Audio streams have grown 55.6 percent in the first quarter of 2017 to surpass the 15.1 billion mark, according to new figures.
Official Charts Company (OCC) and BPI statistics show that audio streams rose from 9.7 billion in the first quarter of 2016 to 15.1 billion during the same period this year.
Tracks including Rag ‘n’ Bone Man’s Human, Take That’s Wonderland and Stormzy’s Gang Signs & Prayer, have all helped, alongside the release of Ed Sheeran’s third record Divide.
Elsewhere, the organisations said Album Equivalent Sales are up by more than 10 percent on the same period in 2016. However, figures show that sales of physical album sales dropped 4.2 percent year-on-year. Digital album sales fell 23.5 percent during the period.
Vinyl sales continued their upward trajectory during the first quarter of 2017, rising 35.8 percent on first quarter of 2016 figures to 865,285 from 637,056.
BPI director of research Chris Green told Music Week: ‘A number of high profile releases, not least from Ed Sheeran and Take That, combined with major album debuts from Rag ‘n’ Bone Man and Stormzy helped shape the market and get 2017 off to a positive start, with Album Equivalent Sales up by more than 10 percent on the same period in 2016.
‘Showcased to great effect by the BRITs, it was also encouraging that many of these titles were not only heavily streamed, but sold well on physical and download formats to underline the strong multi-channel dynamic of UK music consumption right now.
'The resilience of CD was again evident through a soft year-on-year decline of just six percent, while vinyl LP continued on its upward path, rising by well over a third.’
Official Charts Company (OCC) and BPI statistics show that audio streams rose from 9.7 billion in the first quarter of 2016 to 15.1 billion during the same period this year.
Tracks including Rag ‘n’ Bone Man’s Human, Take That’s Wonderland and Stormzy’s Gang Signs & Prayer, have all helped, alongside the release of Ed Sheeran’s third record Divide.
Elsewhere, the organisations said Album Equivalent Sales are up by more than 10 percent on the same period in 2016. However, figures show that sales of physical album sales dropped 4.2 percent year-on-year. Digital album sales fell 23.5 percent during the period.
Vinyl sales continued their upward trajectory during the first quarter of 2017, rising 35.8 percent on first quarter of 2016 figures to 865,285 from 637,056.
BPI director of research Chris Green told Music Week: ‘A number of high profile releases, not least from Ed Sheeran and Take That, combined with major album debuts from Rag ‘n’ Bone Man and Stormzy helped shape the market and get 2017 off to a positive start, with Album Equivalent Sales up by more than 10 percent on the same period in 2016.
‘Showcased to great effect by the BRITs, it was also encouraging that many of these titles were not only heavily streamed, but sold well on physical and download formats to underline the strong multi-channel dynamic of UK music consumption right now.
'The resilience of CD was again evident through a soft year-on-year decline of just six percent, while vinyl LP continued on its upward path, rising by well over a third.’
