Streaming continues to be the backbone of the music industry. According to Billboard, 2016 is set to become the music industry's most successful year since 2009. This success is measured by total album consumption units, which combines sales with track- and streaming-equivalent units (10 track sales or 1,500 streams equaling to one album, respectively).
That number is currently at 411 million (based on the first three quarters of this year), which is close to 2013's year-end total of 415.4 million albums and will most likely surpass 2009's 489.8 million albums. To give an even better idea of just how well 2016 has been going for the music industry, the total from this year's first three quarters is also 5.3% higher than this time last year.
Billboard also notes that within those 411 million units (which equals to $3.43 billion as RIAA reported), Universal Music Group owns about 34.7% of units moved, Sony Music with 28.4%, Warner with 21.7%, and independent labels with 14.4%
Drake's Views currently tops the albums by consumption list with 3.57 million in total consumption. Adele's 25 is in second place with 2.1 million, and Beyoncé's Lemonade is in third with 2.01 million. Kevin Gates'Islah rounds off the list in 10th with 876,000 units in total consumption.
Unsurprisingly, Justin Timberlake's radio-friendly single "Can't Stop The Feeling!" tops the digital songs by download list with 2.16 million downloads. Desiigner's "Panda" is in the No. 1 spot with the most on-demand streamed song with 674.4 million streams.
See Billboard's full report here.
