Where are the increased sales coming from?

    We all know K-pop had a recent huge sales boost.


    Gaon sales:

    pasted-from-clipboard.png

    The numbers aren't exact because they come only from charting albums. Gaon reported a total of 40.2M sales in 2020.


    As you can see, there was a huge boost in sales in 2020: 67% compared to 2019. 2021 had a 44% increase in the first half compared to 2020: from 18M to 26M.


    Unfortunately, I couldn't find the data for YouTube and Spotify. Daisuki has an YT graph, but it's an approximative mathematical model.


    So, where are these sales coming from?

    • New fans? Then we should expect a similar boost in streaming.
      • Definitely not from Korea since the digitals are going down.
    • Old fans? Then we should expect no boost in streaming.
      • More fans buying albums?
      • More albums bought per fan?
      • Concert budget being used to buy albums instead?

    What do you think?

  • omnimorphism

    Changed the title of the thread from “So, where are the increased sales coming from?” to “Where are the increased sales coming from?”.

    Combination of both I think.

    I do think bulk buying has increased recently, but the market has also expanded.

    There will be boost in streaming both because kpop market is expanding and the streaming market is also becoming bigger especially in Asian countries.


    Maybe the distribution of albums has also helped?

    I don't know if groups released these many versions before either, some people are saying groups are releasing 10+ versions idk much about it.

    A shitton of people got in kpop during the pandemic. I definitely feel like on Spotify at least that streaming numbers for kpop groups have gone up.


    I also think that dedicated fans who would have spent money on concert tickets (sometimes in multiple shows/cities) have redirected that into buying albums.

    It's the absence of offline concerts, I think. Fans who used to buy tickets (which is a lot more expensive than albums) can spend more on albums instead. Then with that increase, it became more trendy to buy albums and probably encouraged those who never bought albums before to join the trend because 'everybody is doing it'

                                                   さぁ賭け狂いましょう


        lt64IYu.gif


    Surely kpop has grown alot in the last year or so. Kpop has been growing steadily since "2nd gen" and started growing rapidly with BTS "western validation" as is evident in the graph.

    Because of quarantine many new people have discovered kpop last year. So it might be effect of all these things.


    But I think these are the 2 main reasons behind huge boost in album sales this year.


    1. Touring stopped : Now fans are spending their money mainly on albums rather than saving for concerts.


    2. Online Fan sign events : During offline fan signs, only people who could attend the event used to buy albums in huge quantities. With online fan signs, everyone around the world has a chance to interact with their faves so everyone who can buy albums is doing so.


    I don't know what future holds because physical sales are decreasing everywhere (even in Japan) except kpop but I think as we get rid of Covid 19 , I think sales might go stagnant if not decrease.

    Quote from onlyfacts

    2. Online Fan sign events : During offline fan signs, only people who could attend the event used to buy albums in huge quantities. With online fan signs, everyone around the world has a chance to interact with their faves so everyone who can buy albums is doing so.

    This makes so much sense. I didn't know online fan meetings needed the same requirement as the old offline FMs.

                                                   さぁ賭け狂いましょう


        lt64IYu.gif


    company gimmicks have also increased a ton lately


    10+ versions (standard, limited, jewel case, kihno, whatever else) are becoming the norm. If it can be sold as an album, the company will do it. Have an extra version a couple of weeks after release with a new photobook. I'm sure they're studying how to encourage fanbase spending very closely.

    maybe combination of any below


    a. increase fans - evidenced or supported by increase in stream numbers, youtube views, etc.

    b. old fans - mass buying

    c. competition - goal to break records or what not

    d. company gimmicks - numerous versions or bundling with merch

    isnt it obvious


    1) More fans due to global appeal (that include more western and chinese fans + bulk buy practice)

    2) more gimmicks and inclusions in albums, e.g. limited edition photocards, badges etc

    3) Multiple versions. If you notice, most of the big sellers have multiple versions of same album. I think this was popularised with EXO (correct me if im wrong)

    Sajaegi.

    Jkjk (well only kinda tbh, some 4th gen bgs who don't even have 1 hit song yet kinda make me wonder but who knows...)


    Basically what everyone else said.

    Plus in a few words: extreme globalization of K-POP in the past 2-ish yrs + expansion of global distribution of K-pop albums, increase in goods included w/albums + increasingly effective (/honestly kinda desperate: aka video call raffle) marketing tactics.

    + Pandemic since we have nothing else to do except collect merch cuz we can't rly go to their concerts or anything.

    IMG-1024.jpg

    2NE1: "We paved the way...for everyone who is paving the way!"

    Edited 2 times, last by KpopVeteranARMY ().

    Which boy groups? And physical sales don't depend on hit songs. Also all of the boy groups don't have a hit song.

    Tell me if my voice isn’t real
    If I shouldn’t have thrown myself away
    sFWYLKc.gif

    Quote from Taehunk

    Which boy groups? And physical sales don't depend on hit songs. Also all of the boy groups don't have a hit song.

    Do I have to say, you know who they are w/o me telling you.....

    Yeah true bg stans only care about looks not music generally....see the new pretty boy noise music trend groups selling millions.

    IMG-1024.jpg

    2NE1: "We paved the way...for everyone who is paving the way!"

    Quote from KpopVeteranARMY

    I like my life being free from 24/7 harassment by crazy K-pop stans who cry when they miss a V-Live so no ty....if you can't figure it out, I'm not telling you. Lookit the physical charts.

    Then don't imply shady shit when you can't even clarify and substantiate it.

    As to your other claim, I'm a bg fan and I care about the music.

    Tell me if my voice isn’t real
    If I shouldn’t have thrown myself away
    sFWYLKc.gif

    Quote from Taehunk

    Then don't imply shady shit when you can't even clarify and substantiate it.

    As to your other claim, I'm a bg fan and I care about the music.


    I can substantiate it if I wanted to, I just don't want over 9000 psycho fans eating my ass bc I said I was sus about their oppars sales lmao.

    This is why ppl only say whar they rly think on Anon lol.


    Yeah that's because you're ARMY lol. BTS is one of the few popular bgs nowadays that don't release "experimental" music and expect their fangirls to eat it up anyway. Their albums are pretty much always cohesive since day 1 (w/the exception of MOTS:7....I have nothing to say about that one lmao except that someone was telling them to self-sabotage or sth 😭).


    I miss 2nd gen when companies went 100% for every comeback for both the general public + fans, both the song + MV if they had the money to lol. Nowadays everyone both K-gp + I-fans are always wondering about title track choices, saying B-sides are better & having heated discussions about noise music.

    IMG-1024.jpg

    2NE1: "We paved the way...for everyone who is paving the way!"

    Why be shady and vague then... Keep it to yourself.

    You haven't listened to a lot of 4th gen groups then because I love all of my 4th gen bg faves title tracks and in no way are they noisy. And I hate 2nd gen music.

    Tell me if my voice isn’t real
    If I shouldn’t have thrown myself away
    sFWYLKc.gif

    Quote from Taehunk

    Why be shady and vague then... Keep it to yourself.

    You haven't listened to a lot of 4th gen groups then because I love all of my 4th gen bg faves title tracks and in no way are they noisy. And I hate 2nd gen music.


    Idk, bc someone should say it? It's definitely a possibility lol.


    To each our own then, lol. My sis is a 3rd/4th gen stan, but she agrees w/me as well that 2nd gen is more talented, but she doesn't like 2nd gen music either. Probably bc it no longer has "trendy" sounds lol. Ppl's music tastes change w/the times.


    To me, a 2nd gen stan, 2nd gen is always more classic & cohesive-sounding; there was always a strong melody & catchy signature "hook" everyone loved & could sing all the English words to. But I like new gen K-pop groups to some degree too, just not as much as 2nd gen at the end of the day. Even BTS, I prefer 2NE1 & SNSD to. They'll always be my UB. I'm sure you'll feel the same way about your current biases in the future too, lol.

    IMG-1024.jpg

    2NE1: "We paved the way...for everyone who is paving the way!"

    Quote from KpopVeteranARMY

    Idk, bc someone should say it? It's definitely a possibility lol.


    To each our own then, lol. My sis is a 3rd/4th gen stan, but she agrees w/me as well that 2nd gen is more talented, but she doesn't like 2nd gen music either. Probably bc it no longer has "trendy" sounds lol. Ppl's music tastes change w/the times.


    To me, a 2nd gen stan, 2nd gen is always more classic & cohesive-sounding; there was always a strong melody & catchy signature "hook" everyone loved & could sing all the English words to. But I like new gen K-pop groups to some degree too, just not as much as 2nd gen at the end of the day. Even BTS, I prefer 2NE1 & SNSD to. They'll always be my UB. I'm sure you'll feel the same way about your current biases in the future too, lol.

    It's a pretty serious accusation and you have no proof.

    It's not about the trends, 2nd gen music is noise mostly or just terrible. 2nd gen is the reason I thought k-pop is shit. Thank God for 3rd and 4th gen, they really propelled k-pop to new heights.

    Tell me if my voice isn’t real
    If I shouldn’t have thrown myself away
    sFWYLKc.gif

    Quote from Taehunk

    It's a pretty serious accusation and you have no proof.

    It's not about the trends, 2nd gen music is noise mostly or just terrible. 2nd gen is the reason I thought k-pop is shit. Thank God for 3rd and 4th gen, they really propelled k-pop to new heights.


    Why would I have proof, am I a newspaper or sth?? Lol I'm just an ordinary layman not a journalist.


    Uhh okay w/e noise-music-generation-loving 4th gen stan.... :p U keep doing U. 💗


    For me, 4th generation noise music is the reason everyone keeps saying "K-pop is dying" or "needs to be saved" or w/e & definitely the reason why GP interest completely died off in Korea (which I know everyone hates Korea for some reason despite being K-Pop stans so this argument is prolly moot), but we obviously have our differences & Idc if you like 4th gen better personally in anyway since it doesn't affect me at all in anyway since I still like 2nd gen music better and your opinion won't affect that... :watt:


    But anyway, have a good day. 💗

    IMG-1024.jpg

    2NE1: "We paved the way...for everyone who is paving the way!"

    Edited once, last by KpopVeteranARMY ().

    Quote from KpopVeteranARMY

    Why would I have proof, am I a newspaper or sth?? Lol I'm just an ordinary layman not a journalist.


    Uhh okay w/e noise-music-generation-loving 4th gen stan.... :p U keep doing U. 💗


    For me, 4th generation noise music is the reason everyone keeps saying "K-pop is dying" or "needs to be saved" or w/e & definitely the reason why GP interest completely died off in Korea (which I know everyone hates Korea for some reason despite being K-Pop stans so this argument is prolly moot), but we obviously have our differences & Idc if you like 4th gen better personally in anyway since it doesn't affect me at all in anyway since I still like 2nd gen music better and your opinion won't affect that... :watt:

    Because to accuse someone of something you need to have a basis maybe?

    Your taste won't affect my opinion either but claiming 2nd gen music was more classic & cohesive-sounding and there was always a strong melody is ridiculous.

    Tell me if my voice isn’t real
    If I shouldn’t have thrown myself away
    sFWYLKc.gif

    Quote from Taehunk

    Because to accuse someone of something you need to have a basis maybe?

    Your taste won't affect my opinion either but claiming 2nd gen music was more classic & cohesive-sounding and there was always a strong melody is ridiculous.


    It's just to me, the sales rose REAAAAALLY fast for some groups w/no hit song or anything to explain the sudden rise in sales so they seem sus to me, but yeah I don't have legal "proof" or anything so don't worry, I'm not suing anyone or bringing them to jail or anything. :p


    Not sure why it's ridiculous since all you have to do is go back to listen to old 2nd gen songs to see for yourself, or ask other 2nd gen stans/people who were around then and they'll probs agree w/me...


    But if it prevents you from sleeping at night, no need to worry about it okay. I'm just a silly 2nd gen stan online who likes 2nd gen music for reasons that must be completely ridiculous & have no rhyme or reason to them whatsoever :p  :suure: :sunglasses: Don't worry 💗

    IMG-1024.jpg

    2NE1: "We paved the way...for everyone who is paving the way!"

    Quote from KpopVeteranARMY

    It's just to me, the sales rose REAAAAALLY fast for some groups w/no hit song or anything to explain the sudden rise in sales so they seem sus to me, but yeah I don't have legal "proof" or anything so don't worry, I'm not suing anyone or bringing them to jail or anything. :p


    Not sure why it's ridiculous since all you have to do is go back to listen to old 2nd gen songs to see for yourself, or ask other 2nd gen stans/people who were around then and they'll probs agree w/me...


    But if it prevents you from sleeping at night, no need to worry about it okay. I'm just a silly 2nd gen stan online who likes 2nd gen music for reasons that must be completely ridiculous & have no rhyme or reason to them whatsoever :p  :suure: :sunglasses: Don't worry 💗

    Again, sales don't depend on hit songs.

    My faves who are the best sellers of 4th gen currently have great streams on Spotify and almost 5M monthly listeners. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Korean charting is not the only indicator of success.

    No need to ask anyone cause I've heard these songs myself. There's a reason why 2nd gen didn't blow up like BTS.

    Tell me if my voice isn’t real
    If I shouldn’t have thrown myself away
    sFWYLKc.gif

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