US Album Sales Down, Digital Sales Up

[HARD ROCK UNIVERSE]

According to Alex Veiga from the Associated Press, US album sales plunged 9.5 percent last year from 2006, as the beleaguered recording industry marked another weak year of sales despite a 45 percent surge in the sale of digital tracks, according to figures released Thursday.

A total of 500.5 million albums sold as CDs, cassettes, LPs and other formats were purchased last year, down 15 percent from 2006's unit total, said Nielsen SoundScan, which tracks point-of-purchase sales.

The shortfall in album sales drops to 9.5 percent when sales of digital singles are counted as 10-track equivalent albums.
The number of digital tracks sold, meanwhile, jumped 45 percent to 844.2 million, compared to 588.2 million in 2006, with digital album sales accounting for 10 percent of total album purchases.

Overall music purchases, including albums, singles, digital tracks and music videos, rose to 1.35 billion units, up 14 percent from 2006.

[blackers45]

And what happens when you're digital unit crashes, shit out of luck?

[Jesse]

Is this the complete article? Where's the portion where they blame slumping sales on illegal downloading?

[kim]

jesse said:

Is this the complete article? Where's the portion where they blame slumping sales on illegal downloading?

That is the complete article. The portion where they blame slumping sales on the average citizen has already been written and digested.

Consider it like this...
Y'know how you give a small child a snack or treat before bed, and then once in their crib they continue to bitch and chew, whine and cry cuz it's bed-time?...same thing here...they just refuse to go to sleep now...hahahahaha. ;D

Thanks
Kim

[kim]

blackers45 said:

And what happens when you're digital unit crashes, Sh*t out of luck?

Not sure how it works for some, but for me, if my digital units crash, (and I have 2 of them), I'll simply buy another one if I want, go back and transfer em all again from my hard drive.

If my hard drive crashes as well, then I'll simply buy a new puter, slap in the tunes that I have backed up on cd or dvd, and transfer them from there.
What the hell...I'll need a new puter anyway for checking my email, being part of this great site and most of all...to continue buying albums from Amazon.com...(so I don't understand what all the fuss is about in the first place?). ;D

If the "backed up" cd's or dvd's don't work, I'll simply go back to the original cd purchase, or on-line source and do it all over again. Little bit of time involved I'll admit, but, at least what I paid for is mine and mine to do as I wish.

Unlike the old days, short of a house fire when you found yourself running out of yer crib with your hair on fire, only to go back and rescue the cat, then consider a 2nd attempt to either go back in and retrieve your spouse or your beloved music collection first, you'd have to start all over again in buying the music once more.

Aaaannnd, not to sound like a broken record, BUT...unlike the old days, when your 8-track units broke down, you'd have to go out and buy the music once again on cassette...and then when that version dried up and got munched, you'd go out and buy the music yet a 3rd time on the new Compact Disc technology.

It was this technology that has come full circle to bite the industry in the arse and along with computers has pretty much driven the stake into the recording industry's economical heart.

Too bad, but then again, it's nice to see the little guy get compensation for greedy past practices on industry's part and now, all we need to do is try and be compassionate and understanding when it comes to their concerns regarding their collective losses.

I know I feel for them.

Thanks
Kim

[IRON BALLS]

jesse said:

Is this the complete article? Where's the portion where they blame slumping sales on illegal downloading?

I was thinking the same thing, good point!