Album download sales edge past CDs in US

Digital album sales are exceeding that of physical CDs in the US so far in 2014. That’s according to Nielsen SoundScan data, which says that for the year-to-date (to the week ending February 2), 22.99 million albums have been sold – comprising 11.18m downloads and 11.10m CDs. It’s the third time in 2014 that the year-to-date tally has seen album downloads outstrip physical. It also happened in the first week of 2013.

Meanwhile, US vinyl sales in the year-to-date have topped 710,000.

The above figures do not take into account track equivalent albums – where 10 track downloads equals an album. When they are added, download surpassed physical sales in 2011.

Here in the UK, a new BPI survey suggests that the rock genre edged in front of pop in 2013 as far as album sales are concerned.

Source: Music Week