Dance, Country, Latin, and catalog music are on the rise; CDs increase by 16%, and streaming grows by 4.4% in the U.S. alone.
Luminate, formerly Nielsen, reports weekly to Billboard on the U.S. music industry.
CDs experienced a significant surge in the first half of this year thanks to K-pop, which accounted for more than half of the 16% increase in sales due to the success of BTS. Vinyl sales grew by only 2.4%, although they surpass CDs in revenue.
Luminate’s mid-year figures also point to the growing interest in catalog music (nostalgia), meaning music older than 18 months. Rock, in particular, which is the second most streamed genre in the U.S., is dominated by older music.
R&B/Hip Hop remains the most listened-to genre in the U.S., although it has declined somewhat during this period.
Carlos Passage