2020 was one of the most challenging years for music ever and a disaster for the live sector. Yet, despite the disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic since March, vinyl sales surged and the transition to streaming was accelerated.

Here, Music Week analyses the year-end data and quizzes the three majors’ top label execs on their superstar acts, the main trends and the new consumption model…

TALENT

It was the year that everything changed – except the charts.