UK set to dominate Europe predicts new MW report. (News).

The UK is set to capture almost one-third of all music business across Europe by 2010 as Russia emerges as a significant new power.

That is the forecast of the newly-published first Music Week European Report which, in the short term, predicts the UK music market will avoid falling into decline, while Europe as a whole will resume growth by 2004.

The 296-page report, out this week, predicts that Europe as a whole will continue to decline this year and in 2003, before stabilising and showing growth of 3.9% in 2005. This will be helped by the expansion of emerging markets such as Russia, which is expected to become Europe's seventh biggest music market by 2010. At the same time, the UK will show marginal growth in 2003, while flattening out in 2004 before hitting the growth curve again in 2005 (1.6%) and 2006 (2.7%).

The forecasts are based on existing historical sales data and drawing on projections for the growth of new electronic distribution vehicles, new physical formats and the development of the legitimate Eastern European business, among other factors.

According to the forecasts, the UK will become even more firmly established as the most valuable market in Europe, but France will overtake Germany to become Europe's second-placed market. According to the survey, France will overtake Germany in 2003, when it will post sales worth $1.91bn, compared to Germany's $1.81bn.

The report also predicts that the UK, Spain and France will grow most between 2001 and 2010, with the UK recording average annual growth of 5.2%, Spain 5.6% and France 4.3%. The only countries ...