Charts: What’s Happening To UK Music Sales

2011 UK music sales volume figures are in, showing a continuation of the same patterns, according to Official Charts Company data (via BPI).

Digital singles continue to boom, more than making up for lost physical sales. They are now 99.3 percent of all single sales. At this rate, CD singles sales, which clocked up 1.1 million units in 2011 (0.6 percent), may be entirely eliminated in 2012.

Created with Highcharts 3.0.7Million unitsUK Music Singles Sales By Volume1.040.4860.2220.1520.1230.8030.2540.110.0670.0636.64.12.51.91.177.5109.8148.8158.6175.10.5410.5561.1541.1421.5137″12″CDDigitalOther20072008200920102011-250255075100125150175200


Highcharts.setOptions( {"lang":{"numericSymbols":["K","M","B","T"]}} );

(function( $ ) { $(function() { var options_723603 = go_datamodule_723603;

options_723603.series = [{ name: '7"', connectNulls: true, data: [1.04, 0.486, 0.222, 0.152, 0.123] }, { name: '12"', connectNulls: true, data: [0.803, 0.254, 0.11, 0.067, 0.063] }, { name: 'CD', connectNulls: true, data: [6.6, 4.1, 2.5, 1.9, 1.1] }, { name: 'Digital', connectNulls: true, data: [77.5, 109.8, 148.8, 158.6, 175.1] }, { name: 'Other', connectNulls: true, data: [0.541, 0.556, 1.154, 1.142, 1.513] }]; options_723603.tooltip = { formatter: function() { var series_name = ''; var x_name = this.x;

if ( this.series.name != options_723603.title.text ) { series_name = this.series.name + ': '; }// END if

if ( go_datamodule_723603.hasOwnProperty( 'original_labels' ) ) { x_name = go_datamodule_723603.original_labels[ this.point.x ]; }// END if

return series_name + x_name + ': ' + go_datamodule.add_commas(this.y) + ''; } };

options_723603.plotOptions.formatter = function() { return '' + go_datamodule.add_commas(this.y) + ''; };

options_723603.xAxis.categories = ["2007","2008","2009","2010","2011"];

options_723603.chart.events = {}; options_723603.chart.events.load = function( e, chart ) { $(this.legend.allItems).each( function() { var current_height = this.legendSymbol.height; var desired_height = options_723603.legend.symbolHeight;

var diff = desired_height - current_height; var current_y = this.legendSymbol.y;

this.legendSymbol.attr( 'height', options_723603.legend.symbolHeight ); this.legendSymbol.attr( 'y', current_y - diff ); }); };

options_723603 = Highcharts.merge( highcharts_theme, options_723603 );

$( '#highcharts-data-wp-chart-t-render-723603' ).highcharts( options_723603, function( chart ) { } );

highcharts_data_wp_chart_723603 = $( '#highcharts-data-wp-chart-t-render-723603' ).highcharts();

}); })(jQuery);

Digital albums continue their more modest growth, which is not making up for physical decline. But LP album sales boomed by 43.7 percent and CDs are three quarters of the total.

(function( $ ) { $(function() { var options_723603 = go_datamodule_723603;

options_723603.series = [{ name: '7"', connectNulls: true, data: [1.04, 0.486, 0.222, 0.152, 0.123] }, { name: '12"', connectNulls: true, data: [0.803, 0.254, 0.11, 0.067, 0.063] }, { name: 'CD', connectNulls: true, data: [6.6, 4.1, 2.5, 1.9, 1.1] }, { name: 'Digital', connectNulls: true, data: [77.5, 109.8, 148.8, 158.6, 175.1] }, { name: 'Other', connectNulls: true, data: [0.541, 0.556, 1.154, 1.142, 1.513] }]; options_723603.tooltip = { formatter: function() { var series_name = ''; var x_name = this.x;

if ( this.series.name != options_723603.title.text ) { series_name = this.series.name + ': '; }// END if

if ( go_datamodule_723603.hasOwnProperty( 'original_labels' ) ) { x_name = go_datamodule_723603.original_labels[ this.point.x ]; }// END if

return series_name + x_name + ': ' + go_datamodule.add_commas(this.y) + ''; } };

options_723603.plotOptions.formatter = function() { return '' + go_datamodule.add_commas(this.y) + ''; };

options_723603.xAxis.categories = ["2007","2008","2009","2010","2011"];

options_723603.chart.events = {}; options_723603.chart.events.load = function( e, chart ) { $(this.legend.allItems).each( function() { var current_height = this.legendSymbol.height; var desired_height = options_723603.legend.symbolHeight;

var diff = desired_height - current_height; var current_y = this.legendSymbol.y;

this.legendSymbol.attr( 'height', options_723603.legend.symbolHeight ); this.legendSymbol.attr( 'y', current_y - diff ); }); };

options_723603 = Highcharts.merge( highcharts_theme, options_723603 );

$( '#highcharts-data-wp-chart-t-render-723603' ).highcharts( options_723603, function( chart ) { } );

highcharts_data_wp_chart_723603 = $( '#highcharts-data-wp-chart-t-render-723603' ).highcharts();

}); })(jQuery);

Singles have surpassed album sales thanks to digital downloads.

(function( $ ) { $(function() { var options_723603 = go_datamodule_723603;

options_723603.series = [{ name: '7"', connectNulls: true, data: [1.04, 0.486, 0.222, 0.152, 0.123] }, { name: '12"', connectNulls: true, data: [0.803, 0.254, 0.11, 0.067, 0.063] }, { name: 'CD', connectNulls: true, data: [6.6, 4.1, 2.5, 1.9, 1.1] }, { name: 'Digital', connectNulls: true, data: [77.5, 109.8, 148.8, 158.6, 175.1] }, { name: 'Other', connectNulls: true, data: [0.541, 0.556, 1.154, 1.142, 1.513] }]; options_723603.tooltip = { formatter: function() { var series_name = ''; var x_name = this.x;

if ( this.series.name != options_723603.title.text ) { series_name = this.series.name + ': '; }// END if

if ( go_datamodule_723603.hasOwnProperty( 'original_labels' ) ) { x_name = go_datamodule_723603.original_labels[ this.point.x ]; }// END if

return series_name + x_name + ': ' + go_datamodule.add_commas(this.y) + ''; } };

options_723603.plotOptions.formatter = function() { return '' + go_datamodule.add_commas(this.y) + ''; };

options_723603.xAxis.categories = ["2007","2008","2009","2010","2011"];

options_723603.chart.events = {}; options_723603.chart.events.load = function( e, chart ) { $(this.legend.allItems).each( function() { var current_height = this.legendSymbol.height; var desired_height = options_723603.legend.symbolHeight;

var diff = desired_height - current_height; var current_y = this.legendSymbol.y;

this.legendSymbol.attr( 'height', options_723603.legend.symbolHeight ); this.legendSymbol.attr( 'y', current_y - diff ); }); };

options_723603 = Highcharts.merge( highcharts_theme, options_723603 );

$( '#highcharts-data-wp-chart-t-render-723603' ).highcharts( options_723603, function( chart ) { } );

highcharts_data_wp_chart_723603 = $( '#highcharts-data-wp-chart-t-render-723603' ).highcharts();

}); })(jQuery);

In the last week of 2011, 5.7 million singles and one million albums were downloaded as gift recipients redeemed download vouchers online, the BPI said.

In total, music sales by volume increased by over three percent through 2011.

But growing volume does not equate to growing revenue. Last time revenue figures were released (by IFPI), the UK saw an 11 percent revenue dip in 2010 to £896 ($1387.76) million. Globally, the industry lost 8.4 percent of its revenue.