In its Digital Music Report 2007, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) stated that digital music sales doubled in 2006. The growth, however, did not make up for the decline in CD sales. Revenue is expected to come in at $2 billion for the year, which equates to about 10% of the total music market. IFBI stated the doubling is thanks to a wider range of digital music products as well as the fact the number of tracks available surged from two to four million.
The recording-industry trade group blamed music downloads from peer-to-peer networks as a continuing problem but believes that the 10,000 legal actions (in 18 countries) that were taken in 2006 have made a difference. Research shows 14% of portable device owners obtain their content from legal sites but the same percentage use peer-to-peer networks for illegal downloads.
Apple's iTunes Music Store was the most popular download service, although more alternatives have become available throughout the year. There are currently 500 online services operating in 40 countries. Subscription services and ad-supported models offering content for free were the most innovative options available.
News source: InfoWorld
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