2020 Gospel Music Revenue and Market Size
The global gospel music market generated an estimated $4.2 billion in total recorded music revenue in 2020, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) IFPI Global Music Report. Gospel represented approximately 3.1% of total recorded music revenue, with the United States accounting for the largest national share at around 42% of global gospel market value RIAA Year-End Revenue Report.
Physical formats contributed 11% to gospel revenue in 2020, while digital streaming accounted for 67%, and downloads made up the remaining 22%. The average per-capita spending on gospel music in the U.S. reached $14.80 in 2020, a 4.3% increase from the prior year despite overall music industry contraction of 5.2%.
Streaming and Digital Consumption Trends
Gospel streaming volumes on major platforms grew 18.7% year-over-year in 2020, with Spotify reporting 14.3 billion gospel track streams globally. Apple Music saw a 22% increase in gospel playlist followers, while YouTube Music recorded 8.9 billion gospel-related video views during the year.
Platform Market Share
Spotify held the largest streaming market share for gospel music at 38%, followed by Apple Music at 29%, and YouTube Music at 21%. Amazon Music and Tidal collectively accounted for the remaining 12% of gospel streaming market share in 2020.
Key Artists and Commercial Performance
Kanye West's album "Jesus Is King" debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 in October 2019 and remained on the chart for 14 weeks into 2020, generating $12.4 million in equivalent album units during that period. Kirk Franklin's "Long Live Love" topped the Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart for 48 consecutive weeks and was the highest-selling gospel album in the U.S. in 2020 with 187,000 units sold.
Certification and Awards
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified 3 gospel albums as Platinum and 11 as Gold in 2020. At the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards, gospel categories saw a combined 24 million global streams for nominated tracks, a 31% increase over the previous ceremony's nominees.