Taylor Swift is one of the artists responsible for the first increase in physical album sales in 20 years

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July 15, 2024

Alamy

Taylor Swift, Liam Gallagher & John Squire, and Rod Stewart & Jools Holland are among the artists who have ensured that physical music sales are on track for their first increase in two decades.

The new edition of Music Week shows that physical album sales in the first six months of 2024 increased by 3.2% year-on-year to 8,044,760 units. The half-year figures from the Official Charts Company and BPI also show increasing momentum, with sales up 3.9% in the second quarter.

Total physical album sales have not increased year-on-year since 2004, when they grew 2.6% to 163.4 million units.

With 254,241 physical sales this year, Taylor Swift’s long-running No. 1 LP, The Tortured Poets Department, and her catalog have contributed significantly to market growth.

In addition to The “Tortured Poets” sectionThe top 5 physical sellers of the first six months were Swing fever by Rod Stewart & Jools Holland (48,540 sales), the album of the same name by Liam Gallagher & John Squire (46,982), Billie Eilish’s Hit me hard and soft (45,434) and the debut of The Last Dinner Party Prelude to ecstasy (42,352.)

Dua Lipa’s “Radical Optimism” ranked #6 in physical sales, although it ranked #5 in total vinyl sales in its first six months alone (19,328 vinyl LPs).

Speak with Music WeekDr Jo Twist OBE, chief executive of the BPI, said: “Since vinyl LP sales began to rise again over 15 years ago, the compact disc has been overshadowed by the older physical format, so it is encouraging to see that the CD market may be on the rise again after years of significant decline.

“Thanks to record labels, music fans today have more choice than ever to enjoy releases from their favorite artists, from mass market penetration through streaming to a range of physical formats that have a complementary relationship with streaming and help strengthen the special connection between creator and consumer.”