The Country Classics
Country music ranks high in 2009, digital downloads increase
According to statistics for 2009 country music was the fourth-highest selling music category in terms of album sales lead only by alternative, Christian/gospel, and classical music. Eight of the top 10 most-played artists of the decade – on radio, TV, or the Internet – were country stars.
Unit sales rose in 2009 for the second year in a row, up by 1.54 billion in 2009, a 2.1 percent increase from the previous year.
About 40 percent of those sales were digital, Nielsen SoundScan says in its year-end report, up from 32 percent in 2008. An increase in digital downloads is attributed to popularity of MP3 players and computer based devices.
Non-traditional outlets were the only retail segment to see growth in music sales, compared with losses at mass merchant stores, chain outlets, and independent music stores.
An article by Mark Guarino in the Christian Science Monitor has more detail concerning other music genre.
Related posts:
- Dan Roberts Beyond The Brand Preview at Lala
- Big show at Marble Falls Opry September 26, 2009
- Hot Country Music Guitar Playing Rivals Hendricks
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