The unique award is calculated according to an artist’s or group’s worldwide sales across streaming, download and physical music formats during the calendar year and covers their entire body of work. The award is presented to the artist finishing #1 in IFPI’s Global Artist Chart, which was also released today.
This year marks the 11th year of the IFPI Global Recording Artist of the Year Award, with Taylor Swift having topped the chart more than any other artist during that time (her 2023 win following successes in 2014, 2019 and 2022). This latest win follows a stellar year in which the artist has seen three albums (Midnights and the Taylor’s Version releases of the Speak Now and 1989 albums) top the charts, and the record-breaking Eras tour lift engagement with her entire catalogue on streaming platforms around the world. This phenomenon was demonstrated by the resurgence of the track Cruel Summer, initially released in 2019 but which topped charts around the world four years later.
K-Pop stars SEVENTEEN and Stray Kids placed second and third respectively in the chart in a record year for Korean artists. Four K-Pop acts featured in the Top 10 with TOMORROW X TOGETHER AT #7 and NewJeans at #8, while IVE and NCT Dream also made their first appearances in the IFPI Global Artist Chart Top 20, at #12 and #15 respectively.
US country star Morgan Wallen (#6) also made his first ever appearance in the IFPI Global Artist chart following the huge success of 2023 release One Thing At A Time, and Lana Del Rey (#10) also entered the Top 10 for the first time, beating her previous high of #17 in 2014. Outside the Top 10, Japanese stars King & Prince and US artists SZA and Zach Bryan also made their IFPI Global Artist Chart debuts. All in all, eight of the Top 20 artists in 2023 were making their first appearance in the chart.
Lewis Morrison, Director of Charts and Certifications at IFPI said: “We are immensely proud to award the IFPI Global Recording Artist of the Year Award to Taylor Swift for the fourth time, as she continues to redefine the limits of global success. Taylor is a singular talent and her commitment to her craft and her fans is truly phenomenal.
“It is also fantastic to see so many artists entering the chart for the first time, and the return of established acts years after their last appearance. As the global recorded music landscape shifts and new opportunities emerge, record companies continue their work to build global, long-term careers for their artists.”
About the IFPI Global Charts
IFPI’s Global Charts provide the most complete picture of artist, album and track performance worldwide. The Charts capture streaming, downloads and physical formats in every country directly from the participating record labels, which is then converted using IFPI’s unique methodology to a single, global chart figure. The methodology, developed in partnership with IFPI’s member record labels, reflects global commercial success by combining the most exhaustive reporting of unit sales and streams with the country-level economics of each consumption type.
The unique award is calculated according to an artist’s or group’s worldwide performance across digital and physical music formats during the year, from streams to vinyl, and covers their entire body of work. The award was announced at the culmination of the IFPI Global Artist Chart countdown, which revealed the top 10 best-selling artists of the year globally.
By topping the IFPI Global Artist Chart for the second year in a row, BTS (consisting of members RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook) continue to make global chart history. Having become familiar faces in the IFPI Global Artist Chart since 2018 when they entered at #2, the 2020 chart saw them become the first Korean act to win the accolade, as well as the first winner to perform primarily in a language other than English. In the latest chart, BTS were joined by fellow K-pop superstars SEVENTEEN who made their first chart appearance at #9, demonstrating the growing popularity of K-Pop with music fans across the globe.
2021 saw BTS continue their world dominance. Butter, which was released in May 2021, was an instant success and charted at #1 in the US Billboard Hot 100 Chart for seven consecutive weeks. In July, the group’s new single Permission to Dance also debuted at #1 on Hot 100, replacing themselves at the top spot. In September, Coldplay and BTS released a new single My Universe which also charted at #1 in the US. In Asia, BTS released their Japanese language greatest hits album BTS, THE BEST which topped the Oricon Year End Album Chart – the first time a non-domestic act has done so in 37 years. The CD release of Butter topped the Gaon year-end charts in South Korea, incredibly the sixth year in succession that BTS have managed this feat, with six separate releases.
Frances Moore, Chief Executive, IFPI, said: “BTS’ phenomenal success over the last year is a testament to their creativity, hard work and ongoing commitment to continuing to find ways to bring their music to the world. By performing in three different languages, they demonstrate their extraordinarily unique global appeal and their dynamic and passionate fanbase has helped to make them the first artists in history to top the Global Artist Chart in two consecutive years.
We would like to wish RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin, V and Jung Kook and all who work on their team huge congratulations on winning the Global Recording Artist of the Year Award and on another year of brilliant success.”
BTS were joined in the top three of the IFPI Global Artist Chart by two-time winner Taylor Swift – who finished at #2 for the second consecutive year after previously topping the 2019 chart. Swift was the highest charting solo artist followed by Adele, who secured third place, re-entering the chart for the first time since winning it in 2015. Former Global Artist Chart winners Drake and Ed Sheeran followed at #4 and #5 respectively. Breakthrough-newcomer Olivia Rodrigo made her first impression on the chart for 2021, entering at #10, following a year of incredible success with her debut album SOUR.
IFPI Top 10 Global Recording Artists of 2021
Previous winners
2020 – BTS
2019 – Taylor Swift
2018 – Drake
2017 – Ed Sheeran
2016 – Drake
2015 – Adele
2014 – Taylor Swift
2013 – One Direction
(source: IFPI)
The IFPI Global Recording Artist of the Year Award and top 10 chart is the only ranking to accurately measure consumption across all formats (including streaming formats, digital and physical album, and singles sales) and all countries. It is weighted based on the relative value of each method of consumption.
For further information please contact:
press@ifpi.org | +44 (0)20 7878 7979
BTS announced as the winners of IFPI Global Recording Artist of the Year Award
Global recorded music revenues grow 7.4%
The global recorded music market grew by 7.4% in 2020, the sixth consecutive year of growth, according to IFPI, the organisation that represents the recorded music industry worldwide. Figures released today in IFPI’s Global Music Report show total revenues for 2020 were US$21.6 billion.
Growth was driven by streaming, especially by paid subscription streaming revenues, which increased by 18.5%. There were 443 million users of paid subscription accounts at the end of 2020. Total streaming (including both paid subscription and advertising-supported) grew 19.9% and reached $13.4 billion, or 62.1% of total global recorded music revenues. The growth in streaming revenues more than offset the decline in other formats’ revenues, including physical revenues which declined 4.7%; and revenues from performance rights which declined 10.1% – largely as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The work and investment of record companies has helped lay the foundations for a predominantly digital industry that proved its resilience against the extraordinary circumstances of 2020. In a challenging year, record companies have worked alongside their artist partners to support them in creating and recording music and the whole sector has continued to drive innovations in the ways fans can experience music around the world.
IFPI Chief Executive Frances Moore, said: “As the world contends with the COVID-19 pandemic, we are reminded of the enduring power of music to console, heal and lift our spirits.
“Some things are timeless, like the power of a great song or the connection between artists and fans. But some things have changed. With so much of the world in lockdown and live music shut down, in nearly every corner of the globe most fans enjoyed music via streaming.
“Fuelled by record companies’ ongoing investment in artists and their careers, along with innovative efforts to help artists bring music to fans in new ways, recorded music revenues grew globally for the sixth consecutive year, driven by subscription streaming. As record companies continue to expand their geographical footprint and cultural reach, music has become more globally connected today, than ever before and this growth has spread across all regions around the globe.
“With many impacted by the pandemic, and concerned with growing social injustices, record companies have worked hard to make a meaningful, lasting contribution to the world we want to live in.”
Growth in all the world’s regions
Recorded music revenues grew in every region around the world in 2020, including:
- Latin America maintained its position as the fastest-growing region globally (15.9%) as streaming revenues grew by 30.2% and accounted for 84.1% of the region’s total revenues.
- Asia grew 9.5% and digital revenues surpassed a 50% share of the region’s total revenues, for the first time. Excluding Japan (which saw a decline of 2.1% in revenue), Asia would have been the fastest-growing region, with exceptional growth of 29.9%
- Featured as a region in the report for the first time, recorded music revenues in the Africa & Middle East region increased by 8.4%, driven primarily by the Middle East & North Africa region (37.8%). Streaming dominated, with revenues up 36.4%.
- Revenues in Europe, the second-largest recorded music region in the world, grew by 3.5% as strong streaming growth of 20.7% offset declines in all other consumption formats.
- The US & Canada region grew 7.4% in 2020. The US market grew by 7.3% and Canadian recorded music revenues grew by 8.1%.
Visit the IFPI Global Music Report 2021 Microsite here for additional information and to download the free State of the Industry Report (English language).
Global Music Report 2021: Full Report – with Data and Analysis: Purchase the full data and analysis report here.
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22nd February 2021 – IFPI, the organisation that represents the recorded music industry worldwide, and four leading music licensing companies (MLCs) in Asia, working with music technology company BMAT, have launched SoundSys, a first-ever, fully scalable, shared system for the distribution of sound recording performance rights revenue around the world.
IFPI, and the respective MLCs in India, Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand, working with BMAT, have designed, and delivered the industry’s first shared, cloud-based software that serves as a complete, cost-effective back-office distribution system for revenue collected for the broadcasting and public performance of sound recordings and karaoke videos in these countries.
MLCs license the use of music for public performance and broadcast and distribute the license fees back to the right holders they represent. They need sophisticated IT systems that enable them to do this accurately and efficiently. Such systems can however be costly to develop and the unprecedented collaboration saved these MLCs from having to each build their own systems.
IFPI and the four MLCs partnered with the music technology company BMAT to develop SoundSys, which uses their proprietary state of the art technologies to organise, store and match usage and recording data, enabling MLCs to distribute royalties in a timely and cost-efficient manner, in line with global best practice.
The development of SoundSys follows the launch of the repertoire data exchange service, RDx, by IFPI and World Independent Network (WIN) last year, which enables record companies to exchange authoritative data with MLCs through a single, centralised hub. The roll-out of both systems globally will provide a standardised, high quality recording metadata supply pipeline and data processing capability for MLCs that will significantly improve the performance rights management landscape worldwide.
Frances Moore, Chief Executive of IFPI, said: “SoundSys is truly transformative. It results from unprecedented cooperation internationally while exemplifying the strength and professionalism of the music industry in Asia to harness cutting edge music technology and deliver a globally significant advancement.”
“We have launched in Asia in close collaboration with the MLCs that have helped shape and refine the system. It’s proving to be highly effective in assisting the operations of MLCs and we will now be looking to roll it out in other regions that can benefit most from the software.”
Orsi Bozso, SoundSys Project Manager at BMAT, said: “After years of tracking and data-processing next to all music industry players and gaining expertise on the challenges they face, it was a natural next step for us to develop a software that could upgrade copyright management operations.
“IFPI’s expert vision and being in sync with the four MLCs allowed us to use our technology to revamp the way MLCs distribute – bringing transparency, accuracy and reliability to the process.
“It’s been a true pleasure to collaborate with IFPI and the MLCs involved on this journey to compensating creators more efficiently.”
Jusak Sutiono, Director of Indonesian music licensing company, ASIRINDO said: “We are already greatly benefitting from the use of SoundSys in Indonesia. The SoundSys matching process is helping us to ensure we accurately identify the music content we are allocating revenues to, with the software improving the speed with which we can then process the revenue and distribute it to our right holder community.”
Chayapach Sangtabtim, General Manager, PNR (Phonorights) music licensing company in Thailand said: “SoundSys is the result of a truly successful collaboration between MLCs in Asia and IFPI. By combining our knowledge and practical experience, we have created a product that has directly improved our operations in Thailand.
Notes to editors:
For further information please contact:
press@ifpi.org | +44 (0)20 7878 7979
About the Music Licensing Companies
The music licensing companies that have developed and are currently using SoundSys are: ASIRINDO (Indonesia), Music Rights (Singapore) Public Limited, Phonorights (Thailand) and PPL India.
About IFPI
IFPI is the organisation that promotes the interests of the international recording industry worldwide. IFPI and its National Group network has over 8,000 members across more than 70 countries. There are over 70 IFPI offices, National Groups and Affiliated MLCs. IFPI’s mission is to promote the value of recorded music, campaign for the rights of record producers and expand the commercial uses of recorded music in all markets where its members operate.
About BMAT
BMAT is a music innovation company with a mission to index all music usage and ownership data. They are experts in monitoring and reporting music globally across TVs, radios, venues and digital to help all different companies in the music industry better their data operations and help artists get paid for their plays. Every day BMAT delivers 80 million identifications and 27 billion matches to CMOs, publishers, record labels, broadcasters and DSPs.
For SoundSys related enquiries please contact: soundsys-info@ifpi.org.
Report highlights:
- Music listening is up. Respondents typically spend 18 hours per week listening to music – up from 17.8 hours in 2018. This equates to about 2.6 hours – or the equivalent of listening to 52 three-minute songs – daily.
- Most people (54%) identify as ‘loving’ or being ‘fanatical’ about music. Among 16 – 24-year-olds, this rises to 63%.
- Older age groups increasingly embrace audio streaming services. Engagement with audio streaming globally is strong, with 64% of all respondents accessing a music streaming service in the past month – up by about 7% over 2018. The highest rate of growth for engagement is in the 35 – 64-year-old age group, with 54% of that group accessing a music streaming service in the past month (+8% on 2018).
- Copyright infringement remains a challenge for the music ecosystem. 27% of all surveyed used unlicensed methods to listen to or obtain music in the past month, while 23% used illegal stream ripping services – the leading form of music piracy.
Frances Moore, chief executive of IFPI, said: “This year’s report tells an exciting story of how fans are increasingly engaging with music. At a time when multiple forms of media vie for fans’ attention, they are not only choosing to spend more of their time listening to – and engaging with – music but they are doing so in increasingly diverse ways.
“The enduring partnership between record companies and artists is the bedrock on which this growing, exciting global world of passionate music listeners is built. Record companies work with their artists to help connect them with fans around the world.
“The report also highlights that the availability of music through unlicensed methods, or copyright infringement, remains a real threat to the music ecosystem. Practices such as stream ripping are still prevalent and return nothing to those who create and invest in music. We continue to coordinate world-wide action to address this.”
The full report is available at https://www.ifpi.org/downloads/Music-Listening-2019.pdf
For further information please contact:
press@ifpi.org +44 (0)20 7878 7979