Canada Rulz in digital music sales
p2pnet view Music:- Nielsen Soundscan has just released the Canadian music sales figures for 2009. Notwithstanding the regular claims that the Canadian digital music market cannot develop without copyright reform, the Canadian market grew faster than the U.S. market for the fourth consecutive year. As the chart below demonstrates, digital music sales have grown faster in Canada than in the U.S. in every year since 2006:
| Year | Canada | United States |
| 2009 | 38% | 8% |
| 2008 | 58% | 27% |
| 2007 | 73% | 45% |
| 2006 | 122% | 65% |
While this does not suggest that the market is thriving – a down economy with more competition for the entertainment dollar it is a tough market – it does confirm yet again that attempts to link copyright reform to the development of a Canadian digital market are not borne out by the facts.
Indeed, Canada has consistently grown faster than the United States (from an admittedly lower starting point given that digital music stores arrived later in Canada).
Moreover, as I pointed out last summer, the IFPI’s global data further supports the conclusion that the Canadian digital music market is not the laggard that some would have the public believe.
As of last year, Canada’s digital market stood 7th worldwide, while ranking 6th for all recorded music – in other words, about what you would expect. Of the top 20 global markets for recorded music, the IFPI said that Canada ranked 5th for the percentage of digital sales.
Indeed, digital music sales as a percentage of total sales in Canada is ahead of every major European country. The U.S. may lead Canada (though growing at a far slower rate), but the IFPI reported that Canada is ahead of France, Britain, Spain, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Austria, Sweden, Czech Republic, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Portugal, and Russia. Canada also leads countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, and South Africa.
The global music market may be facing difficult times, but the industry’s own data confirms that placing the blame on Canadian copyright laws is quite clearly misplaced.
Michael Geist – Michael Geist’s Blog
[Geist is the Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law at the University of Ottawa. He can be reached by email at mgeist @ uottawa dot ca]
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February, 2010
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February 5th, 2010 at 11:14 am
But, but, but, wasn’t it last year that the RIAA was in such a heat over Canada being the the world’s leading pirate country? (even if their figures didn’t add up)
I hope when they “fix Canada’s laws” the sales part of the equation tanks. I say when, not if, as the major 1st world countries are ganging up to press Canada to do so. No sense with the MP you have of thinking it won’t be considered seriously.
February 5th, 2010 at 1:06 pm
The copyright cartel has repeatedly declared Canada one of the world’s worst “pirate” nations, which will within a few years completely destroy the recording industry unless tough new laws are passed and consumer “taxes” on everything from iPods to blank media are drastically increased.
How can such incorrigible thieves possibly be paying customers? Someone must be lying.
The figures are a bit deceptive because in 2009 itunes increased prices (in the USA at least) by 30% – yet still managed to sell more downloads than the year before.
February 5th, 2010 at 3:00 pm
it make sense since customers in the US where personally attacked by the terrorist and radical organization: RIAA.
As a result the boycott of the music industry is much more intense than in Canada.
Moreover as a results also these so called “”artists”"” (heu! Heu!) in the US are no longer cool anymore.
No cool no sale! Sorry!
No CD, No download no DVD and no movie theater!
CONTINUE THE BOYCOTT!