• ABOUT
    • Contact
    • The Team
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Events
    • FAQ
    • Use & Privacy Policy
  • ADVERTISE
  • ROWFAX
  • THE SPORTS CREDENTIAL
  • JOB LISTINGS
MusicRow.com
  • CALENDARS
    • Album/EP Releases
    • Single/Track Releases
    • Industry Events
  • OBITS
  • CHARTS
    • Radio Chart (Current)
    • Radio Chart (Archives)
    • No. 1 Challenge Coin
    • Songwriter Chart (Current)
    • Songwriter Chart (Archives)
  • REVIEWS
  • MY STORY
  • NEWSLETTER
    • Newsletter (Current)
    • SIGN UP (FREE!)
    • Newsletter (Archives)
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • STORE
  • Search
  • Menu Menu

RIAA Releases 2015 Year-End Report, Streaming Grows

March 23, 2016/by Eric T. Parker

2015 Recorded Music Revenues for US. Source: RIAA

RIAA’s 2015 year-end Music Sales & Shipments Report shows total retail income from recorded music in the U.S. increasing 0.9 percent to $7.02 billion ($4.95 billion wholesale).

Streaming—led by paid subscription models, which grew 40 percent in paid subscribers—clocked in at $2.4 billion, slightly outperforming physical and download sales to become the largest revenue-generator for the U.S. recording industry.

Streaming, permanent downloads and physical sales are “the most balanced revenue mix in recent history, with just about 1/3 of revenues coming from each of the major platform,” cites Joshua Friedlander, RIAA’s Sr. VP of Strategic Data Analysis.

Thus, permanently downloaded albums declined 7 percent from the previous year (5 percent decline in dollar value), while single-track downloads declined 15 percent (13 percent decline in dollar value).

The report continues, noting SoundExchange distributions grew 4 percent to $803 million, and on-demand ad-supported streaming grew 31 percent year-over-year to $385 million. Sync royalties grew 7 percent to $203 million.

Total value of shipments in physical formats was $2.0 billion, down 10 percent versus the prior year. Vinyl LPs were up 32 percent by value, and at $416 million were at their
highest level since 1988. Synchronization royalties were $203 million, up 7 percent versus the prior year.

US Streaming Music Revenues (2013-15). Source: RIAA

RIAA Chairman & CEO Cary Sherman offered his take:

The music industry is now a digital business, deriving more than 70% of its revenues from a wide array of digital platforms and formats. The share of revenues from those digital formats surpasses that of any other creative industry.

Another headline? In 2015, digital music subscription services reached new all-time highs, generating more than $1 billion in revenues for the first time, and averaging nearly 11 million paid subscriptions for the year. Heading into 2016, the number of subscriptions swelled even higher — more than 13 million by the end of December — holding great promise for this year.

While today’s data is encouraging, the challenges facing us are significant. The consumption of music is skyrocketing, but revenues for creators have not kept pace. In 2015, fans listened to hundreds of billions of audio and video music streams through on-demand ad-supported digital services like YouTube, but revenues from such services have been meager — far less than other kinds of music services.

Need further proof that some fundamental market distortions are at play? Last year, 17 million vinyl albums, a legacy format enjoying a bit of a resurgence, generated more revenues than billions and billions of on-demand free streams: $416 million compared to $385 million for on-demand free streams.

I’m confident that music’s future is bright. The popularity of music is greater than ever. Like never before, it drives our culture and commerce. It is the throbbing heartbeat of social media and it is a must-have ingredient of any major technology platform. But reforms are necessary to level the playing field and ensure that the entire music community derives the full and fair value of our work.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Eric T. Parker
Eric T. Parker
Eric T. Parker
Latest posts by Eric T. Parker (see all)
  • SiriusXM Adds New Channels, Personalization, Expanded Video, Mobile App Upgrades - July 10, 2019
  • Spotify To Close Beta Program That Let Indie Artists Upload Music Directly - July 3, 2019
  • Mark Your Calendar—July 2019 - July 1, 2019
Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share by Mail
https://musicrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Screen-Shot-2016-03-23-at-10.07.18-AM.png 265 324 Eric T. Parker https://musicrow.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/MusicRow-header-logo-Mar19B.png Eric T. Parker2016-03-23 11:12:232016-03-23 11:12:23RIAA Releases 2015 Year-End Report, Streaming Grows
0 replies

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

RECENT NEWS

  • New IRS Rule Affects Concert Ticket Resellers September 29, 2023
  • Neil Medley Shares His Stories On Debut Project, ‘South End Kid’ September 29, 2023
  • Worldwide Stages Announces Investment Opportunity In Its Production Campus September 29, 2023
  • In Pictures: Coastal Country Jam Closes Summer With Star-Studded Lineup September 29, 2023
  • First-Ever ‘People’s Choice Country Awards’ Airs Live From Nashville [Recap] September 29, 2023
  • Fifth Annual Charlie Daniels Patriot Awards Raises $400K For U.S. Military Vets September 29, 2023
  • Morgan Wallen Adds Multiple Nights In Several Markets For 2024 Tour September 29, 2023
  • Brittney Spencer Slates Debut Album ‘My Stupid Life’ For January September 29, 2023
  • Dylan Scott Earns MusicRow No. 1 With ‘Can’t Have Mine’ September 29, 2023
  • Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle Among Winners At 34th Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards September 29, 2023
  • 2023 People’s Choice Country Awards Winners – Complete List September 29, 2023
  • DISClaimer Single Reviews: The Late Jimmy Buffett ‘Encourages Optimism & Hope’ September 28, 2023
  • Industry Ink: Wasserman Music, Merle Travis, Equal Access, More September 28, 2023
  • Shania Twain’s Multi-Platinum ‘Greatest Hits’ Makes Vinyl Debut In November September 28, 2023
  • IBMA Honors 2023 Industry Awards Recipients September 28, 2023

Like Us on Facebook

Follow Us on Twitter

Tweets by MusicRow
© 2023 Music Row Enterprises, LLC – All rights reserved.
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
Scroll to top