Streaming now makes up 91% of Swiss music sales with total sales of CHF 249 million in 2024, 7% more than in the previous year according to IFPI Switzerland. Music streaming services such as YouTube, Apple Music and Spotify grew to CHF 226 million (+10%) and now accounts for 91% of the overall market. Sales of downloads and physical recordings continue to decline. The moderate growth in vinyl that has continued since 2010 stagnated in 20244. Physical recordings now only make up 6% of the overall market, while digital music consumption dominates the market at 94%.
Downloads and CDs continued to decline
Sales of downloads and physical products continued to decline. CD sales fell by another 25%, reaching only CHF 9.7 million in sales, the lowest since its launch in the early 1980s. Sales of vinyl stagnated at CHF 4.3 million.
The most frequently streamed Swiss artists in 2024 were all dialect acts: (1) Stubete Gäng, (2) Schwiizergoofe, (3) Patent Ochsner, (4) Gölä and (5) Hecht. As has been the case in recent years, female singers dominate the international repertoire. The five most streamed international acts were (1) Taylor Swift, (2) Billie Eilish, (3) Eminem, (4) The Weeknd and (5) David Guetta.
The most successful single of 2024 was “Beautiful Things” by Benson Boone, the most successful album was “Hit Me Hard And Soft” by Billie Eilish. The album “Loch dür Zyt” by Züri West reached third place in the annual charts, as it did in the year of its release in 2023, making it the most successful Swiss recording of the year twice in a row.
Lorenz Haas, Managing Director of IFPI Switzerland, comments: “The Swiss music market grew for the ninth time in a row in 2024 and has achieved robust growth of 72% during this time Switzerland ranks fifth worldwide in terms of per capita sales, which impressively demonstrates the importance of music for the Swiss. When it comes to music consumption, Switzerland is definitely a global superpower.” In absolute terms, too, little Switzerland has been stable in the top 20 of the global music markets for many years, ranking 17th.
