International Federation of the Phonographic Industry
The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a non-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland and founded in Italy in 1933 by Francesco Braga.[1] It operates a secretariat based in London, with regional offices in Brussels, Hong Kong, Miami, Abu Dhabi, Singapore and Nairobi.
Abbreviation
Function[edit]
IFPI's mission is to promote the value of recorded music, campaign for record producer rights, and expand the commercial uses of recorded music.[2] Its services to members include a legal policy programme, litigation, content protection, sales reporting for the recorded music market, insight and analysis and work in the areas of performance rights, technology and trade.[3]
Structure[edit]
IFPI is governed by its Main Board, a group including representatives from across the organisation's members (including major and independent record labels), representatives from certain IFPI National Groups and the organisation's CEO.[4] There are also two regional boards (the IFPI Asia/Pacific Regional Board and IFPI Latin America Regional Board) which oversee regional matters.[4]
Frances Moore is the current CEO. She was appointed the chief executive with a term effective from 1 July 2010.[5] She replaced John Kennedy, who had headed the organisation since 2005 and was also one of the co-producers of Live Aid and Live8.[6] She was awarded an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours List in 2021 for her services to the music industry.[7]
Scope of influence[edit]
IFPI represents the recording industry worldwide; there are some 8,000 members across IFPI and its National Group network, operating in over 70 countries and over 70 national groups, affiliated music licensing companies and IFPI offices.[2] According to its criteria, IFPI membership is open to "a legal entity or person which is either a producer of phonograms or music videos, copies of which are made available to the public in reasonable quantities",[2] though the organisation does not define "reasonable quantities".
National groups and affiliate bodies include SNEP in France; BVMI in Germany; RIAJ in Japan; BPI in the UK; RIAA in the US; ARIA in Australia; Music Canada; AMPROFON in Mexico; Recorded Music New Zealand; Promusicae in Spain; FIMI in Italy and others.[8] Record labels can be members of both their local industry body and IFPI.
Certifications and awards[edit]
IFPI publishes[33] six annual top-ten charts: the IPFI Global Recording Artist Chart, IFPI Global Single Chart, IFPI Global Album Chart, IFPI Global Album Sales Chart, the IFPI Global Vinyl Album Chart and (from 2023) the IFPI Global Streaming Album Chart.
Launched in January 2014,[24] the IFPI Global Recording Artist Chart (sometimes called just the IFPI Global Artist Chart) was the first global chart to accurately capture the popularity of artists across streaming channels, alongside digital and physical album and singles sales. The independently verified[34] chart includes sales of albums across digital, CD and vinyl formats; singles, both downloaded and physical; and streams across the calendar year. The chart includes all the music of each artist featured, not just one track or album. It uses album equivalent units to combine measurements of downloads, physical sales and streams.
The Top 10 Global Artist Chart is published each year, with the number-one artist being presented with a physical award, as the Global Recording Artist of the Year. The winners have been: One Direction in 2013,[24] Taylor Swift in 2014,[35] Adele in 2015,[36] Drake in 2016,[37] Ed Sheeran in 2017,[38] Drake in 2018,[34] Taylor Swift in 2019,[39] BTS in 2020[40] and 2021,[41] and Taylor Swift in 2022[42] and 2023.[43]
IFPI also publishes a list of the top 10 best-performing global singles and albums each year. The most recent winners, for 2023, were Miley Cyrus' "Flowers"[44] and Seventeen's FML respectively.[45] In March 2022 IFPI launched the first Global Vinyl Album Chart (most recently topped by Taylor Swift's '1989 (Taylor's Version)[46]', announced in March 2024) and in March 2023 they introduced the IFPI Global Streaming Album Chart; Morgan Wallen's 'One Thing At A Time'[47] most recently took the top spot in that chart. The latest IFPI Global Album Sales Chart saw Seventeen at No. 1 with 'FML', with the K-Pop band having also reached No. 1 on the overall Global Album Chart for 2023 with the same album.
Formerly, IFPI ran certifications called the IFPI Platinum Europe Awards and the IFPI Middle East Awards. The IFPI Platinum Europe Awards were founded in 1996.[20] They are awarded for actual retail sales (as opposed to shipments) of one million albums, in one of the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and United Kingdom.[48] The IFPI Middle East Awards were established in October 2009.[20] They were awarded for sales in either Lebanon or the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. In the Gulf Cooperation Council, gold certification was awarded for sales of 3,000 units and platinum for sales of 6,000 units. In Lebanon, gold certification was awarded for sales of 1,000 units and platinum for sales of 2,000 units.[49]