Between updating their subscription plans and experimenting with more visual profiles (still in early beta), SoundCloud has been on fire lately. ComScore even recently reported that their traffic increased by 26% in one month, making SoundCloud the 8th fastest growing site in the U.S. Though it’s certainly evolved since its launch in Berlin in …
You might know The Orchard as a global music and film distribution company but do you know much about the people behind the name? We have over 175 employees worldwide all hailing from different backgrounds, boasting different lines of expertise, and coming from all walks of life. We thought it’d be fun …
Videos are by far the most engaging form of social content. This isn’t exactly a new discovery, but there’s a lot of missed potential by bands that claim to have a YouTube presence. The common misconception is that your music videos go up on YouTube and you’re done. Although MTV …
Between Amanda Palmer and Veronica Mars, crowdfunding has proven its worth beyond the shadow of a doubt. In one year alone, global crowdfunding initiatives grew 81% to generate a reported $2.7 BILLION. Of that, music-related projects represented a very respectable $202.5 million, i.e. 7.5% of all raised funds and 4th most …
As music continues to shape and color my daily life, what I’m most impressed with is the music industry’s ability to take on the changes and challenges that come its way head on. It makes me proud to work in music, and seeing the innovation and determination that have spawned from the incessant industry developments (and the knowledge at the same time that new developments and twists inevitably lie ahead) inspires me in ways beyond just my professional life.
In that vein, it’s important to look back and review the events of the past year, so there’s always a great buzz in the air when the IFPI Digital Music Report makes its appearance towards the end of Q1 each year. This year’s report is, as always, chock-full of great information, including stats and figures paired with special reports to contextualize the numbers. After combing through it with my orange highlighter, here are the key takeaways of the state of digital music in 2013.
GIVE ME THE NUMBERS
Overall recorded music revenues grew in Europe and Latin America, stabilized in the United States and experienced a sharp 16.7% decline in Japan, bringing global revenues down 3.9% to an estimated US$15 billion.
Not including Japan, global music revenues were only down 0.1%.
Digital revenues worldwide grew by 4.3% in 2013 to US$5.9 billion.
Digital now accounts for 39% of total industry global revenues.
Revenues from music subscription services grew by 51.3%, exceeding US$1 billion:
Digital downloads experienced a slight decline of 2.1%:
Performance rights income more than doubled in 2013, reaching US$1.1 billion globally, an estimated 19% rise. Our Collections services can help you tap into some of that. If you’re interested in signing up, reach out to your client rep!
Synchronization income declined by 3.4%, now accounting for 2.1% of total industry revenue. Our dedicated Sync Licensing team is constantly on the lookout for great opportunities, and we’d love to include more of your music in our pitches to supervisors. Interested? Let your client rep know.
While still on the decline, physical music sales continue to keep a majority share in many major markets, accounting for 51.4% of all global revenues (down from 56.1% in 2012).
Vinyl sales, though still niche, have increased substantially in the US (up 32% in 2013) and in the UK (up 101%!). Record Store Day‘s around the corner, people!
While the industry did experience some decline, it’s encouraging to see digital revenues growing overall, with streaming continuing to establish itself as a viable source of income. The report dives deeper into the impressive growth of the Scandinavian markets, all a few years ahead of the rest of the world in terms of streaming. It’s worth a read, particularly the special report on Sweden, a country which grew from US$144.8 million to US$194.2 million in just three years, with an increased share of digital going from 8% to a whopping 70%, of which subscription services account for 94%. Whew!
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Well, Freeloaders, looks like spring’s not quite as ready to make her grand entrance as I’d hoped for last week. Did I jinx us? It certainly feels like it here in our NY office. But it is Friday, and you can find some solace in that.
I know some of you are pretty bummed (maybe outraged is more fitting?) about these first days of spring not living up to expectation. If that’s the case, perhaps a good dose of Pyrrhon’s Deathcore-frenzied Metal album will help ease the pain. If you’re looking for something with a more soothing guitar-Pop vibe, try out Fan Modine’s album stream. It’s a completely different end of the music-genre spectrum, but the Chamber-Pop Rock should be just as good a remedy.
But the goods don’t stop there! You might want to get your power-duty speakers out for these next few: Mark E’s latest Dance-happy trance track or The Crookes’ charming, Smiths-like Rock ‘n’ Roller of a ballad. There’s also I Divide‘s anthemic Punk-Pop, and Wovenhand’s countrified, growling Alt-Rock track — a riotous call to arms that sounds like it comes straight from a scene out of True Detective.
Now to send you off properly, we’ve got a handful of pretty enticing music videos. First up, Fanfarlo’s stop-motion fueled premiere, composed of sci-fi and psychedelic-kitsch paper cut-outs. Next, catch Sweet Apple’s video to watch friendships that span from coast to coast by way of paper airplanes. But the biggest shout-out to warm weather’s approach comes from Weekend. Their Grunge-Goth works surprisingly perfectly against the blue-skied and sunny-hazed beach backdrops.
So have a toast tonight to Friday, and the coming of spring — it’s not too much longer, folks!
Pyrrhon: Full album stream via Pitchfork Advance
The Mother of Virtues out April 1 on Relapse Records
Fan Modine: Full album stream via PopMatters
Cause Célèbre out April 1 on Lost Colony Music
Mark E: “Being Hiding” track premiere via Boiler Room
Product of Industry out April 29 on Ghostly International
The Crookes: “Marcy” track premiere via NoiseTrade
Soapbox out April 14 on Fierce Panda
I Divide: “I’m Not Leaving” track premiere via Kerrang
Last One Standing out April 14 on Dstry Everything
Wovenhand: “Hiss” track premiere via Stereogum
Refractory Obdurate out April 29 on Deathwish Inc.
Fanfarlo: “Cell Song” video premiere via VEVO
Let’s Go Extinct out now on Blue Horizon
Sweet Apple: “Wish You Could Stay (A Little Longer)” video premiere via Esquire
The Golden Age of Glitter out April 8 on Tee Pee Records
Weekend: “It’s Alright” video premiere via The Fader
Jinx out now on Slumberland Records
Introducing Joanna Noyes, Director, Interactive Marketing
I am very excited to be joining the Interactive Marketing team at The Orchard! If you are wondering where I came from here is a bit about me…
I started out on the label side of things at a joint venture with Island/Def Jam. Upon leaving I partnered up with an industry veteran and launched For The Win! Media. I ran digital marketing/PR campaigns working with Ellie Goulding, Coca Cola, Cut Copy, etc. A few years later, we rebranded the company and became Zero To Sixty, where I was the managing partner and had the pleasure of working with La Roux, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, and Samsung. Most recently, I was consulting for labels, managers, as well as artists directly on social media strategy and digital marketing.
On the personal side, along with being a music lover I am also a dog lover. So much so that I run an Instagram account for my french bulldog. If you are so inclined, follow @georgethefrenchbully for adorableness.
For our latest Marketplace case study, we invited the folks at iPluggers to share some success stories from their users. From Latin to Pop, Electronic to Classical, these artists have all seen great results with the service. Read up below, and be sure to check iPluggers out in The Orchard Marketplace. Find out more about them, including special pricing for The Orchard’s clients, on their One-Sheet.
iPluggers is a digital plugging platform, servicing over 30,000 radio stations worldwide. Artists and labels have successfully used iPluggers to get airplay in countries all over the world, further strengthening their fanbase.
We have asked a few artists to share their stories with us.
Bongomatik
Genre: Latin / Pop / Jazz
Background: JJA Jazz Awards nominee
We choose iPluggers for our radio promotion due to its enormous reach and network: iPluggers spreads our music to radio stations we could have never reached by ourselves.
Before we started looking into digital radio promotion, we hired a traditional radio promoter which would promote our single to radio stations in The Netherlands. Costs were approx. €2500. Although we gained some airplay from his activities, we found that with traditional radio promotion, getting insight in the results is not always that easy.
When we started working with iPluggers, the costs of radio promotion of a single is about 10% of what we’d normally pay, we have direct insight in the results and we reach radio stations worldwide instead of being limited to our own country.
We would recommend that artists who have the resources to pay for traditional radio promotion do both traditional and digital radio promotion. Every band or record label should consider using iPluggers for their (digital) radio promotion: they just do what they promise to do and the communication with them is extremely smooth.
In addition to radio promotion, we make active use of our social media networks like Twitter and Facebook. Additionally, we also send our album for reviews to the press (both online and printed music media).
For some folks, it’s the return of baseball season. For others, it’s Easter. But for us here at The Orchard, nothing heralds the return of warmer weather quite like Record Store Day! This internationally celebrated event has been getting bigger and better every year since its inception in 2008, and this year looks to be no different. So let’s dive right in and let you know what exclusive vinyl releases we’ll be bringing to the party this year.
First up is Orchard favorites The Black Angels with Clear Lake Forest. Hot on the heels of their acclaimed album Indigo Meadow, this EP features seven new tracks on 10” clear vinyl. Next is Jimmy Page & The Black Crowes Live At The Greek. This classic live collaboration will be available as a triple LP set on red, clear, and blue vinyl. Then there’s Sam Roberts Band with We’re All In This Together/Shapeshifters 12” single on clear vinyl. Or how about a four song EP from Creepoid called Wet that features a B-side etching. And last, but certainly not least, is The Glitch Mob’s Drink The Sea/We Can Make The World Stop.Words cannot do this release justice, so just check out the accompanying packshot to see it in all of its glory.
Over in Europe, Transgressive Records are releasing Africa Express Presents: Maison des Jeunes, featuring the likes of Damon Albarn and Brian Eno, available as a double LP set in blue vinyl. Additionally, metal-heads across the pond will be excited to pick-up their copies of Death of a Dead Day by SikTh and Circles‘ incredible debut, Inifinitas on LP for the first ever time courtesy of Basick Records.
And don’t forget, Record Store Day isn’t just about records. There are also the in-store performances! Be sure to check out Cincinnati natives Tweens, who will be appearing at their hometown shop Shake It Records.
See you all on Saturday, April 19th!
