Digital download sales outpaced physical singles 857,000 to 170,000, according to Nielsen SoundScan figures for the week ending Oct. 26. That's slightly more than a 5-to-1 ratio.

Read it here.
http://story.news.yahoo.c...digital_dc

What, this ain't interesting to you people? This is HUGE. This proves that the industry best get up offa it's ass and work it on the runway a little harder than LAST week.
[This message was edited Tue Nov 4 8:17:48 PST 2003 by otan]

It makes alot of sense, considering physical singles often cost a lot more than a download and that it's so much easier clicking on a button and recieving what you want, rather than "PHYSICALLY" going out to purchase it. This may be another contributing factor to obesity.

sinisterpentatonic said:

:O

otan, I'm feeling you on this. It is something for the industry to take a look at and see how they fit into a possible new way of consumers getting singles.

Sad. The art of a good single and especially b-sides is slowly becoming extinct.

TRON said:

Hey maybe folks will just track the b-side to the end of the single.

That's what I'd do - make a single and then just make the track 8 minutes long - half of it the single, and then the other half of me spanking a chihuahua with three slices of spam while saying "elevator up! elevator up!" through a snorkel.

otan said:

Sounds like an instant classic!

That doesn't ring true though does it? Most people with credit cards think twice about entering their details online anyway, and who exactly are buying these singles? Aren't singles primarily aimed at the pre and mid teen market? ie, those not old enough to own credit cards?

just a thought...

TheSkinMechanic said:

Nope. I bet with I-Tunes, single sales will rise. More and more folks are becoming more comfortable handing over the credit card digits, and so getting music is now a BUTTLOAD easier than it was back in the day. Point click and listen. And the grownups are probably the ones willing to be legit, as opposed to the Kazaa kids.

Just my thoughts on it.

This doesn't mean much.
Physical CD singles are hardly sold anymore, so of course digital singles sell better.

This can't be worldwide.

I Tunes is the only worthwhile legit business to date, and its weekly download rate is still small compared to CD single sales throughout the world.

Is this a US only figure, that distorts the facts, because the US gave up on the CD single market years ago?

Another point, the article seems to be completely muddled. At one point, it states a 5-1 ratio.

Yet, 4 paragraphs later, it states 7.7m, units against 4m. Thats less than 2 to 1. ehh???

Unless its claiming 400 percent gains in one week???