top three of the Billboard 200, with three of those titles debuting at the peak. The group has earned 12.1 million equivalent album units and has also logged 4.7 billion official on-demand U.S. streams and 8.3 million downloads. The nine-piece band, whose sinister, evolving masks have become one of the genre’s most identifying symbols, will tour Europe throughout June.
Taylor also fronts multiplatinum hard-rock band Stone Sour, which has been on hiatus after releasing six studio albums between 2002-2017. He penned a four-issue companion comic book to Stone Sour’s House of Gold & Bones, Part 1 and 2 projects and is a New York Times bestselling author of four nonfiction books, the latest being 2017’s America 51. He has several acting credits, including roles in the horror films Rucker and Bad Candy.
For the next entries on his résumé, “I’ve always got a ton of things going on,” says Taylor. Having acquired the Famous Monsters horror brand in late 2022, he says the enterprise is “firing up, on print and digitally,” for he is relaunching its namesake zine and intends to create toys, films and festivals under the banner. “Still in [pre-production] for Zombie Vs. Ninja, the first of the movies I’ve written; still toying with the ideas for my fifth book. You know me — can’t get rid of me!”
On April 18, BMG announced it would combine its new-release and catalog recordings businesses, in recognition of how streaming is blurring the line between catalog and front-line music. In March, the company reported that, in 2022, it enjoyed its best year in its 15-year history, with revenue up over 30% due to strong growth in publishing and recorded music, as well as its $500 million-plus investment in music catalogs and artist signings.
Soulja Boy has been ordered to pay his ex-girlfriend $235,900 stemming from an assault and kidnapping lawsuit she filed against the rapper in 2020.
In court documents obtained by Billboard, the rapper, born DeAndre Way, must pay Kayla Myers $1,800 for “mental health expenses,” while the remaining $234,100 is for “physical and mental pain and suffering.”
According to Myers’ original complaint, the alleged assault and kidnapping occurred at the rapper’s Malibu home after a party in February 2019 and reportedly lasted six hours. Myers claimed she tried to leave but that one of Soulja Boy’s assistants prevented her from her doing so. She also alleged that Soulja held a gun to her head, issued numerous threats against her and at one point struck her with the firearm.
“Way held the gun to Ms. Myers’ head and told her she was going to die that night and she would not make it home,” the complaint read. “Way next instructed his assistant to take her in the garage and tie her up with duct tape.”
Billboard reached out to attorneys for Soulja Boy and Myers for comment but did not hear back by press time.
This isn’t the only legal hot water Soulja Boy has found himself in over the past few years. In March 2019, the rapper was arrested for violating his probation stemming from a 2014 weapons conviction. The following month, he received a sentence of 240 days behind bars and 265 hours of community service.
In March, the “Crank That” star was one of several celebrities charged by the Securities and Exchange Comission for promoting cryptocurrencies “without disclosing that they were compensated for doing so and the amount of their compensation,” according to an SEC announcement.
Universal Music Group chairman/CEO Lucian Grainge took aim at artificial intelligence again on Wednesday (April 26), this time blaming AI for the “oversupply” of “bad” content on streaming platforms and pointing to user-centric payment models as the answer.
AI tools have exploded in popularity in recent months, and Grainge has been an outspoken critic of generative AI being used to mimic copyrighted works, as with the song “Heart on My Sleeve,” which used AI to generate vocals from UMG artists Drake and The Weeknd.
In fervent comments Grainge made during a call discussing UMG’s earnings Wednesday, the executive said AI significantly contributes to a glut of “poor-quality” content on streaming platforms, muddies search experiences for fans looking for their favorite artists and generally has “virtually no consumer appeal.”
“Any way you look at it, this oversupply, whether or not AI-created is, simply, bad. Bad for artists. Bad for fans. And bad for the platforms themselves,” Grainge said.
The head of the world’s largest music company specifically called out the role of generative AI platforms, which are “trained” to produce new creations after being fed vast quantities of existing works known as “inputs.” In the case of AI music platforms, that process involves huge numbers of songs, which many across the music industry argue infringes on artists’ and labels’ copyrights.
Grainge argued that “the flood of unwanted content” generated by AI could be reduced by adopting new payment models from streaming platforms. UMG is currently exploring “artist-centric” models with Tidal and Deezer, while SoundCloud and Warner Music Group also announced a partnership on so-called user-centric royalties last year.
“With the right incentive structures in place, platforms can focus on rewarding and enhancing the artist-fan relationship and, at the same time, elevate the user experience on their platforms, by reducing the sea of ‘noise’ … eliminating unauthorized, unwanted, and infringing content entirely,” Grainge said on Wednesday.
While UMG continues exploring alternative streaming payment models with partners Tidal, Deezer and others on what form alternative streaming payment models should take, an analyst on Wednesday’s call asked Grainge if, in the meantime, the company would ever consider licensing songs to an AI platform.
“We are open to licensing … but we have to respect our artist and the integrity of their work,” Grainge said. “We should be the hostess with the mostest. We’re open for business with businesses that are legitimate and (interested in) partnership for growth.”
Fugees rapper Pras, accused in multimillion-dollar political conspiracies spanning two presidencies, was convicted Wednesday (April 26) after a trial that included testimony ranging from actor Leonardo DiCaprio to former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
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Prakazrel “Pras” Michel was accused of funneling money from a now-fugitive Malaysian financier through straw donors to Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign, then trying to squelch a Justice Department investigation and influence an extradition case on behalf of China under the Trump administration.
The defense argued the Grammy-winning rapper from the 1990s hip-hop group the Fugees simply wanted to make money and got bad legal advice as he reinvented himself in the world of politics.
Michel first met Malaysian financer Low Taek Jho in 2006, when the businessman usually known as Jho Low was dropping huge sums of money and hobnobbing with the likes of Paris Hilton. Low helped finance Hollywood films, including “The Wolf of Wall Street.” DiCaprio testified Low had appeared to him as a legitimate businessman and had mentioned wanting to donate to Obama’s campaign.
Michel also testified in his own defense. He said Low wanted a picture with Obama in 2012 and was willing to pay millions of dollars to get it. Michel agreed to help and used some of the money he got to pay for friends to attend fundraising events. No one had ever told him that was illegal, he said.
Prosecutors said Michel was donating the money on Low’s behalf, and later tried to lean on the straw donors with texts from burner phones to keep them from talking to investigators.
After the election of Donald Trump, prosecutors say Michel again took millions to halt an investigation into allegations Low masterminded a money laundering and bribery scheme that pilfered billions from the Malaysian state investment fund known as 1MDB. Low is now an international fugitive and has maintained his innocence.
Michel also got paid to try and persuade the U.S. to extradite back to China a government critic suspected of crimes there without registering as a foreign agent, prosecutors said.
On that charge, the defense pointed to testimony from Sessions, who was Trump’s top law enforcement officer until he resigned in 2018. Sessions said he’d been aware the Chinese government wanted the extradition but didn’t know Michel. The rapper’s ultimately futile efforts to arrange a meeting on the topic didn’t seem improper, the former attorney general said.
Billboard is introducing a peer-voted award to run alongside its annual Country Power Players list of country music industry’s most influential executives. This new Country Power Players’ Choice Award will honor the executive whose peers believe has had the greatest impact across the music business over the past year, from recording and publishing to managing and touring and beyond. Vote here.
Voting is now open to all Billboard Pro members, both existing and new, with one vote per member.
Billboard launched its first Players’ Choice Award with the Power 100 list earlier this year.
The first round of voting will begin April 25, with an open call for nominees.
The second round of voting will begin May 8, in order to narrow down the top 25 nominees into the final five top executives.
The third round of voting will begin May 15, to select the winner from that list.
If you are not yet a member of Billboard Pro, you can join here.
Billboard is introducing a peer-voted award to run alongside its annual Country Power Players list of country music industry’s most influential executives. This new Country Power Players’ Choice Award will honor the executive whose peers believe has had the greatest impact across the music business over the past year, from recording and publishing to managing and touring and beyond.
Voting is open to all Billboard Pro members, both existing and new, with one vote per member.
Billboard first launched its Players’ Choice Award with the Power 100 list earlier this year.
The first round of voting is now open and will run through May 7 with an open call for nominees. Vote below.
The second round of voting will begin May 8, in order to narrow down the top 20 nominees into the final five top executives.
The third round of voting will begin May. 15, to select the winner from that list. Voting concludes May 21 at 11:59 p.m. EST.
Vote here:
The annual IMS Business Report was presented today (April 26) at IMS Ibiza. The dance industry conference annually presents the report, which breaks down notable growth (and lag) sectors of the scene and also provides a yearly valuation of the worldwide industry.
For the first time, the report was authored by MIDiA Research’s Mark Mulligan, who presented it today to a packed room. These are eight of the key findings.
1. The Global Dance Music Industry Grew By 34% In 2022, Reaching a Value Of $11.3 Billion
This number is 16% higher than it was before the pandemic, during which the value of the global industry reached historic lows as live events shut down. But, the report states, “2022 saw festivals and clubs rebound, finally shaking off most of the effects of the pandemic, representing nearly half of all dance industry revenues.”
The report notes that hardware and software combined were the next largest revenue source, but also the slowest growing. Music rights around recording and publishing grew by 14,% representing just under a fifth of the overall total.
2. The U.S., Germany & U.K. Have the Three Biggest Spotify Monthly Listener Bases for Electronic Music
This makes sense, given that these countries are also three of the world’s biggest music markets. But while Netherlands and Australia are smaller, they are multiple times higher as a share of the total population (Netherlands rate is seven times higher than the US). This means that electronic music simply has more cultural reach and impact here in these two countries.
3. Electronic Music Is Outperforming Hip-Hop In Social Follower Growth
Electronic music’s fanbase growth is happening most powerfully on social platforms, and TikTok especially. Here it’s growing 10 times faster than hip hop. TikTok launched #ElectronicMusic as its latest genre campaign in 2021 and hosted LIVE events from artists including Disclosure, BICEP and David Guetta As of March 2023, since June 2022, average daily creations for #ElectronicMusic are up 113% on the platform.
4. Music Software, Skills & Hardware Are Becoming Increasingly Valuable
Music production boomed during the pandemic, fostering more creators than ever before. And although growth slowed in 2022, revenues around software, hardware and production skills hit $6.6 billion, of which $2.8 billion was from dance producers and DJs.
5. Electronic Music Artists Represented 39% of All Festival Bookings In 2022
That’s up from 33% in 2021.
6. Female DJs Gained Traction, But 2022 Still Saw Male DJs Increase Their Share of Global Bookings
Though female DJs represented 15% of top 100 DJ bookings at festivals and other events, in 2022, this share fell from 21% in 2021. In the post-Covid return to live, male top 100 DJs saw their bookings grow 1.7 times faster than their female counterparts. Meanwhile, 67% of female artists reported feeling pressure to look good, while only 14% of male DJs reported feeling this same pressure.
7. Ibiza Came Back Big Following the Pandemic
Ibiza club ticketing revenue reached €124 million ($137 million) in 2022, up 55% from the €80 million ($88 million)registered in 2019. This growth was a result of increases in the number of events per venue, average ticket prices, and the total number of tickets sold going from two million in 2019 to 2.5 million in 2022.
8. Tech House Remains Beatport’s Leading Genre
The genre is followed in popularity by techno, house, melodic house and techno and drum and bass, dance/electropop, deep house, progressive house, indie dance, minimal/deep tech and trance. Despite the dominance of these sounds, 33% of all sales on the dance world digital download platform come from genres outside the platform’s top 10.
9. SoundCloud Is Foundational to Dance Music Culture
The platform saw a 24% growth in dance/electronic plays in 2022. The platform also hosts DJ sets, mash ups, rarities not presented on other platforms, and allows DJs and producers to connect with their fans in a way Spotify does not.
10. The Dance Scene Is In a Better Place Than It Was Pre-Pandemic
The reports states that “the dance music industry has shaken off the effects of the pandemic, coming out the other side, bigger, better, stronger and more relevant than ever.”
Universal Music Group’s revenues rose 11.5% to 2.45 billion euros ($2.71 billion) last quarter, as sales generated by Morgan Wallen, Taylor Swift, TOMORROW X TOGETHER bolstered results in both recorded music and music publishing.
The world’s biggest music company reported revenue from its recorded music division rose 11.7% to 1.92 billion euros ($2.1 billion) in the quarter ending March 31 compared to the same period a year ago. Revenue from subscriptions and streaming rose by nearly 10% to 1.33 billion euros ($1.47 billion) and physical revenue rose a whopping 32% to 313 million euros ($346 million), while revenue from downloads and other digital revenue — the smallest line item in the division — fell by 19.1% to 55 million euros ($60 million).
The publishing division’s overall revenues rose 13.3% to 425 million euros ($469 million), with digital revenue contributing the most, increasing by nearly 21% from a year ago to 231 million euros ($255 million). Synchronization revenue rose around 11% to 69 million euros ($76 million), while performance revenue slipped 1% to 90 million euros ($99 million).
“Our strong start to the year demonstrates our consistency in developing great artists and introducing their music to fans around the world,” UMG chairman and chief executive Lucian Grainge said in a statement. “We look forward to building on this momentum and furthering our track record of transforming disruptive technologies into opportunities to accelerate our business for our artists, fans and shareholders.”
Overall earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) for the quarter fell by nearly 43% to 261 million euros ($288 million), driven primarily by equity-based compensation expenses UMG began rolling out in the fourth quarter of 2022. Stripping out those compensation expenses, UMG reported adjusted EBITDA rose 14.7% to 522 million euros ($576 million) compared to the year-ago quarter, and adjusted EBITDA margin grew 0.6 percentage points to 21.3%.
UMG’s Earnings Highlights:
Revenue rose 11.5%, or 9.3% in constant currency, to 2.45 billion euros ($2.71 billion) versus the year ago quarter.
EBIDTA fell 42.5% to to 261 million euros ($288 million)
Adjusted EBITDA rose 14.7% to 522 million euros ($576 million)
Adjusted EBITDA margin grew 0.6 percentage points to 21.3%
Recorded Music Division Highlights:
Recorded music revenue overall rose 11.7% to 1.92 billion euros ($2.1 billion)
Subscriptions and streaming revenue rose by nearly 10% to 1.33 billion euros ($1.47 billion)
Physical revenues rose 32% to 313 million euros ($346 million)
License and other revenue rose 9.2% to 226 million euros ($250 million)
Downloads and other digital revenue fell by 19.1% to 55 million euros ($60 million)
Music Publishing Highlights:
Music publishing revenues overall rose 13.3% to 425 million euros ($469 million)
Digital revenues rose by nearly 21% from a year ago to 231 million euros ($255 million)
Performance revenues slipped 1% to 90 million euros ($99 million)
Synchronization revenues rose around 11% to 69 million euros ($76 million)
