These 17 Entertainment Companies Make Up 90% Of All K-Pop Album Sales For The First Half Of 2021
According to data from Hanteo, there have been a total of 19,405,514 K-Pop albums sold in the first half of 2021! This is over a 30% increase from the first half of 2020, showing just how big the industry is getting. However, despite such high numbers in physical album sales, just 17 Korean entertainment companies make up just about 90% of all the sales so far this year! Here are those companies, along with the percentage they’ve contributed and their best-selling albums.
17. Play M Entertainment
Artists under this label include: Apink, VICTON, Weeekly
Top-selling albums from this label in 2021: Voice: The Future is Now by VICTON (107.8k sales); We Play by Weeekly (42.7k sales)
Amount contributed to all 2021 K-Pop album sales: 0.9% (~174.6k sales)
16. Top Media
Artists under this label include: MCND, UP10TION, Kim Wooseok, TEEN TOP
Top-selling albums from this label in 2021: 2nd Desire [Tasty] by Kim Wooseok (96.7k sales); MCND Age by MCND (25.6k sales); Connection by UP10TION (23.1k sales)
Amount contributed to all 2021 K-Pop album sales: 1.2% (~232.9k sales)
15. Woollim Entertainment
Artists under this label include: INFINITE, Lovelyz, Golden Child, Rocket Punch, DRIPPIN
Top-selling albums from this label in 2021: Yes. by Golden Child (114.0k sales); A Better Tomorrow by DRIPPIN (47.6k sales); Ring Ring by Rocket Punch (18.2k sales)
Amount contributed to all 2021 K-Pop album sales: 1.2% (~232.9k sales)
14. WM Entertainment
Artists under this label include: OH MY GIRL, B1A4, ONF
Top-selling albums from this label in 2021: Dear OhMyGirl by OH My Girl (93.9k sales); ONF: My Name by ONF (76.2k sales)
Amount contributed to all 2021 K-Pop album sales: 1.5% (~291.1k sales)
13. Cube Entertainment
Artists under this label include: (G)I-DLE, BTOB, PENTAGON, CLC, LIGHTSUM
Top-selling albums from this label in 2021: I Burn by (G)I-DLE (207.9k sales); Love or Take by PENTAGON (112.8k sales)
Amount contributed to all 2021 K-Pop album sales: 1.5% (~291.1k sales)
12. Konnect Entertainment
Artists under this label include: Kang Daniel
Top-selling albums from this label in 2021: Yellow by Kang Daniel (318.7k sales)
Amount contributed to all 2021 K-Pop album sales: 1.7% (~329.9k albums)
11. Edam Entertainment
Artists under this label include: IU
Top-selling albums from this label in 2021: Lilac by IU (373.8k sales)
Amount contributed to all 2021 K-Pop album sales: 1.8% (~349.3k sales)
10. RBW
Artists under this label include: MAMAMOO, ONEUS, ONEWE, PURPLE KISS
Top-selling albums from this label in 2021: Devil by ONEUS (118.4k sales); WAW by MAMAMOO (85.0k sales); Redd by Wheein (72.7k sales)
Amount contributed to all 2021 K-Pop album sales: 2.0% (~388.1k sales)
9. Fantagio
Artists under this label include: ASTRO, Weki Meki, Ong Seungwoo
Top-selling albums from this label in 2021: All Yours by ASTRO (359.0k sales)
Amount contributed to all 2021 K-Pop album sales: 2.1% (~407.5k sales)
8. KQ Entertainment
Artists under this label include: ATEEZ, Block B
Top-selling albums from this label in 2021: ZERO: FEVER Part.2 by ATEEZ (462.8k sales)
Amount contributed to all 2021 K-Pop album sales: 2.3% (~446.3k sales)
7. BELIFT Lab
Artists under this label include: ENHYPEN
Top-selling albums from this label in 2021: Border: Carnival by ENHYPEN (622.6k sales)
Amount contributed to all 2021 K-Pop album sales: 2.7% (~523.9k sales)
6. Starship Entertainment
Artists under this label include: MONSTA X, Cosmic Girls, CRAVITY, Wonho, K.Will, Soyou
Top-selling albums from this label in 2021: One of a Kind by MONSTA X (269.7k sales); Season 3. Hideout: Be Our Voice by CRAVITY (176.5k sales); Love Synonym Pt.2: Right for Us by Wonho (104.4k sales); Unnatural by Cosmic Girls (92.0k sales)
Amount contributed to all 2021 K-Pop album sales: 3.1% (~601.6k sales)
5. JYP Entertainment
Artists under this label include: TWICE, Stray Kids, ITZY, DAY6, 2PM
Top-selling albums from this label in 2021: Taste of Love by TWICE (325.2k sales); Guess Who? by ITZY (223.8k sales); The Book of Us: Negentropy by DAY6 (110.1k sales); Must by 2PM (54.5k sales)
Amount contributed to all 2021 K-Pop album sales: 4.7% (~912.1k sales)
4. YG Entertainment
Artists under this label include: BLACKPINK, BIGBANG, WINNER, iKON, TREASURE, Akdong Musician
Top-selling albums from this label in 2021: R by Rosé (577.7k sales); The First Step: Treasure Effect by TREASURE (324.0k sales)
Amount contributed to all 2021 K-Pop album sales: 5.4% (~1.05 million sales)
3. Pledis Entertainment
Artists under this label include: SEVENTEEN, NU’EST
Top-selling albums from this label in 2021: Your Turn by SEVENTEEN (1.37 million sales); Romanticize by NU’EST (207.7k sales)
Amount contributed to all 2021 K-Pop album sales: 8.9% (~1.73 million sales)
2. Big Hit Music
Artists under this label include: BTS, TXT
Top-selling albums from this label in 2021: BE (Essential Edition) by BTS (500k+ sales); The Chaos Chapter: Frozen by TXT (675.9k sales)
Amount contributed to all 2021 K-Pop album sales: 10.2% (~1.98 million sales)
1. SM Entertainment
Artists under this label include: EXO, NCT, Red Velvet, SHINee, Super Junior, Girls’ Generation, aespa, TVXQ
Top-selling albums from this label in 2021: Hot Sauce by NCT Dream (2.00 million sales); Bambi by Baekhyun (1.03 million sales); Don’t Fight the Feeling by EXO (993.7k sales) The Renaissance by Super Junior (480.2k sales); Don’t Call Me by SHINee (446.4k sales)
Amount contributed to all 2021 K-Pop album sales: 38.2% (~7.41 million sales)