Published 7/1/08
UK drum sales are at their highest mark ever according to statistics released today by the Music Industries Association (MIA).
Drum sales, which have doubled since 2000, soared to £41 million this year, whilst other instrument sales remain stable.
This sales growth can largely be attributed to more affordable, high-quality acoustic drum kits, and the rise in popularity of the electronic drum kit – which constitutes over half of total sales. Furthermore, improved music provision in schools, and enlightened attitudes to teaching rock and pop genres as part of the music syllabus, have ensured that drums are increasingly popular amongst the younger generation.
John Booth, MD of Roland UK, a leading drum manufacturer, commented: “We have seen drum sales increase year on year for the last ten. But this year has been unprecedented – in October our drum sales eclipsed piano sales for the first time ever.”
Scott Lewis at Sound Attak, a leading UK drum store in Colchester, added to this: “November has been our best month since we started trading 12 years ago – rock bands are back in fashion and it’s cooler than ever to be a drummer.”
But the recent popularity of playing the drums is not purely limited to the younger generation.
Chris Wright, MD of DrumWright and Honorary Treasurer of the MIA: “The recent trend for one-off reunion performances by stadium rock legends such as Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, has been a real inspiration for the older generation. We’ve seen a lot of older musicians in the shop wishing to try their hand at drumming, and nationwide initiatives such as the ‘Weekend Warriors’ programme enable retailers to help older musicians back into rock bands.”
Paul McManus, chief executive, Music Industries Association, said: “The quality of these drums is the major factor here; they sound great which helps to maintain enthusiasm when learning. Compared to the 1960s, drum kits are now of a consistently higher quality and available at a much lower cost. The development of the electronic drum kit also means that beginners can now learn to play at home causing less noise disturbance to others, whilst professionals are tending to buy them to supplement their acoustic kits and for rehearsals.”
The rise of drum sales has also had a notable impact on the industry at large; applications to drumming academies and external courses have soared.
Darren Suckling, Sales and Marketing Manager at DrumTech, the drum and percussion school based in West London explains: “This year we have recorded a 10 per cent rise in applications and we expect even more applications for our courses throughout 2008. Bands like the Arctic Monkeys and Muse have been major influencers on our students and most importantly, their technique and style of drumming is really accessible for the beginner.”
Bob Henrit, drummer with rock legends The Kinks and regular panel judge for Young Drummer of the Year Award said: “Applications to the competition have rocketed in recent years. Not only that – the standard has rocketed too.”
The MIA’s data, taken from import and export statistics, provides the definitive sales trends, average prices and unit volume sales for musical instruments throughout the UK.
About the MIA
The Music Industries Association (MIA) is the UK trade association of the musical products industry. Its mission is to strengthen its members’ businesses and further the interests of the industry by creating and encouraging music making.
www.mia.org.uk
This sales growth can largely be attributed to more affordable, high-quality acoustic drum kits, and the rise in popularity of the electronic drum kit – which constitutes over half of total sales. Furthermore, improved music provision in schools, and enlightened attitudes to teaching rock and pop genres as part of the music syllabus, have ensured that drums are increasingly popular amongst the younger generation.
John Booth, MD of Roland UK, a leading drum manufacturer, commented: “We have seen drum sales increase year on year for the last ten. But this year has been unprecedented – in October our drum sales eclipsed piano sales for the first time ever.”
Scott Lewis at Sound Attak, a leading UK drum store in Colchester, added to this: “November has been our best month since we started trading 12 years ago – rock bands are back in fashion and it’s cooler than ever to be a drummer.”
But the recent popularity of playing the drums is not purely limited to the younger generation.
Chris Wright, MD of DrumWright and Honorary Treasurer of the MIA: “The recent trend for one-off reunion performances by stadium rock legends such as Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, has been a real inspiration for the older generation. We’ve seen a lot of older musicians in the shop wishing to try their hand at drumming, and nationwide initiatives such as the ‘Weekend Warriors’ programme enable retailers to help older musicians back into rock bands.”
Paul McManus, chief executive, Music Industries Association, said: “The quality of these drums is the major factor here; they sound great which helps to maintain enthusiasm when learning. Compared to the 1960s, drum kits are now of a consistently higher quality and available at a much lower cost. The development of the electronic drum kit also means that beginners can now learn to play at home causing less noise disturbance to others, whilst professionals are tending to buy them to supplement their acoustic kits and for rehearsals.”
The rise of drum sales has also had a notable impact on the industry at large; applications to drumming academies and external courses have soared.
Darren Suckling, Sales and Marketing Manager at DrumTech, the drum and percussion school based in West London explains: “This year we have recorded a 10 per cent rise in applications and we expect even more applications for our courses throughout 2008. Bands like the Arctic Monkeys and Muse have been major influencers on our students and most importantly, their technique and style of drumming is really accessible for the beginner.”
Bob Henrit, drummer with rock legends The Kinks and regular panel judge for Young Drummer of the Year Award said: “Applications to the competition have rocketed in recent years. Not only that – the standard has rocketed too.”
The MIA’s data, taken from import and export statistics, provides the definitive sales trends, average prices and unit volume sales for musical instruments throughout the UK.
About the MIA
The Music Industries Association (MIA) is the UK trade association of the musical products industry. Its mission is to strengthen its members’ businesses and further the interests of the industry by creating and encouraging music making.
www.mia.org.uk
