Sales Trilogy Part Two: Catalog Is Cool, Again

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Sales Trilogy: Part One showcased the final week of 2011 and some of the basic indicators for country music’s sales performance. (Read it HERE.) Sales Trilogy: Part Two will put the year’s achievements in perspective across genres, by artist, by sales format and by market share.

Regular readers know that the source of this year-end data, is Nielsen SoundScan. Special thanks to Scoop Marketing’s Anna Loynes who is instrumental in compiling and distributing the coveted information.

For those living in a units-based world, it was a good year. Total album sales rose 1.3% to 326.2 million units and if we include TEA (track equivalent albums) in that tally the increase was a healthy 3.2%.

Genres posting the highest gains by percentage were Jazz (+26%; 11.07 million), New Age (+16.2%; 1.93 million), Electronic (+15%; 10.05 million) and Classical (+6.8%; 9.57 million). Coincidence or not, these high-growth genres all qualify for “Long Tail” niche status. Are we seeing a shift in buying habits or is this a reflection of increased availability of catalog due to digital formats? Either way it is something for marketers of these diverse genres to watch.

Formats suffering the slings and arrows of negative growth were Soundtracks (-19.4%; 13.23 million), Latin (-4.3%; 11.81 million), R&B (-4.2%; 55.44 million), Christian/Gospel (-2%; 23.73 million) and Country (-1.8%; 42.92 million).

As expected, Digital track sales (+8.5%) and Digital Album Sales (+19.5%) continued to erode physical format dominance. Digital albums as a percent of Total album sales are now 31.2% compared with 26.4% for 2010. (country digital albums as a percentage of total country album sales are 19%.) This means that over 68% of album sales are still in physical format.

Some “Did you know?” party chatter—In 2010 and 2011 there were 13 albums that sold one million or more units and 35 albums made it into the 500k-999k category both years.

Catalog was an important element in carving out the positive 2011 sales landscape. Looking at overall album sales, deep catalog jumped 12.5%, regular catalog increased 8.9% while current sales fell -4.2%. That trend was most pronounced in the digital arena. Deep digital catalog skyrocketed 23.1%, with overall catalog rising 19.8%.

Market Share
The album market share discussion is colored this year by the knowledge that UMG (29.85%) and EMI (9.62%) are planning to integrate in the coming year. This would give the new combined entity almost 40% of the total sales pie leaving Sony Music (29.29%) and Warner Music Group (19.13%) as distant challengers.

Billboard Top Ten Artist Airplay Based Upon Nielsen BDS (2011 calendar year)

Artist Stats
And now to the artist discussion. Whatever question is asked, guess Adele and her album 21, and odds are almost 100% you will be correct. Adele sold 6.744 million units and in the process earned the No. 1 position for Top Selling Album and Artist. Her track “Rolling In The Deep” was top Selling Digital Track (5.813 million). Nashville, unfortunately was mostly MIA with regard to the various top ten sales lists. However, on the Top Selling Album List Jason Aldean was No. 5 (1.576 million) and Lady Antebellum placed No. 10 (1.2 million). In the Top Artist sweeps Lady A, Jason and Taylor Swift placed in positions 6, 8 and 9 respectively. (see above chart)

 Factoids
>>For the second straight year, Lady Antebellum finishes the year as the biggest selling group of 2011 with more than 2.1 million album sales.

>>Garth Brooks continues to be comfortably the best selling artist in the Nielsen SoundScan era with more than 68.5 million album sales; 5 million sales ahead of the Beatles.

>>Katy Perry ends the year as the most played artist over the airways in 2011 with more than 1.4 million spins; edging out Bruno Mars by 17,000 spins.

>>In 2011, 31% of all albums purchased were through a digital service like iTunes, Amazonmp3 or eMusic, an increase of 5 points from 2010.

Paisley Renames Upcoming Tour

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In December, during rehearsals and stage set-up for his upcoming tour, Brad Paisley decided to rename the show. The outing, which starts Jan. 12, is now called the Virtual Reality World Tour 2012.

“When you see plans and sketches on paper it’s one thing but to actually see it in real life is something else, and that’s what happened to me when we were in tour rehearsals. When I saw the visuals and how exciting and sometimes mind-blowing they were I just felt the tour name needed to reflect what the fans were going to see,” says Paisley. “For two hours each night of the tour they can be taken away from reality—literally.”

The run kicks-off next week with special guests CMA New Artist of the Year The Band Perry and 2011 American Idol winner Scotty McCreery. Live Nation is the national tour promoter. For ticket sales and more information visit www.bradpaisley.com and www.livenation.com.

2012 First Quarter Tour Dates:
January 12                   Grand Rapids, MI
January 13                   Milwaukee, WI
January 14                   St. Paul, MN
January 19                   Kansas City, MO
January 20                   Wichita, KS
January 21                   Denver, CO
January 26                   Boise, ID
January 27                   Salt Lake City, UT
January 28                   Las Vegas, NV
February 9                   Spokane, WA
February 10                 Eugene, OR
February 11                 Tacoma, WA
February 16                 Lubbock, TX
February 17                 Las Cruces, NM
February 23                 Madison, WI
February 24                 Moline, IL
February 25                 Springfield, MO
March 1                       Baltimore, MD
March 2                       Knoxville, TN
March 3                       Lexington, KY

Industry Ink (1/5/12)

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PLA Media has announced the addition of Carly Caramanna as PR & Marketing Account Executive. In her new role, Caramanna will be responsible for day-to-day initiatives and aiding with social media strategy.

“Coming from New York City, Carly brings with her a wealth of experience and creative ability,” says PLA Media President/CEO Pam Lewis. “With a great reputation in the industry, we look forward to her becoming a vital part of our team.”

Prior to joining PLA, Caramanna worked independently out of New York City and has been a part of media campaigns for Lynyrd Skynyrd and Carol Channing. A native of New Jersey, Caramanna studied at New York University. Congratulate her at carly.caramanna@plamedia.com.

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Nashville-based Chris Vetrano, former VP Artist Relations & Business Development for Brite Revolution and Brite Magazine, has departed his position with the company to launch CMENT. According to a press release, the new venture will “focus on the development of media and entertainment brands” and offer services in PR, marketing, management and more. Reach him at chris@cment.us.

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Wigby, a new company offering live performance videos via webcast, will celebrate its launch with a Jan. 19 show at The Basement. Local singer-songwriter Korby Lenker started the company with a focus on minimal production and editing. Among the artists who have made Wigby videos are Tim O’Brien, Angel Snow, Courtney Jaye, and Natalie Prass.  

Performing at the launch party will be Prass, Lenker, Alyssa Bonagura, and Wild Cub (members of Keegan DeWitt and Pico vs. Island Trees).

Contact Lenker at korby@korbylenker.com or see more on Facebook.

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A crazed concertgoer at The Ryman stabbed the fan seated next to him in the face last night (1/4) during the Gregg Allman concert, according to The Tennessean. The report says that the two men began arguing after they bumped into each other. The victim was treated at a local hospital for minor injuries.

 

SiriusXM Adds 1.7M Subscribers in 2011

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Sirius XM Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI) announced yesterday it ended the year with nearly 21.9 million subscribers, reporting approximately 540,000 net new subscribers in the fourth quarter and approximately 1,700,000 for the full year 2011.

“Based on preliminary subscriber data, we are very pleased to announce that SiriusXM exceeded its subscriber guidance for the year. Our subscriber growth accelerated in 2011 as net additions grew approximately 20%, delivering our best year for net additions since the merger and demonstrating the strong continuing demand for our unmatched audio content,” said Mel Karmazin, Chief Executive Officer, SiriusXM.

SiriusXM broadcasts more than 135 satellite radio channels of commercial-free music, and premier sports, news, talk, entertainment, traffic, weather, and data services to its subscribers.

YouTube video

Sara Evans Releases Third Novel

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Sara Evans released her third novel, Love Lifted Me, earlier this week (1/03). The novel, co-written by Rachel Hauck, is the third installment in Evans’ Songbird series, which include The Sweet By and By (2009) and Softly and Tenderly (2011). All three books follow the life of protagonist Jade Benson.

A starred Booklist review on the novel’s cover tells readers, “Hang on for an emotional ride, as a woman who married into a Southern soap opera learns to forgive and trust again.”

Love Lifted Me chronicles a trying time in Jade Benson’s life, in which she and her husband, Max, gain custody of his son. As the three face the challenge of becoming a family, a stranger reveals a secret that threatens their newly formed unit.

“All my songs tell a story. But this one is special. My first book series is about looking backward while moving forward. It’s about chasing dreams, endless country roads, and tender faith,” explains Evans.

Love Lifted Me is available now at Amazon.

Davidson, EMI Renew Publishing Deal

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Hit songwriter Dallas Davidson and EMI Music Publishing have entered a new co-publishing deal, extending their four-year relationship. EMI Music Publishing will continue to represent Davidson’s catalogue and future works on a worldwide basis in partnership with Davidson’s Two Chord Georgia Music.

Davidson’s recent hits include songs recorded by Lady Antebellum (“We Owned The Night”), Luke Bryan (“I Don’t Want This Night To End,” “Country Girl Shake It For Me”), Blake Shelton (“It’s All About Tonight”) and Montgomery/Gentry (“Where I Come From”). He was crowned this year’s BMI Songwriter of the Year and was awarded BMI’s Song Of The Year for “All Over Me” (Josh Turner).

EMI Music Publishing Nashville Executive Vice President Ben Vaughn said, “Dallas is a talented, driven, world class songwriter who writes songs that sell records and radio plays. Our entire EMI team could not be prouder to have partnered with him during his rise to the top of the charts many, many times. He cares deeply about his friends, his music, and he’s a great guy to go hang out with at The Cracker Barrel.”

“Today is a big day for me,” added Davidson. “I’m very excited to be moving forward with the EMI team. Ben Vaughn is the reason that I came here four short years ago and he has done everything he said he would. I believe in loyalty and friendships in this business and with EMI I have both. On the business side of things I see EMI, Ben Vaughn, and Big Jon Platt as the best of the best. Together we are extremely productive. Why in the hell would I wanna be anywhere else?”

Since his breakout 2006 hit “Honky Tonk Badonadonk” (Trace Adkins), Davidson has racked up 16 top 20 singles, including 12 No. 1s, a few of which include “Start a Band” (Brad Paisley & Keith Urban), “That’s How Country Boys Roll” (Billy Currington), “Rain Is A Good Thing” (Luke Bryan), “Gimmie That Girl” (Joe Nichols), “If Heaven Wasn’t So Far Away” (Justin Moore) and “Just A Kiss” (Lady Antebellum).

Lambert’s “Four The Record” Goes Gold

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Miranda Lambert started the New Year with some shiny new metal and high praise for her latest album Four The Record. The album achieved Gold status faster than any of her previous three albums, all of which have been certified Platinum.

Released last November (11/1/11), Four The Record garnered rave reviews from the press and has ended up on many Album of the Year lists including Rolling Stone, USA Today, People Magazine, American Songwriter, The Houston Chronicle and many others. Additionally, Rolling Stone added the song “Mama’s Broken Heart” to their Singles of the Year list.

“Over You,” is Lambert’s recently released second single from Four The Record. The track includes some of the most personal lyrics of her career. Written by Lambert with husband Blake Shelton, the song is about Shelton’s brother who died in a car accident when Shelton was a teenager.

Lambert is scheduled to kick-off her new headline tour On Fire, next Thursday, Jan. 12, in Rockford, IL. As previously announced, labelmates Chris Young and Jerrod Niemann will also join Lambert for the coast-to-coast tour, which will play more than 30 cities.

Texaco Country Showdown Returns To Ryman

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LeAnn Rimes will host the competition for the sixth consecutive year.

The Texaco Country Showdown talent search will present its National Final on Jan. 26 at the Ryman Auditorium. LeAnn Rimes will host the free event for the sixth consecutive year.

Five Regional Winners will perform that night, competing for the $100,000 grand prize. The show will be taped for television and is scheduled to air in April via nationwide syndication.

The year-long competition typically draws 50,000 contestants who perform at over 450 shows produced by country radio stations. Local winners then advance to State and Regional Showdowns.

Past Country Showdown competitors include Miranda Lambert, Garth Brooks, Chris Young, Miley Cyrus, Jason Aldean, Thompson Square, Brad Paisley and Sara Evans.

Dean Unkefer is President of Special Promotions, Inc. and producer of the Texaco Country Showdown.

For free tickets to the National Final visit the Ryman box office or call (615) 889-3060.

More at www.texacocountryshowdown.com.

Arista Adds Renee Leymon

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Renee Leymon

Arista Nashville has tapped Renee Leymon to serve as Regional Promotion Director. She’s in the role now and reporting to Lesly Tyson, Vice President, National Promotion for Arista Nashville.

Leymon began her music career over nineteen years ago at Arista Nashville as the receptionist and A&R assistant. She spent the next twelve years at Lyric Street rising to Sr. Director, National Promotion. Most recently Leymon worked in radio promotion at Bigger Picture Group, LLC / New Revolution.

In welcoming Leymon, Tyson praised, “Renee’ is the perfect addition to the Arista Nashville team. She is a powerhouse promotion person with incredible experience in this format and amazing relationships in the industry. I am thrilled to have her back at Arista where her career began.”

“I’m so thankful AND blessed to be given this opportunity by Lesly Tyson and Gary Overton,” shares Leymon. “And, I’m grateful for all the folks I’ve learned so much from and worked with the past several years.” She continues, “And, now I’m back home again!”

In related news, before joining Arista Leymon and Laurie Smith had met with many record company and college executives regarding the launch of Promo 1on1. An important announcement about Promo 1on1 and Leymon’s replacement in the project is forthcoming.

Republic Nashville Honors The Band Perry

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(L-R) TBP’s Reid Perry; BMLG President & CEO Scott Borchetta; TBP’s Kimberly Perry; Republic Nashville President Jimmy Harnen; TBP’s Neil Perry and BMLG VP of Sales, Marketing & Interactive Kelly Rich. Photo: Justin Nolan Key, Courtesy of Republic Nashville

Republic Nashville surprised 2012 Grammy nominees The Band Perry with a special plaque presentation to commemorate the band’s recent achievements. While in Las Vegas, the label staff honored the sibling trio for their Triple Platinum single, “If I Die Young,” and Platinum debut album, The Band Perry, certifications.

The band’s current love ballad, “All Your Life,” is already No. 2 on MusicRow’s CountryBreakout chart. Meanwhile, the Perrys spent the holidays working on their next album.