CNN is reporting this morning that digital sales have surpassed physical record sales for the first time in history.  Read the article here: https://money.cnn.com/2012/01/05/technology/digital_music_sales/index.htm

Frankly, I’m surprised this took so long.  While some might say this piece of news is doom and gloom, keep in mind the article (and many other sources) report that buying whole albums is up this year for the first time since 2004, largely because of the widely acclaimed release of Adele’s 21.  I find the ending portion of the article particularly interesting though:

Mike More, CEO of Headliner.fm, says the future may not be digital sales. More cites Spotify’s model as the music consumption of the future, where he says more consumers will pay for access to music streaming services rather than purchasing songs.

 

“I think you have a whole generation who doesn’t care if they own anything,” he says. “Accessibility has become paramount. This is what consumers want — they want it everywhere and on all their devices.”