YTD MARKET SHARE
What kind of year has it been in the music biz? Let’s start with some wild stats. Taylor Swift’s individual overall market share stands at 1.7%, with 15.6m album units YTD—more than Mercury, Big Loud and Imperial combined. That’s crazy enough, but even without Taylor, the Republic group would still be #1 in current share. Now that is dynastic dominance times two.
Strangely, you won’t find the Lipman brothers’ Republic or John Janick’s Interscope Capitol Labels Group in Luminate’s market-share breakdown, despite the fact that UMG made its bicoastal realignment way back in early March. No, it makes zero sense that the market-share gods have yet to acknowledge these sweeping changes eight months after they reshaped the industry as a whole, but never fear—the post-reorg breakdown below provides a detailed look at the actual standings, as opposed to a market-share report that looks official but bears little resemblance to the world we’re now living in.
In the real world, REPUBLIC Corps is the runaway leader in current share behind an insanely potent roster that boasts Morgan Wallen (in partnership with Seth England’s Big Loud), Island’s massive Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan, Mercury’s Post Malone and Noah Kahan, Boominati/Freebandz’s Metro Boomin, Drake and Ariana Grande. Along with Swift, this crew accounts for the top four albums YTD, seven of the Top 10 and 14 of the Top 20. Not only that, but Republic has become the biggest country-music marketing machine in memory, putting an exclamation mark on its awe-inspiring market share. Hot damn.
ICLG, meanwhile, holds serve in overall market share this year thanks to superstars like Billie Eilish (with the #5 album YTD), Olivia Rodrigo and Kendrick Lamar (with two Top 50 LPs apiece), Eminem and the incredible exploding Gracie Abrams.
Aaron Bay-Schuck and Tom Corson’s Warner is #3 in current, the product of its focus on developing and breaking new acts, as rookies Benson Boone (with the year’s #21 album) and Teddy Swims (#28) join previous breakthrough Zach Bryan and his Top 50 trifecta. Additionally, Warner’s share in country will likely further increase now that Bay-Schuck and Corson have brought Cris Lacy and Gregg Nadel’s high-scoring Nashville company into the Bunny hutch. Republic and Warner’s country shares are about the same; the primary difference between them is that Warner’s share includes the aforementioned Warner Nashville, but UMG Nashville isn’t part of Republic’s percentage.
Warner sister label Atlantic appears to be on the verge of its own revitalization as Elliot Grainge brings youthful energy to the task of getting the storied company back in the thick of it following a recent slump. The fact that Atlantic has still managed a #3 ranking in overall share with a 7.7% is a testament to its deep catalog, which will provide a solid foundation for Grainge as he undertakes the label’s renovation. Charli xcx’s pop-cultural phenomenon BRAT, the fast-breaking ROSÉ and Bruno Mars, whose smashes with Lady Gaga and ROSÉ evidence his Midas touch, provide Grainge with a launching pad for his forward-facing efforts.
Ron Perry’s Columbia, #5 in both metrics, has been paced by Parkwood’s Beyoncé, but Tyler, the Creator, whose CHROMAKOPIA has ruled the album chart since its release three weeks ago, has cemented his status as a cornerstone act for Big Red.
With her SOS holding strong at #7 YTD, TDE’s SZA continues to deliver for RCA’s Peter Edge, #6 current and overall, while Travis Scott, Future and 21 Savage form a hip-hop triumvirate for Sylvia Rhone’s Epic, #7 in both metrics. Sony Nashville, led by the soon-to-retire Randy Goodman, Afo Verde’s Sony Latin and Todd Moscowitz’s hip-hop-centric Alamo give Rob Stringer’s parent company the 5-10 entries in the YTD current standings. Sony also has the #1 distribution company in The Orchard, whose 7.3% is the third biggest in the current sector.
The overall seedings include Cindy Mabe’s UMG Nashville, Jesús López’s UMLE and Nat Pastor and JT Myers’ Virgin Music Group, each of which adds to the towering 38.4% haul of Sir Lucian Grainge’s league-leading UMG. It’s good to be king.
