Record, there are, for example, 16 certified platinum albums compared to 9 in 2018, making 2019 a record year for the export of music made in France.

Zaz, Aya Nakamura and Angèle have boosted sales of French music abroad, making 2019 “a record year for French artists or artists signed in France”, in the words of Marc Thonon, general manager of the export office, a support structure for the French music industry abroad.

There are thus 16 albums certified platinum, from 100,000 sales equivalents outside France counting physical, downloading, and audio streaming, against 9 in 2018, and 38 singles certified “gold”, 15 million equivalent streams outside France, against 12 in 2018. The export office highlights new certifications, i.e. artists who have passed a milestone (from 50,000 sales equivalents for gold albums, from 500,000 for diamond albums, etc.).

David Guetta in the lead

In the top three places in this category were three women: Zaz (522,253 sales equivalent, for Paris, released in November 2014), Aya Nakamura (247,026, double platinum album for Nakamura, November 2018) and Angèle (237,278, double platinum album for Brol, October 2018). The biggest “historic” French salesman abroad remains David Guetta with 1.6 million sales equivalent, or triple diamond album, for 7, released in September 2018.

Electronic music continues to be the most popular internationally (40%), followed by urban (33%), pop (15%), chanson (10%) and jazz (2%). “The French language is carried by the urban scene with artists such as Aya Nakamura, Dadju, PNL. Internationally, this is not an obstacle, because these works bring a new angle”.

The development of social networks and the use of streaming services promote discovery and access to a wider catalogue worldwide, notes the export office in its report. “For example, Jain’s “Lil Mama” became viral in Asia even though it was not a single. She had notably sung at the opening ceremony of the Women’s World Cup in France in the summer of 2019.