What caused the massive jump in K-pop album sales from 2020 onwards?

    I don't know if this has ever been really discussed or discovered, not so much the increase in album sales but the cause(s) behind it.


    But it is a peculiar one: up to a certain moment you'll see a gradual increase in album sales. And then suddenly, a huge spike happens, or maybe better said a paradigm shift.

    And it's not just for a few groups, but across the board.


    When you check the Circle chart over the years, it becomes evident:


    Annual Circle chart: 1st rank - 5th - 10th - 20th - 50th

    2016: 750k - 350k - 225k - 105k - 60k

    2017: 1.5M - 610k - 330k - 160k - 70k

    2018: 2.2M - 640k - 350k - 240k - 90k

    2019: 3.7M - 550k - 410k - 270k - 110k

    2020: 4.4M - 1.2M - 670k - 470k - 170k

    2021: 3M - 1.6M - 1.05M - 710k - 270k

    2022: 3.4M - 2.1M - 1.7M - 1M - 270k



    If it's just 1-2 top groups experiencing a popularity boost, an album release that's hugely popular, or a lot of the top groups releasing an album in the same year, this will logically influence the Top 10 of that year.

    But what you see in 2020 (and 2021) is a sudden, huge rise in album sales across the board.


    Has the cause of this ever been determined?

    Was it a global Hallyu Wave spike (but why then 2020, and why then the lesser known groups profiting too)?

    Was it China and Chinese fanbases that embraced K-pop?

    Was it album pricing or a change/increase in distribution outlets, making them more accessible for non-Koreans?

    Or something else?


    I'd love to know if the revenues from album sales increased to the same exact extent over the years or if there's a difference with the amount of sold albums - but unfortunately those aren't as easily accessible as the Circle chart.

  • AllKill VIP

    I can't say what caused it but nothing will ever come close to seeing Twice make history as the first gg to sell 500k with More & More and then Blackpink being the first to sell 1 million both in the same calendar year 2020.

    Not a useful comment but 🧡🩷women🩷🖤 :pepelove1:

    BLɅϽKPIИK♡JESSICA♡NEWJEANS♡SEJEONG♡THE ROSE♡TWICE♡YERIN BAEK♡YUKIKA

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    Like 4

    What surprises me the most about kpop album sales is that groups would be seeing sudden massive jump of sales (like some groups would see their sales triple or quadruple in a few months) but albums would rarely go out of stock. Like how did the album production industry manage to follow up with that massive increase of demand?

    Another thing that I find weird is that some groups saw their sales increase a lot but all their other metrics did not involve in the same way (views, voting or even concert attendance). Makes you wonder where did that big amount of new buyers come from....

    Album sales kinda stopped making sense at sime point in my opinion. They often dont even reflect the actual popularity ranking between groups.

    Edited once, last by h28 ().

    Like 2
    Quote from h28

    What surprises me the most about kpop album sales is that groups would be seeing sudden massive jump of sales (like some groups would see their sales triple or quadruple in a few months) but albums would rarely go out of stock. Like how did the album production industry manage to follow up with that massive increase of demand?

    Another thing that I find weird is that some groups saw their sales increase a lot but all their other metrics did not involve in the same way (views, voting or even concert attendance). Makes you wonder where did that big amount of new buyers come from....

    Album sales kinda stopped making sense at sime point in my opinion. They often dont even reflect the actual popularity ranking between groups.

    Quote from ramde0916

    Better distribution, album versions, Digi packs, vinyls. Photo cards one of the main ones.


    The better question is are we seeing a plateu? Aespa didn't sell 2m, skz didn't sell 5m.will the same thing happen to RV? Lsf NJ?

    I'm not sure album sales should ever be used as an indicator for popularity. Else you wouldn't have boy groups have the best album sales by far surpassing girl groups - yet at the same time do abominably on digital charts and popularity surveys like Gallup.

    Album sales are an good indication of fanbase size.


    As for the plateauing, I'm starting to think this might be the year to show this or even a decrease, if I compare the half year figures of 2023 with previous years.


    Production process might be an interesting one: SM were known to criminally, structurally understock some of their groups (like RV) for years - up to the point that albums were nowhere available and demand clashed with the hard ceiling of available stock, until they restocked after ages. But the past year or 2 they seem to have changed their method, either having adequate stock or sped up their production process to meet additional, extra demand.

    Quote from FoReveries

    I'm not sure album sales should ever be used as an indicator for popularity. Else you wouldn't have boy groups have the best album sales by far surpassing girl groups - yet at the same time do abominably on digital charts and popularity surveys like Gallup.

    Album sales are an good indication of fanbase size.

    Sorry, that's actually what I meant. By popularity I meant fandom size. I dont think album sales always properly reflect fandom size ranking anymore.

  • AllKill VIP

    corona!


    just think about it


    people couldn't leave home, yet kpop artists were dropping that fun and colorful MV's

    and releasing album after album


    also there was a time when whole US seemed to do nothing for example there were no UFC or Bellator events

    yet in Korea they were already doing music shows etc.


    Europe was also pretty darn closed then


    also 2020 was a time when BTS released Dynamite, Blackpink had HYLT, Lovesick Girls, and Ice Cream

    ITZY released Wannabe, Stray Kids had God's Menu and Back Door, IU released Eight, Oh My Girl had Dolphin and Nonstop combo


    aespa and STAYC both debuted in late 2020


    it was really a good year kind of like a milestone which set everything up for future

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    Insightful 2 Like 1
    Quote from h28

    Sorry, that's actually what I meant. By popularity I meant fandom size. I dont think album sales always properly reflect fandom size ranking anymore.

    Ah, I see. That's actually an interesting notion, albums used to be 1 of the main indicators of fanbase size.

    You think it ceased to be a good indicator of fanbase size at the same time the album sales spike happened?


    Oh, good one!


    I'd already totally forgotten that Corona happened during that time :oops:

    But yes, that might also be an explanation for the change that started in 2020, since Covid had a huge impact in behavior across the world.

  • AllKill VIP

    My theory? Partly because covid


    Covid means no concerts no fansigns no tours so what can people buy? Albums. Granted during this period people's spending power also fell because the economy was shit but overall people shifted their spending to kpop albums


    2021 2022 onwards the economy recovered. And people the started to also spend more, which could explain why album sales increases as well.


    I would expect late 2022 onwards like now on 2023 and 2024 for sales to slowly plateau as concerts and tours start to increase

    I agree that Corona changed fan behaviour - because groups couldn’t tour or perform at university festivals their ability to earn money was drastically reduced so fans felt they needed to bulk buy albums to financially support their group.


    Also, online fan signs became a thing around this time, whereas in the past only Korean fans had a chance to see their idols at a fan sign now every fan around the world had a chance to talk one on one with their fave. This incentivised bulk buying to increase your chance. And obviously all the unique photo cards that different retailers made available if you purchased from them.

  • AllKill VIP

    Releasing 4546321 versions of the same album


    Artists in the west are starting to do it too


    For example: Taylor Swift with just 1 version was plateauing around the 700k-800k mark with physicals AND streaming combined. After releasing 5+ different colored vinyls and limited edition CDs, she's now doing over a million in just physicals...

    BTS Dynamite and BigHit via ARMY making distribution of albums much easier worldwide. That is the primary reason. The next reason is after the new wave of kpop fans and new avenues to buy, companies capitalized on the amount of gimmicks and versions they could put out because COVID put a stop to touring and they needed ways to recoup losses. China also loosened its THAAD laws but they might just go back on it soon.

    an interesting question that someone might be willing to answer is whether the increase in sales in across the board...


    as in let's consider the top 5/10/20 BG and GG then consider the next top 5/10/20 BG and GG and see if a rising tide does indeed lift all boats or does it only lift the top x groups...

    I guess it's an effect caused by changed customs & life style impact through the Corona pandemic. People buy albums to hear them at home. If they are moving around they use their phone and stream. After the end of the pandemic, this changed customs remained or partly remained as in a lot of other sectors of public life (home office for example). This effect not only triggered album sales alone but the sudden worldwide interest in kpop.

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