Digital boost gives US album sales first rise since 2004

Jan 5, 2012, 20:40 GMT

Los Angeles - The music industry may not yet be out of its internet-induced slump, but it may be on the road to recovery.

That's according to the 2011 data released Thursday by Nielsen Soundscan which found that total US album sales rose for the first time since 2004, with sales of 330.6 million representing a 1.3 per cent gain over 2010.

The achievement was reached largely thanks to a 19.5-per-cent boost in digital album sales. Sales of physical albums dropped by 5 per cent, an improvement over 2010, when they lost 19.5 per cent. Overall music sales, which include sales of albums, music videos and digital tracks, reached 1.6 billion, a 6.9-per-cent rise over the previous year.

Adele was the top-selling artist of the year with 6,744,000 albums flying off the shelves, almost double the number of second-placed Justin Bieber who sold 3,393,000 albums. Other top selling album artists include Michael Buble, Lady Gaga and Li'l Wayne.

Adele's 21 was the top selling album with 5,824,000 followed by Michael Buble's Christmas with 2,452,000 sales and Lady Gaga's Born This Way with 2,101,000 units sold.