Digital Companies Join Brick-and-Mortar Giants on Music Retailer Trade Group’s Board

August 29, 2011 · Posted in M&E Daily, Today's M&E Connections 

With digital distribution now representing nearly one third of all U.S. album sales, Jim Donio, president of the National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM), tells CNET that the music retailers’ trade group has attracted to its membership a “critical mass of companies that aren’t predominantly selling physical product.” Of NARM’s five new board members, three hail from the digital world.

NARM’s changing makeup coincides with signs of that gains in digital distribution are begging to offset declines in physical music sales. Last week, Nielsen SoundScan reported during a NARM webcast that overall music sales have increased 4.8 percent year-over-year through Aug. 21, while overall album sales are up 2.4 percent during the same period (via Variety). Digital album sales, which currently represent 32 percent of the U.S. album market, are running up by 19.1 percent in 2011, while physical album sales are running down by 4 percent.

Tags: , , ,

Comments

Comments are closed.

  • Hollywood IT Society

  • 2nd Screen Society

  • Content Protection

  • Discmail Direct

  • Signup for the M&E Daily
    * indicates required

  • Stay Connected