Christian retail channel remains 'an important piece' of the music field, industry leader says

Retailers lauded the caliber and variety of artists at the convention, while music officials praised the Christian retail channel as still an "important piece" of the music industry.

Greg Bays, chairman of the Christian Music Trade Association, which tracks sales of Christian music, said that the music industry was "well represented" at ICRS via the Worship Him event and the Heart of the Artist Luncheon.

"As it relates to booth space, events and overall presence at ICRS, from what I have seen and heard, it appears that the Christian music industry's presence is on par with what it has been over the last two years," said Bays, senior vice president of sales and marketing for EMI CMG Distribution.

He added that EMI CMG's labels and artists were in St. Louis "because our company recognizes the unique opportunity ICRS offers to connect artists and retailers." EMI CMG's show line-up included Jeremy Camp, Matthew West and Sanctus Real as well as new and developing artists such as Audrey Assad, The Museum and Willie "P-Dub" Moore.

Additionally, the Pacesetter event featured performances by The Blackwood Brothers Quartet and Gold City, celebrating the 100th anniversary of Southern gospel music.

Bays said the CD format and Christian retail stores are "still vital to the health" of the Christian music industry, and Christian music "is still vital to the health" of Christian stores.

"Without question, Christian retail is still an important piece of the music industry," he said. "ICRS still provides a great place for music companies and artists to connect with key accounts, marketing groups and with the hundreds of independent retailers who attend the show and serve their local communities."

Bays said the latest research from The NPD Group (National Purchase Diary) revealed that 65% of Christian-music buyers only purchases CDs, while 17% buys both CDs and digital formats.

"This translates to only 18% of Christian music buyers being 'digital-only' buyers," he said. "Christian retail still receives exceptionally high customer-satisfaction ratings from consumers, with customer service/shopping experience and selection/availability of music being key factors. These factors help to explain why Christian retail music sales dropped only 1% in 2009 versus 2008, while general market retailers experienced a 10% decline in music sales."

A large crowd heard compelling stories and testimonies from contemporary, rap and Southern gospel artists during the Heart of the Artist Luncheon sponsored by the Gospel Music Association.

Hosted by Mark Schultz, the event featured performances by contemporary musicians Audrey Assad, Sanctus Real and Matthew West as well as Candy Christmas and rapper P-Dub.

West shared about how he spent two months in a Tennessee cabin reading thousands of letters and e-mails sent by fans and strangers, which led him to write songs for his latest album, The Story of Your Life, to be released Oct. 5 by Sparrow Records.

"God opened my eyes to see the world outside my door," he said. "There were times before I would go on stage and I would hear a voice that said, 'You're just preaching to the choir.' ... After reading stories of broken hearts, I began to see people in a different way. ... This experience changed me."

Then in a lively segment in which Moore—who referred to himself as P-Dub—started by asking the crowd to stand and sing a rap version of Rich Mullins' "Awesome God." He shared how he had a rap album with Universal Records in Los Angeles, but then God "called" him to an evangelistic, hip-hop ministry. He also encouraged retailers to support his first Christian rap album, The Turning Point, to be released in September by EMI Gospel.

Barb Eaton, assistant manager of Trinity Christian Gifts & Books in Richmond, Ind., said the rapper was "amazing." "I was blown away by his passion for Christ, and his message of being who Christ called me to be," said Eaton, a first-time ICRS attendee. "I will enjoy his CD. His performance has (opened) my ears to this sound."

Kymburly Odell, gift buyer of The Master's—A Parable Christian Store in Clovis, N.M., said she was grateful to CBA and GMA "for giving us a glimpse of what it takes (for artists) to write songs."

Tina Beyer, co-owner of Skia Christian store in Bentonville, Ark., said hearing the artists' stories "got me excited to get their albums." Her husband, Bill Beyer, added: "Anytime we can tell the story behind the album, they sell better. We feel more connected to it."

Meanwhile, a benefit CD to raise funds for relief work in Haiti will be part of the effort for the premiere Christian Store Day on Oct. 23. The $5 compilation CD will feature artists such as Francesca Battistelli and Sidewalk Prophets, with royalties donated to a Haiti fund that will be divided between Compassion International, Samaritan's Purse and World Vision.

Among the specials confirmed so far is Word Label Group's knocking all its CDs down to $5 for the day, organizers said. In addition, Provident Label Group has moved the release of Third Day's new More to Oct. 19 to support the effort.

• Prev
• Next