Music Industry Sees Revenue Rise For First Time Since 1999

[Raistlin]

Back in 1999, global recorded music revenue was at $38 billion (£25 billion converted today) -- and it's been falling ever since.

But that figure is on the rise again for the first time in over a decade. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) reported Tuesday that its 2012 global recorded music revenue is up 0.3 percent over 2011, reaching $16.5 billion (£10.9 billion).

Or as the New York Times put it: "Last year, however, digital sales and other new sources of revenue finally grew significantly enough to offset the continuing decline in CD sales."

Not surprisingly, revenues from legal, digital services continue to rise rapidly -- up nine percent in 2012 over 2011. The IFPI also noted that legal digital music services are available in over 100 countries -- just two years ago, download and subscription services were only available in 23 countries.

Industry analysts from the NPD Group also have good news for the RIAA, reporting in the Annual Music Study 2012 that "illegal music file sharing declined significantly in 2012" in the US. According to NPD, the number of consumers using P2P services to download music fell 17 percent in 2012. Similarly, it said that the volume of "illegally downloaded music files from P2P services also declined 26 percent."

As we've long suspected, the more easy-to-use, reasonably priced alternatives there are, the less likely it is that people will turn to unauthorised sites and services.

"At the beginning of the digital revolution it was common to say that digital was killing music," Edgar Berger, chief executive of the international arm of Sony Music Entertainment, told the Times. "The reality is that digital is saving music."

[Parts-King]

and at 99p for a download it is still daylight robbery, drop the price, sell more. The price of a downloaded album can be the same as a CD, that cant be right

Kingo

[Raistlin]

^{_{I feel the same about Toyota parts....}}

[Parts-King]

When you spend your tenner with me at least you get a product in your hand that you can touch, feel and fit to your car.....................wait a minute.......you have never spent a tenner with me, the tenner is rightfully mine :D:

[Raistlin]

You wish...