Widely acknowledged as the definitive data source for the UK recorded music industry, the 2014 edition of the BPI Yearbook has just been published. Now in its 35th edition, the book includes detailed analysis of:

• The Rise of Digital: in the 10 years since the launch of iTunes, digital has transformed the recorded music landscape. The new Yearbook charts this transformation and examines the factors leading to 50% of industry income being derived from digital sources in 2013, including new data on streaming.  

• Sales Metrics: compilations thrived in a difficult year for the albums market and though singles sales dipped slightly the annual total was the second highest ever recorded. The book examines both sectors in terms of format sales, artist nationality, sales by type of music, catalogue/new release popularity and monthly/daily sales patterns among other indices. Streaming data has been incorporated where available and there are also new pages on areas such as sales by gender, the vinyl market and best-selling artists of the year.

• Consumer Data: understanding the audience and how they consume music is key to keeping ahead in such a fast-moving industry. This section looks at demographics and critical metrics such as penetration and average spend per buyer, along with a detailed consumer segmentation of the physical and digital markets. We also look at music consumption patterns and how and where people are accessing music.

The yearbook also includes chapters covering retail, independent music, company market share, music DVD, Classical and the extraordinary success of UK music in the world market – for the sixth time in seven years the biggest selling artist album globally was by a British act.

For a limited period the Yearbook is available for the price of £60, a reduction of £25 from its normal selling price.

Visit the BPI shop to order a copy.

As well as commentary and analysis from the BPI’s own research team there is data from respected industry sources such as the Official Charts Company, IFPI, Kantar, Nielsen and Futuresource.

The book is introduced by BPI Chief Executive Geoff Taylor, who comments: “Young people have always been passionate about music. But what has become noticeable over the past few years is the eclecticism of their taste and how knowledgeable they now are as fans, not only about new talent like London Grammar, Naughty Boy or Rudimental but also about the recordings of the artists who helped to shape much of today's music soundscape – icons ranging from Bob Dylan and Led Zeppelin to David Bowie and Janis Joplin.

"A major factor behind this must be the capability that now exists to listen, at the touch of a button, to virtually the entire history of recorded music – combined with the means to easily share these classic songs with friends and other fans. The discovery and appreciation of music has been enhanced by the licensing of on-demand streaming services and their integration with social networking platforms.

“As I consider the wealth of data on music consumption included in this year's BPI's yearbook, the 35th in the series, it’s worth pausing to reflect on the extent to which technology innovation in the music industry may be shaping not only how and where we listen to music, but also the music we choose to enjoy."