larreykimson: BPI Reveal Digital Dominance For UK Music Sales

While digital sales of any form of media are a fast-developing and sometimes overwhelming comparison to their physical media counterparts, the effect is not seen anything like in the music business, after the BPI (British Phonographic Industry) revealed statistics that showed the full extent of digital music coverage in the UK region.

music_download_apple The recent results listed claim that for music singles sold, digital downloads account for a staggering 99.6% of all sold in the the UK, leaving just 0.4% making purchases through CD?s, according to the report.

The BPI claim that the results prove digital to have ?resurrected the UK market for singles?, as 2012 recorded a record 183.3m ?digital single tracks? being downloaded, considered a five-fold increase on numbers recorded in 2002 (less than 6m). Album-wise, 30.5m were downloaded in the UK for 2012, contributing to a 14.8% yearly increase for the market.

In addition, music streaming services have been recorded in separate measurements, with the BPI noting that citizens of Edinburgh (Scotland)?have the highest proportion of use of these platforms, followed by Cardiff (Wales), Southampton, London, and Bristol (all England). As a whole, it was noted that UK users streamed over 3.7b tracks in 2012 (an average of 140 per household), with users naturally taking on more when they are paying by monthly subscription. This trend has seen streaming of music become 15.2% (?49m)?of all sales income for record labels in the region.

Meanwhile, the BPI, who serve as representatives of those labels, have repeatedly voiced their opinion that the biggest threat to such successful statistics is piracy through illegal sharing sites and ?peer-to-peer? networks, led by the controversial Swedish-based piracy hub The Pirate Bay. However, it is also noted that the range of legal means to obtain music (even if it is under a fairly brutal contract such as the ones drawn up by iTunes) has helped to ?change? consumer behaviour.

Research from Kanter Worldpanel for the year 2012 found that 27% of UK citizens digitally sourced music through a legitimate source, against 14.5% that mainly used peer-to-peer networks, amongst other methods. BPI data also recognised that average spending for the ?law-abiding? consumers was ?33.43,? in direct comparision to the ?26.64 spent by an average file-sharer, presumably not the best example on paper to give for their case.

With 19.6% of consumers having self-described themselves as ?fully transitioned? from physical to digital formats for music, the BPI recognise the significance of the online industry, and will hope that 2013 will add significantly to the 114m albums and 938m singles sold digitally since records began.

BPI have?also claimed that alternative digital means is also an area to watch out for, including newer in-car audio systems, smart TV sets, mobile devices (with 4G mobile networks), and??networked home audio systems?, amongst others.

Geoff Taylor, chief executive of the organisation, summarised the growth of digital in the face of what appears to be an increasingly poorly-received physical media market: ?There has rightly been a lot of focus in the past few weeks on High Street music retail. That will continue ? we must do all we can to serve music fans who love CDs and vinyl. But as well as great music stores, Britain is blessed with a world-beating array of digital music services, which fans rate very highly for ease of use and value for money. And this is just the beginning. Labels are striking innovative new deals with mobile networks, hardware manufacturers, app developers and start-ups. The music fan will be the clear winner, as digital services evolve to deliver even richer music experiences via super-fast broadband and 4G to tablets, smart TVs and the next generation of in-car audio.?

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