Digital album sales are up 10 percent and vinyl LPs up 40 percent in Canada, compared to 2014, according to the 2015 Nielsen Mid-Year Music Canada Report issued Friday. The data, which covers the 6-month period of Dec. 29, 2014 to June 28, 2015, also shows there were over 10.5 billion on-demand streams through audio and video platforms.
“The biggest story of the year continues to be the growth of streaming,” David Bakula, SVP industry insights, Nielsen, said in a statement. “With over 10.5 billion on-demand streams in the first six months of the year, streaming is becoming the primary choice of consumption for many music fans.”
However, the mid-year report shows that digital album tracks are down 9.6 percent, versus the same time period last year. CD sales are also down 8.6 percent.
Overall, total albums sales — CDs, cassettes, vinyl, LPs, digital — remain the same at 12.3 million. Adding in track equivalent albums (TEA) and the tally is 17.4 million, down from 17.6 million. Digital track sales are 51.6 million, down from 53.2.
Combining digital albums and track equivalent albums, sales are up 3.2 percent.
Taylor Swift‘s 1989 sits atop the 2015 Top Albums + TEA chart with sales of 172,000 copies; Ed Sheeran‘s X is at No. 1 on the 2015 Top Albums with sales of 117,000; and Drake‘s If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late is perched above all on the 2015 Top Digital Albums chart.
“Uptown Funk!” by Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars is No. 1 on five charts: the 2015 Radio Songs chart with 69,000 plays; the 2015 Top Digital Songs Chart with sales of 526,000 copies; the 2015 Top On-Demand Streams with 38 million; 2015 Top Audio On-Demand Streams with 4.8 million; and 2015 Top Video On-Demand Streams with 33.6 million.
Nielsen is the music industry’s leading data information provider.
2015 Top Albums + TEA
1. Taylor Swift, 1989 — 172,000
2. Ed Sheeran, X — 170,000
3. Fifty Shades Of Grey, soundtrack — 134,000
4. Sam Smith, In The Lonely Hour — 132,000
5. Yoan, Yoan — 101,000
6. Hozier, Hozier — 101,000
7. Drake, If You’re Reading This… — 101,000
8. Maroon 5, V — 92,000
9. Meghan Trainor, Title — 86,000
10. Mumford & Sons, Wilder Mind — 84,000
***Includes Album Sales And Track Equivalent Albums At A Rate Of 10:1
2015 Top On-Demand Streams
1. Mark Ronson Feat. Bruno Mars, Uptown Funk! — 38,000,000
2. Ed Sheeran, Thinking Out Loud — 25,000,000
3. Wiz Khalifa Feat. Charlie Puth, See You Again — 23,000,000
4. Maroon 5, Sugar — 20,000,000
5. Taylor Swift, Blank Space — 18,000,000
6. Taylor Swift, Shake It Off — 18,000,000
7. Hozier, Take Me To Church — 18,000,000
8. Ellie Goulding, Love Me Like You Do — 17,000,000
9. Sia, Elastic Heart — 13,000,000
10. Omi, Cheerleader — 13,000,000
