British music artists are dominating album sales in Europe, particularly in France and Germany, the world's fourth and fifth biggest markets for recorded music. Britain is the world's third biggest market for recorded music after the US and Japan, has the world's second biggest music industry and is the world's second biggest music exporter.
UK music sales hit European high
Katie Melua
UK artists are dominating album sales in France and Germany - the world's fourth and fifth largest markets for recorded music, industry figures show.
The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) claims the UK's share of the recorded music market in both countries hit a four-year high last year.
British singer Katie Melua's follow-up album, Piece By Piece, was the second best-selling album in Germany in 2006.
In total, 23 of the 100 top-selling albums were by UK artists.
Arctic Monkeys
Melua's Piece By Piece became the biggest-selling UK album in Germany last year, with acts such as Coldplay and Depeche Mode also achieving strong sales.
Debuts from Corinne Bailey Rae and James Morrison also featured in the top 100.
'Diversity and quality'
Depeche Mode
In France, more than one in ten albums sold are currently by UK acts, industry anaylsis suggests.
James Blunt's Back to Bedlam was the biggest-selling album of last year, but Robbie Williams remains one of France's most popular artists with three titles in the UK artists' top 20.
BPI Chief Executive Geoff Taylor said: "Music is one of the UK's great cultural and economic exports. "The fact that UK labels are gaining an increasing share of these major international markets demonstrates the diversity and quality of new British artists.
news.bbc.co.uk
UK music sales hit European high
Katie Melua
UK artists are dominating album sales in France and Germany - the world's fourth and fifth largest markets for recorded music, industry figures show.
The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) claims the UK's share of the recorded music market in both countries hit a four-year high last year.
British singer Katie Melua's follow-up album, Piece By Piece, was the second best-selling album in Germany in 2006.
In total, 23 of the 100 top-selling albums were by UK artists.
Arctic Monkeys
Melua's Piece By Piece became the biggest-selling UK album in Germany last year, with acts such as Coldplay and Depeche Mode also achieving strong sales.
Debuts from Corinne Bailey Rae and James Morrison also featured in the top 100.
'Diversity and quality'
Depeche Mode
In France, more than one in ten albums sold are currently by UK acts, industry anaylsis suggests.
James Blunt's Back to Bedlam was the biggest-selling album of last year, but Robbie Williams remains one of France's most popular artists with three titles in the UK artists' top 20.
BPI Chief Executive Geoff Taylor said: "Music is one of the UK's great cultural and economic exports. "The fact that UK labels are gaining an increasing share of these major international markets demonstrates the diversity and quality of new British artists.
news.bbc.co.uk
