The recorded music market in France dropped 5.3% in 2014, despite streaming overtaking downloads as the country’s main source of digital revenue.
According to new SNEP figures revealed at a conference in Paris this morning, overall market revenues in France fell from €603.2m in 2013 to €570.6m in 2014.
The territory followed a pattern we’re seeing in many markets around the world, such as Australia, the UK, Norway and Sweden: streaming’s growth not quite making up for very heavy falls in CD sales.
Revenues from physical music fell 11.5% in 2014, down to €325.3m. SNEP is yet to break out how much the CD format fell specifically vs. vinyl.
Meanwhile, income from digital music grew 6% to €133.3m, driven by an impressive 35% leap in revenues from streaming.
Overall streaming income in 2014 hit €73m – enough to overtake annual revenue from downloads, which fell 14% in the year to €54m.
In 2013, France’s overall market grew by 2.3%, thanks to an unexpected increase in CD sales.
As you can see in MBW’s graphs below, streaming now accounts for 55% of France’s digital market.
In terms of the overall French market – divided into digital, physical and neighbouring rights – physical music claims the vast majority of income with 57% of revenues. Streaming takes 13%, with downloads on 9.4%.
French neighbouring rights income, which SNEP counts in its overall market figures, was up 2% in 2014 to €112m – more than double the revenues generated by downloads.
All of the territory’s Top 10 biggest-selling albums in 2014 were French language, led by Stromae’s 2013 LP Racine Carree (pictured).
According to IFPI data, France is the fifth biggest recorded music market in the world, just behind the UK (No.4) and comfortably ahead of Australia (No.6).
