Album sales on the slide

CD sales are on the slide, with recent sales figures revealing that sales have slumped for the seventh year in a row.

CD sales are on the slide, with recent sales figures revealing that sales have slumped for the seventh year in a row.

According to Nielsen SoundScan, total album sales in the US fell 14 per cent to 428 million units during the 52 weeks to December 28. The drop follows a 15 per cent decline in 2007 and sets a new low for album sales since 1991.

Sales are almost half that of the record number of CD sales which reached 85 million in 2000 during CD’s heyday. Record companies blame piracy and the current economy for the fall in sales.

By contrast, digital song sales have grown – up 27 percent to one billion units – and digital album sales clocked an impressive 32 percent increase to reach 65 million units in the past 12 months.

Source: news.com