(CelebrityAccess MediaWire) —
Shipments of Latin music CDs to retail outlets rose by 23.6 percent in 2004, representing an 18.7 percent increase in value, according to annual data released by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Total Latin music shipments to retail jumped 25.6 percent — 48.5 million units in 2004 compared to 38.6 million in 2003. That translates into a 21.6 percent growth in dollar value. Once again, DVD music videos enjoyed a successful year, experiencing a 278 percent gain in units shipped to retail and a 246 percent increase in dollar value compared to the previous year.
"Latin music posted very strong gains in 2004, and that's great news for the music companies, artists and our fans," said Rafael Fernandez, vice president, Latin Music, RIAA. "Regional Mexican music has continued to gain in sales, while new formats such as Reggaeton have won over new fans."
"We know that more than any other genre, Latin music is the most heavily pirated," Fernandez added. "For example, last year, nearly half of all pirated music seized was the Latin genre. During the past several years, we have devoted new resources and devised new strategies to address the illegal manufacturing and selling of Latin CDs. Working with various law enforcement agencies throughout the country, our Latin anti-piracy efforts have helped put a real dent in the problem." –Jane Cohen and Bob Grossweiner
