By the Numbers
Whether you’re surfin’ safari or spending time where the livin’ is easy, the sounds of summer have been heating up the music business for decades.
Here’s a look at some chart-topping facts.
34 | THE PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL MUSIC INDUSTRY REVENUES GENERATED BY DIGITAL DOWNLOADS. |
With more than 30 million licensed tracks available to download, finding a favorite song shouldn’t be a problem. Digital channels help generate $5.6 billion in revenue for the music industry annually. Even then, digital is no match for CDs, where the average consumer is still spending $17.94 each month.
Sources: bango, TNS Omnibus Survey, IFPI
$68.76 | THE AVERAGE COST OF A 2012 NORTH AMERICAN CONCERT TICKET. |
Last year 36.7 million devotees across North America flocked to see their favorite artists perform live. This represents a 5 percent increase from 2011. The Material Girl is still going strong as the top grosserpulling in almost $134 million from forty-five concerts in thirty-one cities. Bruce Springsteen with his E Street Band is not far behind the top spot, raking in more than $104 million from his 2012 Wrecking Ball tour.
Source: Pollstar
66 million | THE NUMBER OF ACTIVE PANDORA USERS. |
Radio static is a thing of the past. With Internet radio, listeners can enjoy crystal-clear stations from around the world without ever leaving Peoriathanks to radio services like Pandora. In fact, 8 percent of all radio listening in the United States is already done through this provider. The service is becoming so popular that sixty brands of cars now support it.
Source: IFPI
55,600 | THE NUMBER OF SOLD-OUT SEATS FOR THE BEATLES AT SHEA STADIUM. |
Making history as one of the first stadium mega-concerts, the 1965 Beatlemania spectacle brought in a then-record gross of $304,000. With tickets priced from $4.50 to $5.75, it was too bad the concert organizers didn’t use some of that cash to buy additional sound equipment. The Fab Four later stated they couldn’t hear what they were playing because of their screaming fans.
Source: BBC
30 seconds | THE FASTEST TIME TO SELL OUT TWO CONCERTS AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN. |
Move over, Taylor Swift. Justin Bieber is the new record holder in town. The Biebs sold out his two Believe shows at the famed venue in record time—cutting Swift’s former record of one minute in half. And if that wasn’t enough, JB went on to sell out his entire forty-five-city North American tour in just one hour.
Sources: Twitter, CNN
14 million | THE NUMBER OF TIMES “YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’” HAS HIT THE AIRWAVES. |
With more than 14 million airplays on radio and film, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’” is the most-played song of all time. In fact, if you were to listen to all of those performances back-to-back, you’d be grooving to the Righteous Brothers for more than eighty years.
Sources: BMI, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
