Music HistoryMusic Industry

Here’s how the music industry has changed in the last 20 years

As we rapidly approach the end of the decade, there’s a lot of retrospective-ing going on. In the case of the music industry, the last couple of decades have been one of disruption, destruction, innovation and reinvention.

TickX, a British company, decided to examine how much the music industry has changed in the last twenty years. Although the study focused on the UK, the lessons learned are no doubt applicable elsewhere in the world, including Canada.

  • Average concert ticket price in 1999: £22.58 (CAD$38.50)
  • Average concert ticket price in 2019: £56.84 (CAD$97.12)
  • Price of a ticket to Glastonbury in 1999: £83 (CAD$141)
  • Price of a ticket to Glastonbury today: £248 (CAD$423.75)

Compare these festival posters, too.

Coachella 1999

Coachella 2019

Lollapalooza 1999

Lollapalooza 2019

And there’s more:

  • Streaming now makes up 80% of the music industry’s revenue while only 9% comes from the physical sales of CDs and vinyl.
  • Listening to music is mostly done via phones.

Read more here.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

Alan Cross has 37969 posts and counting. See all posts by Alan Cross

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