EMI Music has been trumpeting improved market share figures in 2010, thanks largely to a successful Lady Antebellum release. That is now supported by stats from both Hits Magazine and Nielsen Soundscan, both of whom are showing the improved percentages. Hits is showing an 11.8 percent year-to-date share for EMI (up from 8.7 percent at the same point in 2009); and Nielsen 11.74 percent year-to-date (up from 8.77 percent).

Hits is also showing surprisingly equal year-to-date market shares for both Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment, at 28.7 percent apiece. Warner Music Group is tracking far lower at 14.8 percent, down from 16.1 percent in Q109, also according to Hits.

This is a top-heavy game, and Sony is benefitting from Susan Boyle and Sade blowouts. Warner Music Group is also gaining a substantial chunk of its revenues from bigger releases, as reaffirmed during its latest quarterly earnings call. Next, Nielsen may be weighing in with its own first-quarter tallies, a nice data comparison opportunity.