The recorded music market in France saw growth of 5.4% in 2019, with total revenues of €772 million ($867m), including physical and digital sales, neighbouring rights and sync.
The results, published today (February 25) by French trade body SNEP, were fuelled by growth in streaming, which accounted for 59% of total revenue.
According to SNEP, in 2019 premium subscriptions rose by 18.5%, topping CDs as the main source of revenue.
Having returned to growth for the first time in 15 years back 2016, the value of the French recorded music industry in 2019 still represents a mere 44% of the 2002 market.
Yet with physical and digital recorded music sales for 2019 at €625 million ($702m), the market has just about caught up with levels from 10 years ago.
2019 saw a marked increase in streaming subscriptions (+ 1.7million), said SNEP, with figures exceeding the 10% of the French population threshold for the first time ever.
Including family plan subscriptions, there are now 9.4m people in France who listen to music via paid streaming.
Physical sales continue to play a significant role in France, thanks to the strength and diversity of a network made up of more than 4,000 stores, bolstered by the reaffirmed popularity of vinyl.
“These promising results have been achieved thanks to the the talent of the artists combined with the work of the producers.”
Alexandre Lasch, SNEP
Other notable trends in the market were that 19 of the 20 best-selling albums were French-speaking productions while French-produced talent made up 80% of the Top 200.
In 2019, 46 emerging artists had a debut album in the Top 200, and made up almost a quarter of the year’s best-selling albums.
Alexandre Lasch, Managing Director of SNEP, stated: “These promising results have been achieved thanks to the the talent of the artists combined with the work of the producers.
“Recording labels have had to redefine themselves, and in the process have developed new tools and new expertise. In fact, a third of record label employees today work in fields that didn’t even exist five years ago.”
Digital revenues in France exceeded physical revenues for the first time ever in 2018, and accounted for 57% of the market (€335m).Music Business Worldwide
