The Record Industry Assn. of Japan (RIAJ) has released figures for the overall music market production in Japan for the first quarter of 2009 that show a significant decline in value and production of audio units (CDs, records and cassettes).
The total production of audio units for Q1 2009 was 54.8 million, which was down 8% on the production rate of the same quarter in 2008. Production in terms of total value for audio units in Q1 2009 was 64.36 billion yen ($670.3 million), down 14% on Q1 2008 (in a yen-based comparison).
International repertoire production of audio units in Q1 2009, as compared to Q1 2008, was down by 18% to 10.88 million units. Overall market share by volume also slipped back from 22% last year to 20%, continuing the declining trend of the last three years.
Production in terms of total value for international repertoire audio units in Q1 2009 was 12.95 billion yen ($134.8 million), down 12% on Q1 2008 (in a yen-based comparison) and representing a 20% market share by value, unchanged from 2007.
