“Global sales of digital music are continuing to rise, generating revenues of $1.1 billion US for record companies last year and softening an overall slump in music sales, the industry said Friday,” The Associated Press reports. “The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, or IFPI, said that revenues from digital sales almost tripled from $400 million in 2004. The total number of digital single tracks downloaded online or to mobile phones rose to 470 million units, up from 160 million.”

“However, overall music sales continued their decline of recent years, dropping another three per cent in 2005, largely due to a 6.7 per cent drop in the value of CD purchases,” AP reports. “Single-song downloads dominated global online sales, accounting for 86 per cent of purchases. Apple Computer Inc.’s ITunes Music Store remains the market leader. ‘When you can buy just the songs you like in a digital format, you don’t have to buy the album,’ said Phil Leigh of Inside Digital Media, a U.S. market research firm.”

Full article here.

Advertisements:
• Apple’s brand new iPod Hi-Fi speaker system. Home stereo. Reinvented. Available now for $349 with free shipping.
• Apple’s new Mac mini. Intel Core, up to 4 times faster. Starting at just $599. Free shipping.
• MacBook Pro. The first Mac notebook built upon Intel Core Duo with iLife ’06, Front Row and built-in iSight. Starting at $1999. Free shipping.
• iMac. Twice as amazing — Intel Core Duo, iLife ’06, Front Row media experience, Apple Remote, built-in iSight. Starting at $1299. Free shipping.
• iPod Radio Remote. Listen to FM radio on your iPod and control everything with a convenient wired remote. Just $49.
• iPod. 15,000 songs. 25,000 photos. 150 hours of video. The new iPod. 30GB and 60GB models start at just $299. Free shipping.
• Connect iPod to your television set with the iPod AV Cable. Just $19.