Why is the physical market growing each year, but not the streaming one?

  • Each year we have more and more kpop groups selling more and more physically, but their streams aren't reaching new levels exactly neither are on pair with the physical growth. Why?

    We are on the streaming era, what's happening?



    "not a bait, troll, hate thread"!



    I know some streams numbers are better than in the past, but it's surprising how the physical market is surpassing even the streaming one. At least this is how seeing it.

    Feel free to explain politely as I'm not trolling.

  • I can go out and buy 10 albums and that will count as 10 album sales, but unless I sit down and figure out the "proper" way to stream a song 10 streams may only count as 1.

  • I can go out and buy 10 albums and that will count as 10 album sales, but unless I sit down and figure out the "proper" way to stream a song 10 streams may only count as 1.

    No, this I understand, but streaming properly? This was never a problem in kpop. Just success/chart stans care about it. But streaming is just listening your fave song etc which going by the logic that every day kpop fans listen their fave songs, i thought the streaming would increase just bc it's the streaming era and a way easier method. Like, playing a song ain't difficult.

  • No, this I understand, but streaming properly? This was never a problem in kpop. Just success/chart stans care about it. But streaming is just listening your fave song etc which going by the logic that every day kpop fans listen their fave songs, i thought the streaming would increase just bc it's the streaming era and a way easier method. Like, playing a song ain't difficult.

    Oh I thought you meant just charts... I mean streams are doing fine across the board. I really don't understand why people think kpop acts don't get decent streams when most of the big groups have multiple songs with millions of streams. It's not a mainstream genre like rock or hip hop so idk how many streams people think it should have. Like country is a much bigger niche in the US and their streams are generally on par or lower than kpop so I think most popular groups are doing pretty well.

  • No, this I understand, but streaming properly? This was never a problem in kpop. Just success/chart stans care about it. But streaming is just listening your fave song etc which going by the logic that every day kpop fans listen their fave songs, i thought the streaming would increase just bc it's the streaming era and a way easier method. Like, playing a song ain't difficult.

    streaming properly does matter. if you have a song on repeat on most streaming services, they will filter out all those streams because their algorithm picks it up as botting. bts' songs get like over a million streams filtered on the their spotify chart debut days. so the number won't even be accurate on most charts

  • Oh I thought you meant just charts... I mean streams are doing fine across the board. I really don't understand why people think kpop acts don't get decent streams when most of the big groups have multiple songs with millions of streams. It's not a mainstream genre like rock or hip hop so idk how many streams people think it should have. Like country is a much bigger niche in the US and their streams are generally on par or lower than kpop so I think most popular groups are doing pretty well.

    Uhm.. interesting take.. i think with BTS and BP numbers some (like me kkkk) kinda thought kpop would start doing similar numbers, but true. Kpop isn't mainstream.

  • streaming properly does matter. if you have a song on repeat on most streaming services, they will filter out all those streams because their algorithm picks it up as botting. bts' songs get like over a million streams filtered on the their spotify chart debut days. so the number won't even be accurate on most charts

    Ok, while it matters, it isn't the only thing. The numbers are somehow "low". Like physical market is here doing amazing while streaming is just here.

  • tbh I wonder that too :pepe-onions:

    i guess its more album distribution and more people buying kpop albums for aesthetics and decor

    also i think the competition in the physical market itself is leading to it, and if u have the money there's nothing easier than bulk buying.

    Jinaaaaa, you are being the intellectual today!! Kkkkk

    The"physical market leading" is a great answer!!

    Btw it's leading bc almost everyone is flopping on the digital side which makes it even more weird bc yk... Streaming era, etc :pepe-popcorn: kkkkkk

  • I beg to disagree


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    They aren't exactly the same, but you have no idea how hard it is to find these numbers

  • While they grew too, but the physical market went from 100k to 800k ~ 1M and that's a bigger grow for me.

    Streams did grow, but these numbers are being achieved by a few groups like 5 the maximum??

  • I can go out and buy 10 albums and that will count as 10 album sales, but unless I sit down and figure out the "proper" way to stream a song 10 streams may only count as 1.

    That hasn't changed though.


    The large increase in sales over the past year for girl groups seems to be from bulk-buying by fan groups, especially C-bars.

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