album sales

In this, the year-ending sales figure season, the numbers have been given a skewed, positive spin. Nielsen convinced the media that 2008 was a record-setting year for music.

Album sales: down 15% to 430 million units
CD sales: down 20% to 362 units
Digital album sales: up 32% to 62.8 units
Track sales: up 27% to 1.07 billion units
LP sales: up 92% to 1.9 million units

• Labels are in talks with Hulu that could result in a new music video destination. "Representatives of two music companies, who would not be named, said they were in discussions with Hulu, adding that no partnership announcement was imminent but that the site appeared to be the favoured partner. 'If it happens at all it will be with Hulu,' one said.

• Here's a contrast of two countries: Last week's U.S. new releases included two superstar albums (Kanye West, Guns N' Roses) that did not live up to expectations. In the U.K., Take That just set a record for first-day album sales. The album is dead. The album lives. (Reuters)

Black Friday sales up 3% to $10.6 billion, the smallest gain in three years. ShopperTrak estimates 9.9% fewer shoppers this holiday season. The International Council of Shopping Centers expects a 1% sales increase at U.S. stores for the November-December period. A Gallup Inc. poll says U.S. consumers may spend 29% less on gifts this year.

Vivendi released its Q3 earnings yesterday. Here is the 11-page press release (PDF). The results show how a successful modern music company is taking shape.

• EMI is still tinkering with its organizational structure. Is this the final look of its global matrix?

The CD is having a terrible fourth quarter. Album sales, already far lower than the previous year, suddenly slipped even more in September. Circuit City announced today it will close almost 20% of its U.S. stores. Now the country's largest brick-and-mortar music retailer is scaling back shelf space.