The Recording Industry Association of America, the trade group representing U.S. record companies, has released annual net shipments figures for Latin music that indicate healthy growth in both unit shipments and dollar value. The industry as a whole had its strongest growth in four years, and still Latin music shipments increased at twice the rate of overall market shipments. As was the case in the overall music market last year, the expansion of the Latin market was driven by compact disc and music video sales. Latin culture is flooding the American entertainment scene, and a greater number of music buyers with diverse tastes are being introduced to Rock en Espanol, Merengue, Cuban Jazz, and loving it. RIAA Gold and Platinum certifications of Latin artists reflect not only the quality of recordings produced last year, but also the staying power of these artists as magnified in the number of older recordings that certified in 1998.
Product is reported net of returns.
Company data submissions are reported in the aggregate, by configuration, at suggested list price. The aggregate shipments have been carefully reviewed by data preparers from each company. Yearend Latin Manufacturers' Unit Shipments and Dollar Value Chart Permission to cite or copy these statistics is hereby granted as long as proper attribution is given to the Recording Industry Association of America. All of the RIAA's publicly available information is contained on this website.