The statistic shows the unit sales of CDs worldwide from 1991 to 2015. In 2015, approximately 569 million units of CDs were shipped globally, a decline from over 2,000 in 2004.
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Physical CD unit sales worldwide from 1991 to 2015
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Unit sales of CDs worldwide from 1991 to 2015 (in millions)
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The statistic shows the unit sales of CDs worldwide from 1991 to 2015. In 2015, approximately 569 million units of CDs were shipped globally, a decline from over 2,000 in 2004.
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Description
Source
More information
The statistic shows the unit sales of CDs worldwide from 1991 to 2015. In 2015, approximately 569 million units of CDs were shipped globally, a decline from over 2,000 in 2004.
Show more- Show sources information
- Show publisher information
- Release date
- November 2016
- Region
- Worldwide
- Survey time period
- 1991 to 2015
More information
- Region
- Worldwide
- Survey time period
- 1991 to 2015
Other interesting statistics
Album sales in the United States 2008-2014, by genre
+
+Global revenue of the recorded music industry 1999-2017
Music album consumption U.S. 2017, by genre
+
+Market share of the largest music publishers worldwide from 2007 to 2016
+
+Vinyl record sales worldwide 1997-2015
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+Music industry revenue in the U.S. 2012-2021
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Statistics on "Music industry in the U.S."
- Global market overview
The most important statistics
- Global recorded music revenue from 1999 to 2017 (in billion U.S. dollars)Global revenue of the recorded music industry 1999-2017
- Music industry revenue worldwide from 2012 and 2021 (in billion U.S. dollars)Global music industry revenue 2012-2021
- Compound annual growth rate of global music revenue between 2016 and 2021, by categoryCompound annual growth rate of global music revenue 2016-2021, by category
- Music industry revenue worldwide from 2012 to 2021, by source (in million U.S. dollars)Global music revenue 2012-2021, by source
- Global digital music revenue from 2005 to 2017 (in billion U.S. dollars)Global digital music revenue 2005-2017
- Digital music revenue worldwide from 2016 to 2022, by format (in million U.S. dollars)Digital Market Outlook: digital music revenue worldwide 2016-2022, by format
- Vinyl record sales worldwide from 1997 to 2015 (in million U.S. dollars)Vinyl record sales worldwide 1997-2015
- U.S. market overview
The most important statistics
- Music industry revenue in the United States from 2012 to 2021 (in billion U.S. dollars)Music industry revenue in the U.S. 2012-2021
- Change of music sales in the United States from 2009 to 2017, by categoryChange of music sales in the U.S. 2009-2017
- Music album shipments in the United States in 2017, by type (in millions)Music album shipments in the U.S. in 2017, by type
- Physical CD shipments in the United States from 1999 to 2017 (in millions)Physical album shipments in the U.S. from 1999 to 2017
- Music album sales in the United States from 2008 to 2014, by genre (in millions)Album sales in the United States 2008-2014, by genre
- Retail value of music shipments in the United States from 1999 to 2017 (in billion U.S. dollars)Retail value of music shipments in the U.S. from 1999 to 2017
- Digital music sales
The most important statistics
- Digital music revenue in the United States from 2008 to 2017, by type (in million U.S. dollars)Digital music revenue in the U.S. from 2008 to 2017, by type
- Digital share of overall music sales in the United States from 2004 to 2014Digital share of overall music sales in the United States 2004-2014
- Digital music track sales in the United States from 2008 to 2017 (in million units)Digital music track sales in the U.S. 2008-2017
- Digital music revenue in the United States from 2016 to 2022, by format (in million U.S. dollars)Digital Market Outlook: digital music revenue in the U.S. 2016-2022, by format
- Number of digital music album downloads in the United States from 2004 to 2017 (in millions)Number of digital music album downloads in the United States from 2004 to 2017
- Mobile music revenue in the United States from 2005 to 2017 (in million U.S. dollars)Mobile music revenue in the U.S. from 2005 to 2017
- Current vs. catalog digital track sales in the United States 2009 to 2015 (in millions)Current versus catalog digital music track sales in the U.S. 2009-2015
- Number of digital music users in the United States from 2016 to 2022, by format (in millions)Digital Market Outlook: users of digital music in the U.S. 2016-2022, by format
- Concert business
The most important statistics
- Live music industry revenue in the United States from 2012 to 2021, by source (in billion U.S. dollars)Live music industry revenue in the U.S. by source 2012-2021
- Live music attendance in the United States in 2017, by event typeLive music events attendance in the U.S. 2017, by event type
- Most successful music tours in North America in 2017, based on gross revenue (in million U.S. dollars)The most successful music tours in North America in 2017
- Most successful music tours in North America in 2017, based on ticket salesMost successful music tours in North America 2017, based on ticket sales
- Leading music festivals worldwide in 2015, by number of visitors per day (in 1,000s)Largest music festivals worldwide 2015
- Live Nation Entertainment's concert revenue from 2008 to 2017 (in billion U.S. dollars)Live Nation Entertainment's concert revenue from 2008 to 2017
- Number of concerts and festivals promoted by Live Nation from 2008 to 2017Number of events promoted by Live Nation from 2008 to 2017
- Record companies
The most important statistics
- Most successful music labels in the United States in 2017, by total consumption (in millions)Most successful music labels in the U.S. 2017
- Most successful music distributors in the United States in 2017, by total consumption (in millions)Most successful music distributors in the U.S. 2017
- Share of music album consumption in the United States in 2017, by labelMusic album consumption in the U.S. 2017, by label
- Universal Music Group's revenue from 2004 to 2017 (in billion euros)Universal Music Group's revenue 2004-2017
- Annual sales and operating revenue of Sony Corporation's music segment in the fiscal years 2008 to 2017 (in billion U.S. dollars)Annual revenue of Sony Corporation's music segment 2008-2017
- Revenue of the Warner Music Group in fiscal years 2004 to 2017 (in million U.S. dollars)Revenue of the Warner Music Group 2004-2017
- Revenue market share of the largest music publishers worldwide from 2007 to 2016Market share of the largest music publishers worldwide from 2007 to 2016
- Estimated revenue of U.S. music publishers from 2005 to 2016 (in billion U.S. dollars)U.S. music publishers - revenue 2005-2016
- Music devices
The most important statistics
- Devices used to listen to music at least once a week among radio users in the United States in 2017Devices used for music listening in the U.S. 2017
- Distribution of time spent listening to audio content among podcast listeners in the United States as of August 2016, by sourceShare of time spent listening to audio sources by U.S. podcast listeners 2016
- Types of music audio listened to at least once a week in selected countries worldwide in 2017Music audio content consumption worldwide 2017, by device
- Penetration rate of listening to online radio via mobile phone while in a car in the United States from 2010 to 2018Listening to mobile radio in cars - penetration rate in the U.S. 2010-2018
- Music streaming and digital radio
The most important statistics
- Weekly time spent with online radio in the United States from 2008 to 2018 (in minutes)Weekly time spent with online radio in the U.S. 2008-2018
- Number of paying online music service subscribers worldwide from 2010 to 2017 (in millions)Number of paying online music service subscribers worldwide 2010-2017
- Number of active subscribers of selected online music services worldwide as of June 2017 (in millions)Number of active subscribers of online music services 2017
- Number of on-demand music streams in the United States from 2013 to 2017 (in billions)U.S. on-demand music streams volume 2013-2017
- Revenue from music streaming in the United States from 2010 to 2017 (in billion U.S. dollars)Music streaming revenue in the U.S. 2010-2017
- Distribution of streamed music consumption in the United States in 2017, by genreStreamed music consumption in the U.S. 2017, by genre
- Digital radio consumption in the United States in 2015, by deviceDigital radio consumption in the U.S. in 2015, by device
- Distribution of digital radio listening in the United States in September 2016, by channelDigital radio listening distribution in the U.S. 2016, by channel
- Consumer behavior
The most important statistics
- Distribution of time spent listening to audio content in the United States in second quarter of 2016, by sourceTime spent listening to audio content in the U.S. 2016, by source
- Share of audio time spent listening to AM/FM radio in the United States from 4th quarter 2015 to 2nd quarter 2017Share of time spent listening to radio the U.S. 2017
- Distribution of time teenagers spent with music in the United States in spring and fall 2015, by platformTime teens spent with music in the U.S. 2015, by platform
- Annual average consumer music spending per capita in the United States in 2015 and 2016 (in U.S. dollars)Average consumer: music spending in the U.S. 2016
- Average annual music spending per capita in the United States as of August 2015, by age (in U.S. dollars)Music spending per capita in the U.S. 2015, by age
- Sources used for keeping up-to-date with music in the United States in 2017Sources used for keeping up-to-date with music U.S. 2017
- Share of total music album consumption* in the United States in 2017, by genreMusic album consumption U.S. 2017, by genre
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Further Content: Statistics, Studies, and Topic Pages
Statistics
- Retail value of physical album shipments in the U.S. from 1999 to 2017
- Retail value of LP / EP shipments in the U.S. from 1999 to 2017
- Top-selling albums in the U.S. H1 2017
- Music CD album sales in Germany 2001-2017
- Top-selling albums in the U.S. 2017
- Share of local music in album sales in selected countries worldwide in 2013
- Year-over-year change of album sales in the U.S. 2009-2014, by genre
- Music CD sales volume in European countries 2014
- Market share of record companies in the 2012-2015, by label ownership
- Market share of US record companies based on physical album sales from 2009 to 2012
- Market share of record companies in the U.S. based on current album sales 2010-2012
- Holiday season album sales in the United States from 2010 to 2012
- Traditional music market revenue in Germany 2003-2020
- Best-selling holiday albums in the U.S. in 2012
- Market share of U.S. record companies based on catalog album sales from 2009 to 2012
- Music sales revenue in Sweden H1 2016, by format
- Revenue share of music industry sales channels in Germany 2007-2016
- Market share of music sales revenue in Sweden H1 2016, by format
Studies
- Music industry in the United Kingdom (UK)
- Music industry in the Netherlands
- Digital music industry in China
- Music in Canada
- Music industry in Belgium
- Digital music in the United Kingdom (UK)
- Music industry in Europe
- Music industry in the U.S.
- Spotify and music streaming in the Netherlands
- Music industry in Spain
- Digital music in the U.S.
- Digital music in the U.S. (DMO)
- Music industry in Finland
- Live music
- Digital music in Finland
Statistics on the topic
Free statistics
- Change of music sales in the United States from 2009 to 2017, by category
- Music album shipments in the United States in 2017, by type (in millions)
- Physical CD shipments in the United States from 1999 to 2017 (in millions)
- Music album sales in the United States from 2008 to 2014, by genre (in millions)
- Digital music revenue in the United States from 2008 to 2017, by type (in million U.S. dollars)
- Mobile music revenue in the United States from 2005 to 2017 (in million U.S. dollars)
- Most successful music tours in North America in 2017, based on gross revenue (in million U.S. dollars)
- Most successful music tours in North America in 2017, based on ticket sales
- Live Nation Entertainment's concert revenue from 2008 to 2017 (in billion U.S. dollars)
- Estimated expenses of U.S. music publishers from 2007 to 2016 (in billion U.S. dollars)
- Penetration rate of listening to online radio via mobile phone while in a car in the United States from 2010 to 2018
- Number of on-demand music streams in the United States from 2013 to 2017 (in billions)
- Revenue from music streaming in the United States from 2010 to 2017 (in billion U.S. dollars)
- Distribution of time spent listening to audio content in the United States in second quarter of 2016, by source
- Average annual music spending per capita in the United States as of August 2015, by age (in U.S. dollars)
- Share of total music album consumption* in the United States in 2017, by genre
- Retail value of physical CD shipments in the United States from 1999 to 2017 (in billion U.S. dollars)
- Retail value of LP / EP shipments in the United States from 1999 to 2017 (in million U.S. dollars)
- Top-selling albums in the United States in first half 2017, based on unit sales (in thousands)
- Top-selling music albums in the United States in 2017, based on unit sales (in thousands)
- Local music as a percentage of top 10 best-selling albums in selected countries in 2013
- Year-over-year change of music album sales in the United States from 2009 to 2014, by genre
- Market share of record companies based on physical album sales in the United States from 2009 to 2012
- Best-selling holiday albums in the United States in 2012
- Market share of record companies based on catalog album sales in the United States from 2009 to 2012
Premium Statistics
- Global recorded music revenue from 1999 to 2017 (in billion U.S. dollars)
- Music industry revenue worldwide from 2012 and 2021 (in billion U.S. dollars)
- Compound annual growth rate of global music revenue between 2016 and 2021, by category
- Music industry revenue worldwide from 2012 to 2021, by source (in million U.S. dollars)
- Global digital music revenue from 2005 to 2017 (in billion U.S. dollars)
- Digital music revenue worldwide from 2016 to 2022, by format (in million U.S. dollars)
- Vinyl record sales worldwide from 1997 to 2015 (in million U.S. dollars)
- Music industry revenue in the United States from 2012 to 2021 (in billion U.S. dollars)
- Retail value of music shipments in the United States from 1999 to 2017 (in billion U.S. dollars)
- Digital share of overall music sales in the United States from 2004 to 2014
- Digital music track sales in the United States from 2008 to 2017 (in million units)
- Digital music revenue in the United States from 2016 to 2022, by format (in million U.S. dollars)
- Number of digital music album downloads in the United States from 2004 to 2017 (in millions)
- Current vs. catalog digital track sales in the United States 2009 to 2015 (in millions)
- Number of digital music users in the United States from 2016 to 2022, by format (in millions)
- Live music industry revenue in the United States from 2012 to 2021, by source (in billion U.S. dollars)
- Live music attendance in the United States in 2017, by event type
- Leading music festivals worldwide in 2015, by number of visitors per day (in 1,000s)
- Number of concerts and festivals promoted by Live Nation from 2008 to 2017
- Most successful music labels in the United States in 2017, by total consumption (in millions)
- Most successful music distributors in the United States in 2017, by total consumption (in millions)
- Share of music album consumption in the United States in 2017, by label
- Universal Music Group's revenue from 2004 to 2017 (in billion euros)
- Annual sales and operating revenue of Sony Corporation's music segment in the fiscal years 2008 to 2017 (in billion U.S. dollars)
- Revenue of the Warner Music Group in fiscal years 2004 to 2017 (in million U.S. dollars)
- Revenue market share of the largest music publishers worldwide from 2007 to 2016
- Estimated revenue of U.S. music publishers from 2005 to 2016 (in billion U.S. dollars)
- Devices used to listen to music at least once a week among radio users in the United States in 2017
- Distribution of time spent listening to audio content among podcast listeners in the United States as of August 2016, by source
- Types of music audio listened to at least once a week in selected countries worldwide in 2017
- Weekly time spent with online radio in the United States from 2008 to 2018 (in minutes)
- Number of paying online music service subscribers worldwide from 2010 to 2017 (in millions)
- Number of active subscribers of selected online music services worldwide as of June 2017 (in millions)
- Distribution of streamed music consumption in the United States in 2017, by genre
- Digital radio consumption in the United States in 2015, by device
- Distribution of digital radio listening in the United States in September 2016, by channel
- Share of audio time spent listening to AM/FM radio in the United States from 4th quarter 2015 to 2nd quarter 2017
- Distribution of time teenagers spent with music in the United States in spring and fall 2015, by platform
- Annual average consumer music spending per capita in the United States in 2015 and 2016 (in U.S. dollars)
- Sources used for keeping up-to-date with music in the United States in 2017
- Music CD album sales in Germany from 2001 to 2017 (in million copies)
- Ranking of European countries by physical CDs sold in 2014 (in million units)
- Market share of record companies in the United States from 2011 to 2015, by label ownership
- Market share of record companies in the United States from 2010 to 2012, based on current album sales
- Holiday season album sales* in the United States from 2010 to 2012 (in million units)
- Traditional music market revenue in Germany from 2003 to 2020* (in million euros)
- Music sales revenue in Sweden in 1st half 2016, by format (in 1,000 SEK)
- Revenue share of music industry distribution channels in Germany from 2007 to 2016
- Market share of music sales revenue in Sweden in 1st half 2016, by format
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