French music, a product that exports well

The most listened to artist in France, Aya Nakamura’s hits are also attractive internationally. This is what emerges from a study carried out by the National Music Center (CNM) in partnership with the National Syndicate of Phonographic Publishing (SNEP) and published at the beginning of May on the most exported French-language artists abroad in 2022. Like a composer JajaFrench music attracts far beyond its borders: 326 works were exported in 2022, an increase of 38% compared to 2021.

Rap stands out as the best-selling music genre: it represents 38% of exports from the new certificates set by the CNM. A 5% increase compared to 2021, when it was 33%. Among his figures: Gazo, Niño, Damso, Niska and Orelsani.

Underrepresentation of women

Beyond the vitality of the French export scene, points of difficulty remain for women, who are generally underrepresented: only 8% of new certifications are made by female artists. Aya Nakamura, Angel, and Neji share this small share. Jean-Philippe Tilley, President of CNM, laments that this under-representation is the result of the choice of music industry players: “Unfortunately, less strategy and less investment is given to women. »

The abolition of borders, made possible by the arrival of streaming, helped the rise of the French scene abroad, along with the development of the video format. Although it is difficult to measure the impact of TikTok on the dynamism of French exports, it remains possible to establish a connection between the success of certain titles and the visibility offered to them by the video sharing application. Associated with a trends (Tendency), title of Manu Chao taste it Thus, she has experienced a resurgence in visibility thanks to videos featuring her on TikTok.

In addition, CNM has mapped the areas where French music is most heard. Germany has the highest flow of French tracks. According to Florian Abesira, co-director of the international division of Universal Music France, the appeal of French music in Germany is explained by the fact that “That French artists move there”. This rating is completed by two other countries: the United States and China.