(* Source: Eric Pfanner *) 

Eric says... 

As consumers lose interest in compact discs and balk at paying for the digital alternatives, the music industry is looking for new allies, including Internet service providers, lawmakers — even Chinese air guitarists.

The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry said Thursday that worldwide digital music sales rose to $2.9 billion last year, from $2.1 billion a year earlier. That was about 15 percent of overall sales, up from 11 percent a year earlier and less than 1 percent in 2003.

But digital sales have yet to make up for the shortfall in sales of compact discs, and overall sales of recorded music fell about 10 percent last year, to $17.6 billion, the federation estimated. A recovery in the music industry remains at least a year away.

 

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