RECORD LABELS WHERE'S THE BEEF?

  I often speak to professional groups as well as local craft associations. I'm frequently asked, are the labels really hurting? The answer is a definite, yes! Going back to 2004 sales where approximately 36 to 40 billion globally, from 2009 to 2012 they have plummeted from 14.5 billion to 6.3 billion , and it's not going to get any better.
  Here's the good news! The money is still being spent, and your share is waiting, if your willing to do the work. The Digital age is here!  The biggest reason the record labels have lost so much, simply put, is their arrogance. They got complacent, and thought the gravy train would never end. Well it did, and they're  paying dearly.
  I thought it would be interesting to look at the big four. Just image based on their percentages of the market how it is affecting them. Their lying in their neatly made beds, and you no longer have to get into bed with them!
  It's your turn now! Join the digital age! Get to work! Learn your craft! Kindle your passion! See you at the top!!!!!

US music market shares, according to Nielsen SoundScan (2005)

Nielsen SoundScan reported that the big four accounted for 81.87% of the US music market in 2005:^[21]

• Universal Music Group (USA based) — 31.71%
• Sony Music Entertainment (USA based) — 25.61%
• Independent labels — 18.13%
• Warner Music Group (USA based) — 15%
• EMI Group (UK based) — 9.55%

and in 2004, 82.64%:

• Universal Music Group—29.59%
• Sony Music Entertainment—28.46% (13.26% Sony, 15.20% BMG)
• Independent labels—17.36%
• Warner Music Group—14.68%
• EMI Group—9.91%

World music market sales shares, according to IFPI (2005)

The global market was estimated at $30–40 billion in 2004.^[22] Total annual unit sales (CDs, music videos, MP3s) in 2004 were 3 billion.

According to an IFPI report published in August 2005,^[23] the big four accounted for 71.7% of retail music sales:

• Independent labels—28.3%
• Universal Music Group—25.5%
• Sony Music Entertainment—21.5%
• EMI Group—13.4%
• Warner Music Group—11.3%

Prior to December 1998, the industry was dominated by the "Big Six": Sony Music and BMG had not yet merged, and PolyGram had not yet been absorbed into Universal Music Group. After the PolyGram-Universal merger, the 1998 market shares reflected a "Big Five", commanding 77.4% of the market, as follows, according to MEI World Report 2000:

• Universal Music Group — 28.8%
• Independent record label|Independent labels — 22.6%
• Sony Music Entertainment — 21.1%
• EMI — 14.1%
• Warner Music Group — 13.4%

Note: the IFPI and Nielsen Soundscan use different methodologies, which makes their figures difficult to compare casually, and impossible to compare