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MARKETSHARE IN
THE U.K., Q1 2018

The Q1 2018 marketshare stats for U.K. labels are in, with Universal Music up 1.5% year-on-year with an AES figure of 34.8%. Sony is down 1% to 22.7% while Warner is down 2.5% to 18.3% (with a caveat). The independent sector, which includes BMG, is up 2% on Q1 last year to 24.2%.

Universal’s numbers have been boosted this last quarter by releases from Drake, UB40, Ramz, Eminem, and continued sales from Sam Smith. However, the rise is largely down to a settling of the water after the Ed Sheeran show in Q1 2017 when Warner’s numbers were up and UMG stood at 33.3%. From its 35.0% share in 2017 overall, Universal is down 0.2%.

This quarter, Sony has had a #1 album from George Ezra, and new music from Judas Priest, Craig David, First Aid Kit, Camila Cabello, along with continued sales from Justin Timberlake, Rag’n’Bone Man and Pink. That 22.7% figure is down from 23.7% in Q1 2017, and down 1.9% on 2017’s 24.6% overall share. Will anything boost that stat by year-end?

While it looks like Warner has had a dramatic decline from the 20.8% share it enjoyed during Sheeran’s third album campaign in Q1 2017, the label is still up on the share it’s averaged over the last three years (17.6%), and currently matches the 18.3% at the end of 2017. Over the last quarter, imprint Atlantic held the #1 albums spot for 12 out of 14 weeks with The Greatest Showman soundtrack, selling more than 500k copies. Warner has released three of the Top 5 albums of the quarter with Sheeran and Dua Lipa still going strong.

In terms of singles, it had 10 of the Top 20 biggest sellers from Sheeran, Rudimental, Dua Lipa and more.

As a reminder, numbers are calculated using the AES (Album Equivalent Sales) metric. That comprises physical and digital album sales, track-equivalent albums (where 1k streams = one album) and budget albums.

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