Album sales take a tumble in 2007

Digital growth on the rise by 45%

BY PHIL GALLO

The digital growth in downloaded songs and albums hit record levels in 2007, but it wasn't enough to make up for the loss in physical CD sales.

Sales in the U.S. of all albums, digital and physical, dropped 15% to 500.5 million from the 588.2 million sold in 2006.

Last year was the seventh consecutive in which music sales have dipped; the last rise was in 2000, when album sales hit 800 million.

Meanwhile, digital track sales rose 45% to 844.2 million in '07 while digital album sales climbed 53% to 50 million, according to Nielsen Soundscan.

Digital sales now represent 10% of all albums sold, nearly double the 5.5% they represented in 2006.

When track-equivalent albums -- 10 songs equals one album -- are added to the equation, sales hit 584.9 million, down 9.5% from 646.4 million in 2006.

Growth in digital album sales came in both current and catalog departments. Current was up 46% to 27.1 million; catalog rose 64% to 22.9 million. Deep catalog was up 63% to 16 million.

The top-selling digital album was Maroon 5's "It Won't Be Soon Before Long," with 252,000 downloads purchased.

SOURCE: VARIETY.COM NEWSLETTER

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