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Atlantic Records First Major Label to Make More Than 50% of Sales Digitally

Posted 11/26/08 at 02:14:56 PM  by Andy Salisbury

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The day that digital music outsells their time-tested physical counterparts is finally upon us. Just this week Atlantic Records announced that more than half of its music sold within the United States was digital, thanks mostly to iTunes and cell phone ringtones.

But sadly, with the lowered amount of in-store copies being bought, there’s ultimately a smaller pie to get a digital piece from. Analysts at Forrester Research are estimating that music sales in the United Sates will go down to $9.2 billion in 2013, from $10.1 billion this year. Compare that to the $14.6 billion in 1999, and there’s a disturbing trend for record execs.

It’s expected that piracy has a good deal to do with the lowering numbers, but the ailing economy could very well be a large factor. The real question though, is how long until an overwhelming majority of music sold is digitally? It can’t be too far off.

 

Image Credit: Atlantic Records

COMMENTS:2
TAGS: itunes, music, sales, digital distribution, ringtones, Atlantic Records
COMMENTS
avatarI still have vinyl from the 60's, CDs from the 80's...

Submitted by mjm on Wed, 11/26/2008 - 6:08pm

But DRMed tracks are already "expiring". Some DRM support sites are now open only by court order, and those for not too much longer. I bought music, but, due to arbitrary policies, those purchases turn into "rentals" (not the original agreement), and expire. Money gone.

 Thank you, I'll buy unencumbered CDs, thank you.

But wait, most of the CDs I've bought lately have one (count it, one) listenable track. $20/track seems a bit steep, don't you think?

So, I think the music companies dug themselves into two holes - I can't trust that my material will still work next week/month/year, and frankly, they're not selling much worth buying.

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avatarExcuses excuses...

Submitted by Siefer on Wed, 11/26/2008 - 12:43pm

Of course they blame piracy and the economy, but have they ever thought that their just hasn't been good music being released as of late?

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