> Song downloads and streaming music account for 70 percent of U.S. music sales. But the industry's total revenue has dropped by 66 percent since 1999.
The profusion of bullshit "statistics" being used the advance a prejudiced position is so grating. I know why the music publishers are doing it, but the journalists don't have to just repeat it. There are actual interesting numbers that could be calculated.
Of course music revenue is down after moving to a massively more efficient platform. Profit is the relevant metric.
50% "listen on youtube", and generate "4% of revenue" ... I don't even know how this could be changed into a meaningful statistic. I guess you could compare TV+radio listener numbers and revenue share 1996 versus 2016 ... for it to really make any sense you'd have to compare listeners and revenue through all mediums. If there is a change of composition away from high-revenue mediums to lower revenue mediums, that would be more relevant.
And why use the year 2000 as the baseline, when recorded music has a 100-year history.