August 11, 2009

By By Wolfgang Spahr, Berlin

During the first half of 2009, unit sales of classical CDs in Germany were 23% above the previous year according to new industry figures.

Classical turnover increased by 7.1%, according to the association of the German music industry (BVMI) in Berlin. In value, the German classical market had a turnover of ?45 million ($63.7 million), compared to ?42 million ($60.5 million) in the same period last year. The average price fell 11% to ?11.92 ($16.88) in 2009, compared to ?13.40 ($18.98) in the first half of 2008.

The BVMI identified increased sales at bookshops and from direct sales at concerts.

The sales data is based on a 25,000-strong consumer survey by the German consumer-research agency GFK in Nuremberg. In the first half of 2009, 3.8 million classical records were sold, up from 3.1 million in the prior six months.

Increased classical sales have also been reflected in the number of chart entries in recent years according to the BVMI. It stated that only four classical productions entered the album chart between 2002 and 2005, while from 2006 to 2009 there were 42 productions in the chart.

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