Digital sales not saving faltering music industry

Digital music services such as iTunes and co are going from strength to strength, according to international music industry body the IFPI.

The organisation claims downloads now account for six per cent of all global music sales.

The UK... is fast becoming a major consumer of digital music. Ten million individual tracks were downloaded during the first half of this year.

Digital music made up $790m of music sales worldwide for the first half of this year - an almost threefold increase on the same period in 2004, when digital music was worth $220m. The IFPI figures take into account music downloads, tracks bought over mobile networks and real music ringtones.

The growth of digital music sales didn't manage to offset the decline of the music industry as a whole, however, with overall sales shrinking by 1.9 per cent.

The UK - while showing a four per cent decline in music as a whole - is fast becoming a major consumer of digital music. Ten million individual tracks were downloaded during the first half of this year.

Not everyone is happy about the surge in digital music buying. The Music Managers Forum has been protesting this week that the sales from online song shops with £0.79 pricing, including iTunes, aren't providing artists with a fair share of revenues.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs, however, recently said he is strongly against an increase in pricing.