BPI analysis of Official Charts Company data has revealed that year-on-year overall sales of film and TV soundtracks increased to 1.7 million units in the first nine months of 2013.
Increased demand for downloads from stores such as iTunes, Amazon and 7digital helped the soundtrack market secure the highest digital share of any sector of the albums market.
Almost half - 49.4 percent - of sales of TV and film-related releases were bought as downloads with urban and dance albums the next highest, with digital shares of 43.8 percent and 41 percent respectively.
Music from the Academy Award-winning blockbuster Les Misérables tops the list of this year’s most popular soundtracks, which features albums from Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby, Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained, the film adaptation of the Broadway musical Rock of Ages, the American musical comedy Pitch Perfect and compilations from the TV series The Music of Nashville. See the Top 10 below.
BPI and BRIT Awards chief executive Geoff Taylor said: ‘Music has been providing the backdrop to some of the most memorable moments in TV and film history for decades.
‘Nowadays, with the range of digital services offering music online, movie goers can download or stream a soundtrack on their smartphone or tablet as soon as the credits start to roll. Apps such as Shazam allow consumers to instantaneously identify the music they are looking for in a matter of seconds keeping the magic of the movies alive long after the popcorn has ended.’
The news comes days after the BBC’s Sound of Cinema poll which saw John Williams’ Star Wars Theme voted the nation’s favourite soundtrack from a list spanning 64 years of soundtrack history.
Read our feature Score! Insider tips for writing soundtracks featuring comments from Neil, Daniel Pemberton, Don Letts and Jon Hopkins.
Biggest-selling original soundtracks 2013 (year-to-date)
Increased demand for downloads from stores such as iTunes, Amazon and 7digital helped the soundtrack market secure the highest digital share of any sector of the albums market.
Almost half - 49.4 percent - of sales of TV and film-related releases were bought as downloads with urban and dance albums the next highest, with digital shares of 43.8 percent and 41 percent respectively.
Music from the Academy Award-winning blockbuster Les Misérables tops the list of this year’s most popular soundtracks, which features albums from Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby, Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained, the film adaptation of the Broadway musical Rock of Ages, the American musical comedy Pitch Perfect and compilations from the TV series The Music of Nashville. See the Top 10 below.
BPI and BRIT Awards chief executive Geoff Taylor said: ‘Music has been providing the backdrop to some of the most memorable moments in TV and film history for decades.
‘Nowadays, with the range of digital services offering music online, movie goers can download or stream a soundtrack on their smartphone or tablet as soon as the credits start to roll. Apps such as Shazam allow consumers to instantaneously identify the music they are looking for in a matter of seconds keeping the magic of the movies alive long after the popcorn has ended.’
The news comes days after the BBC’s Sound of Cinema poll which saw John Williams’ Star Wars Theme voted the nation’s favourite soundtrack from a list spanning 64 years of soundtrack history.
Read our feature Score! Insider tips for writing soundtracks featuring comments from Neil, Daniel Pemberton, Don Letts and Jon Hopkins.
Biggest-selling original soundtracks 2013 (year-to-date)
| 1 | Les Miserables | Motion Picture Cast Recording |
| 2 | The Great Gatsby | Original Soundtrack |
| 3 | The Music of Nashville - Season 1, Volume 1 | Original TV Soundtrack |
| 4 | Pitch Perfect | Original Soundtrack |
| 5 | Django Unchained | Original Soundtrack |
| 6 | The Music of Nashville - Season 1, Volume 2 | Original TV Soundtrack |
| 7 | Teen Beach Movie | Original TV Soundtrack |
| 8 | Rock of Ages | Original Soundtrack |
| 9 | Mamma Mia | Original Soundtrack |
| 10 | Dirty Dancing | Original Soundtrack |
