As in Canada and the United States, the

y

global music industry considers music file

on the International Scene

swapping and CD burning to be the major

cause of falling sales. According to IFPI,

Canada has established a solid reputation

global unit sales of counterfeit CDs grew

for producing music artists with worldwide

4% in 2003 to 1.1 billion units, more than

commercial appeal. Over the past decade,

one third of all CDs sold worldwide.

Canada's top ten recent international suc 

42

However, technology has also given rise

cess stories together have sold 359.5 million

to a new commercial format, the mobile

units around the world, grossing around

phone ringtone. The phenomenon, in which

$5.4 billion (US), based on average 

users can purchase basic versions of popu 

retail price of $15 (US) per album. Leading

lar tunes from commercial Web sites and

the way is Celine Dion, with sales of 

download them to their handset, is so far

150 million units since 1995, followed 

only established in Europe and Asia, where

by Shania Twain (70 million), Alanis

mobile phone penetration is much higher

Morissette (45 million), and Avril Lavigne

than in North America. But it has already

(20 million).

45

shown promise: in the UK in 2003, ring 

tones of recordings sold as singles often

Sales of Canada s Top 10 Selling

outsold the actual singles.

43

A recent survey

Artists Around the World 

shows a potential market for ringtones in

Since January 1995 

Canada; though master recording ringtones

Approximate 

were not available in 2003, 30% of survey

worldwide sales 

respondents said they would consider

Artist

(units 000,000)

1

Celine Dion

150 

buying them, when available.

44

2

Shania Twain

70

3

Alanis Morissette

45

4

Avril Lavigne

20

5

Sarah McLachlan

19

6

Nickelback

17

7

Diana Krall

11.5

8

Barenaked Ladies

11

9

Nelly Furtado

6

y

10

Sum 41 (tied)

5

10

Our Lady Peace (tied)

5

Source: Applaud! Vol. 2, No.11 July/August 2004.

26