5 ms·

Charted: 50 Years of Music Industry Revenues, by Format

gorgoiler 3y ago
Why isn’t the bottom of the graph flat? I can see how at any particular year the revenue from each source is represented by its color in the vertical slice, but what is the significance of the baseline going up and down over time?
- wigster 3y ago
  it is vertically symmetrical. it just doesn't look like it is because the horizontal year axis is in the wrong place. i am happy to say i never spent a penny on a ring tone.
  - atlasunshrugged 3y ago
    I am sad to say I definitely did, that said I feel like it was a rite of passage for a Motorola Razr owner
  - brookst 3y ago
    But it’s not vertically symmetrical? Look at paid streaming. Definitely not symmetrical.
    - ghaff 3y ago
      I think the totals are--or at least they're close. But it's just sort of a weird way to do a visualization as opposed to just zero-basing the Y-axis.
      - brookst 3y ago
        Gotcha. Yeah, the totals are, but it makes it very hard to compare different categories. Grr.
- jeremiahbuckley 3y ago
  The vertical is total revenue for the year, centered around the axis. More emotional than a flat bottom edge, less info, less wasted space on the page. The bands appear to be stacked older-format-lower. It’s visually interesting, but without a vertical scale I’m immediately suspicious.
layer8 3y ago
This is missing a line for (pre-recorded) MiniDisc sales. ;)
- karmakaze 3y ago
  I wonder if that's larger than for prerecorded DCC (Digital Compact Cassette). There's still some for sale[0]. [0] https://www.dccmuseum.com/cassettes/our-dcc-releases https://www.dccmuseum.com/cassettes/our-dcc-releases
- lostlogin 3y ago
  Maybe it’s there but is sub pixel?
  - layer8 3y ago
    If it’s not in the legend, it’s not there.
mynegation 3y ago
Do we need even more confirmation that 1999 was the greatest year ever?
tiahura 3y ago
Whoever designed that graph …
cf100clunk 3y ago
For sites like that graph thank goodness I have Kill Sticky Headers bookmarked: https://alisdair.mcdiarmid.org/kill-sticky-headers/ https://alisdair.mcdiarmid.org/kill-sticky-headers/
archiewood 3y ago
The linked source data from the RIAA is presented much better: https://www.riaa.com/u-s-sales-database/ https://www.riaa.com/u-s-sales-database/ Positive money is up on the y axis
- auggierose 3y ago
  Oh, thanks, was wondering about how to interpret these graphs as well. Really weird design.
- doublepg23 3y ago
  Huh, viewing the graph "adjusted for inflation" this seems to suggest to me streaming has solved the crisis of making money for artists? It seems like there's a sharp jump for the 20s and it's reaching 70s highs again.
  - 8ytecoder 3y ago
    I believe it's extremely lopsided. The top artists take up a lion's share of the revenue while smaller artists make much much lower than what they used to make in sales. Smaller artists mostly use the streaming platforms for publicity and then make most of their money from their performances.
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
  - eduction 3y ago
    1. That graph shows adjusted revenues lower than the 90s and early 2000s and even one or two years in the 70s. 2. It’s not a chart of what artists take home, but rather raw top line revenue, and it seems clear from all available evidence that the economics of Spotify et al are significantly worse for artists than they were with CDs. People have accepted this because it seemed better than piracy where revenue is zero.
  - wwweston 3y ago
    Nope. Streaming cannibalized recording sales, where artists got more of that revenue. Payouts for artists on streaming are fractional and arguably opaque than per recording sales (most of the problems of record company contracts & accounting and then a few more to boot). They don't take home the revenue you're seeing here. We had a missed opportunity to let digital recording retail replace media sales, the Bandcamp model could have been bigger. Spotify moved fast and broke a lot of things and did more goddamned damage to the sector than "piracy" by adopting the fundamental business model with a bit of convenience and veneer of legitimacy.
slg 3y ago
Why is ad supported streaming considered a sale but radio isn't?
- helixten 3y ago
  If I am not mistaken, over the air radio does not have to pay royalties.
  - tfigueroa 3y ago
    Mostly correct. Radio, satellite, and internet all pay different kinds of royalties at different levels (or used to, last I checked). I believe radio only pays the songwriters/publishers, whereas [streamer] might’ve also paid the performers. This is also different than how individual companies - say Spotify - pay for content via direct deals. I’m also confused because Pandora is ad-supported and generated ~1B per year, but the numbers here are low. But that may be captured in some other metric.
sys_64738 3y ago
That graph, what the heck is it even meant to be?
- RugnirViking 3y ago
  overall span is the total revenue, the individual colours within are the share of each format. normally a graph like that would be fine but they mirrored it across the x axis because someone in the chain don't care about the data really they just want the appearance of statistics. that sort of mirrored plot is gaining traction is some science fields too and some people hate it, look up "violin plot"
- IshKebab 3y ago
  I thought it was pretty clear actually. One of the better visualisations you see - they didn't make any major mistakes. If you want to see some truly grotesque visualisations go to /r/dataisbeautiful.
sys_64738 3y ago
Why does 8-Track look like the Great state of Texas?
scarface_74 3y ago
And Spotify has never made a profit. https://www.businessofapps.com/data/spotify-statistics/#:~:text=Spotify%20has%20not%20reported%20an,takes%2030%20percent%20of%20profits https://www.businessofapps.com/data/spotify-statistics/#:~:t....
zmix 3y ago
I was always a vinyl guy. At least up into the late 90's, when digital sound engineering started to become on par with analog. At least for my taste. I will never forgive myself, that I didn't buy tons and tons of vinyl at the end of the 80's, early 90's, when they could be had for cents/piece. Admittedly I was a very poor student back then, but I should have spent less money on party and more money on vinyl.
- moribvndvs 3y ago
  In the DIY scene (hardcore, punk, metal, etc.) vinyl was a very popular format for independent bands because it was cheap and accessible (both for the bands, their small labels if they even had one, and the fans), but I think obscurity and doing the opposite of what the mainstream is doing were significant factors as well. I used to have an absolute shitload of 7”, EPs, and LPs from random bands all over the world but I got rid of them because a good amount of it I didn’t listen to anymore, and I just didn’t have the space for a record collection. Some of those records that I got for next to nothing are outrageously expensive now in the aftermarket. With the vinyl revival that’s been happening for a few years, oddly enough some bands are going to cassette tapes for similar reasons as the old vinyl days. I’m looking forward to the 8 track revival and the wax cylinder revival.

Why isn’t the bottom of the graph flat? I can see how at any particular year the revenue from each source is represented by its color in the vertical slice, but what is the significance of the baseline going up and down over time?

wigster 3y ago
it is vertically symmetrical. it just doesn't look like it is because the horizontal year axis is in the wrong place. i am happy to say i never spent a penny on a ring tone.
- atlasunshrugged 3y ago
  I am sad to say I definitely did, that said I feel like it was a rite of passage for a Motorola Razr owner
- brookst 3y ago
  But it’s not vertically symmetrical? Look at paid streaming. Definitely not symmetrical.
  - ghaff 3y ago
    I think the totals are--or at least they're close. But it's just sort of a weird way to do a visualization as opposed to just zero-basing the Y-axis.
    - brookst 3y ago
      Gotcha. Yeah, the totals are, but it makes it very hard to compare different categories. Grr.
jeremiahbuckley 3y ago
The vertical is total revenue for the year, centered around the axis. More emotional than a flat bottom edge, less info, less wasted space on the page. The bands appear to be stacked older-format-lower. It’s visually interesting, but without a vertical scale I’m immediately suspicious.

layer8 3y ago

This is missing a line for (pre-recorded) MiniDisc sales. ;)

karmakaze 3y ago
I wonder if that's larger than for prerecorded DCC (Digital Compact Cassette). There's still some for sale[0]. [0] https://www.dccmuseum.com/cassettes/our-dcc-releases https://www.dccmuseum.com/cassettes/our-dcc-releases
lostlogin 3y ago
Maybe it’s there but is sub pixel?
- layer8 3y ago
  If it’s not in the legend, it’s not there.

mynegation 3y ago

Do we need even more confirmation that 1999 was the greatest year ever?

tiahura 3y ago

Whoever designed that graph …

cf100clunk 3y ago

For sites like that graph thank goodness I have Kill Sticky Headers bookmarked: https://alisdair.mcdiarmid.org/kill-sticky-headers/ https://alisdair.mcdiarmid.org/kill-sticky-headers/

archiewood 3y ago

The linked source data from the RIAA is presented much better: https://www.riaa.com/u-s-sales-database/ https://www.riaa.com/u-s-sales-database/ Positive money is up on the y axis

auggierose 3y ago
Oh, thanks, was wondering about how to interpret these graphs as well. Really weird design.
doublepg23 3y ago
Huh, viewing the graph "adjusted for inflation" this seems to suggest to me streaming has solved the crisis of making money for artists? It seems like there's a sharp jump for the 20s and it's reaching 70s highs again.
- 8ytecoder 3y ago
  I believe it's extremely lopsided. The top artists take up a lion's share of the revenue while smaller artists make much much lower than what they used to make in sales. Smaller artists mostly use the streaming platforms for publicity and then make most of their money from their performances.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- eduction 3y ago
  1. That graph shows adjusted revenues lower than the 90s and early 2000s and even one or two years in the 70s. 2. It’s not a chart of what artists take home, but rather raw top line revenue, and it seems clear from all available evidence that the economics of Spotify et al are significantly worse for artists than they were with CDs. People have accepted this because it seemed better than piracy where revenue is zero.
- wwweston 3y ago
  Nope. Streaming cannibalized recording sales, where artists got more of that revenue. Payouts for artists on streaming are fractional and arguably opaque than per recording sales (most of the problems of record company contracts & accounting and then a few more to boot). They don't take home the revenue you're seeing here. We had a missed opportunity to let digital recording retail replace media sales, the Bandcamp model could have been bigger. Spotify moved fast and broke a lot of things and did more goddamned damage to the sector than "piracy" by adopting the fundamental business model with a bit of convenience and veneer of legitimacy.

slg 3y ago

Why is ad supported streaming considered a sale but radio isn't?

helixten 3y ago
If I am not mistaken, over the air radio does not have to pay royalties.
- tfigueroa 3y ago
  Mostly correct. Radio, satellite, and internet all pay different kinds of royalties at different levels (or used to, last I checked). I believe radio only pays the songwriters/publishers, whereas [streamer] might’ve also paid the performers. This is also different than how individual companies - say Spotify - pay for content via direct deals. I’m also confused because Pandora is ad-supported and generated ~1B per year, but the numbers here are low. But that may be captured in some other metric.

sys_64738 3y ago

That graph, what the heck is it even meant to be?

RugnirViking 3y ago
overall span is the total revenue, the individual colours within are the share of each format. normally a graph like that would be fine but they mirrored it across the x axis because someone in the chain don't care about the data really they just want the appearance of statistics. that sort of mirrored plot is gaining traction is some science fields too and some people hate it, look up "violin plot"
IshKebab 3y ago
I thought it was pretty clear actually. One of the better visualisations you see - they didn't make any major mistakes. If you want to see some truly grotesque visualisations go to /r/dataisbeautiful.

sys_64738 3y ago

Why does 8-Track look like the Great state of Texas?

scarface_74 3y ago

And Spotify has never made a profit. https://www.businessofapps.com/data/spotify-statistics/#:~:text=Spotify%20has%20not%20reported%20an,takes%2030%20percent%20of%20profits https://www.businessofapps.com/data/spotify-statistics/#:~:t....

zmix 3y ago

I was always a vinyl guy. At least up into the late 90's, when digital sound engineering started to become on par with analog. At least for my taste. I will never forgive myself, that I didn't buy tons and tons of vinyl at the end of the 80's, early 90's, when they could be had for cents/piece. Admittedly I was a very poor student back then, but I should have spent less money on party and more money on vinyl.

moribvndvs 3y ago
In the DIY scene (hardcore, punk, metal, etc.) vinyl was a very popular format for independent bands because it was cheap and accessible (both for the bands, their small labels if they even had one, and the fans), but I think obscurity and doing the opposite of what the mainstream is doing were significant factors as well. I used to have an absolute shitload of 7”, EPs, and LPs from random bands all over the world but I got rid of them because a good amount of it I didn’t listen to anymore, and I just didn’t have the space for a record collection. Some of those records that I got for next to nothing are outrageously expensive now in the aftermarket. With the vinyl revival that’s been happening for a few years, oddly enough some bands are going to cassette tapes for similar reasons as the old vinyl days. I’m looking forward to the 8 track revival and the wax cylinder revival.