French music sales are up 6.4% in 2022 achieving a turnover of €920 million, a sixth consecutive year of growth according to figures released by SNEP, the French music industry association. Revenues from sales have returned to their level of 15 years ago, but only reached 52% of the historical peak of 2002. Three quarters of them are generated by digital operations and a quarter by physical media – exactly the reverse of 10 years ago.
Subscription streaming remains by far the leading source of recorded music revenue and the market’s growth lever. 16 million users have adopted paid streaming which realised
€426 million – up 11% compared to 2021. Ad-supported streaming and video streaming also made significant progress in 2022 with 8% and 9% of sales revenue respectively.
Vinyl sales continue to shine, up 13% in value. They now represent 45% of physical sales, against less than 1% 10 years ago and is not far from equalling CDs. The latter continues its pre-pandemic decline and remains just the second source of market income.
As for synchronization (music for the image, in films, commercials, video games, etc.) and related rights (private copying, music on the radio, TV clips, sound system, etc.), they respectively represent €32 million (+34%) and €122 million (+12%).
Locally produced music and singing in French continue to be popular with 17 albums in the Top 20 being produced in France as were 77% of the 200 best-selling albums in 2022. The sign of the vitality of French production is evidenced by the presence of the younger generation alongside confirmed artists. 32 first albums ranked in the Top 200, including 26 French productions. Another indicator of the driving role of new French productions in streaming is that among the 100,000 most listened to titles in 2022, three quarters of titles are less than 10 years old, two thirds of which are French productions.
The complete report (in French) is freely available for download here.
