CD Archives

Qobuz adds DSD and DXD download catalogue

12/10/2024

Qobuz adds DSD and DXD download catalogue sourced from original studio files not SACDs to its hifi download store. Listeners can download more than 22,500 tracks mainly in DSD format, adding to the more than 100 million songs already available. Offering a unique approach to sound reproduction, DSD and DXD are high-resolution audio formats that are distinct from the traditional PCM system used in formats like WAV, FLAC, ALAC, and AIFF. DSD is used as […]

SOURCE: RIAA – The Rise and Fall of CD sales volumes in US 1983-2022 feat

The Rise and Fall of the Compact Disc

21/06/2023

The first commercial Compact Disc (CD) was released in 1982 and the CD was planned as the successor to the vinyl record. Developed by Philips and Sony, sales of CDs grew quickly and by 2004 cumulative worldwide sales of audio CDs, CD-ROMs and CD-Rs reached about 30 billion discs and 200 billion by 2007. However, from the beginning of the early 2000s CDs were increasingly being replaced by other forms of digital storage and distribution […]

UK music consumption increases for 7th year running

04/01/2022

UK music consumption increases for 7th year running up by 2.5% in 2021 according to figures released by the BPI. The figures based on Official Charts Company data showed that 159 million albums or their equivalent were either streamed or purchased in 2021. The UK consumption total was made up primarily of streams, comprising over 147 Bn individual audio streams, up 5.7% on 2020 and representing an equivalent of 132 million streamed albums (up 5.7%). […]

Japan follows trend to music streaming

27/05/2019

Japan follows trend to music streaming which made up 54% of sales in 2018 with a 33% year on year growth amounting to 34.9 Bn Yen (~£251 million) according to figures compiled by the RIAJ, The Recording Industry in Japan. In 2018, the total value of recorded music (audio and music videos) increased 4% from the previous year to 240.3 Bn yen, the first year-on-year increase in three years, despite a 4% decline in unit […]

The cost of music is falling

12/04/2019

The cost of music is falling but the cost to the environment is increasing according to recent research conducted by the University of Glasgow and the University of Oslo. The price consumers have been willing to pay for listening to recorded music has never been lower while its carbon emissions costs have soared. Dr Matt Brennan from the University of Glasgow, who led the research on the changing economic cost of recorded music, said: “The […]

The German Music Market 2018 - Shares in Revenue

No growth for German music market in 2018

13/03/2019

The BVMI, Germany’s recorded music industry association has reported no growth for the German music market in 2018 which achieved sales of €1.582 Bn – a small decline of 0.4% less than in 2017. Final figures for 2018 show that audio streaming, which continued to soar (+ 33.5%), now accounts for 46.4% of the market with CDs still the second strongest seller with a market share of 36.4% despite a decline of around 20%. Downloads contributed […]

Streaming continues to grow in Germany

21/01/2019

Streaming continues to grow in Germany during 2018 according to preliminary sales figures released by BVMI, the German record industry association. The number of audio streams in 2018 grew year on year by just over 40% to a record total of 79.5 Bn. While the number of CDs sold, 48.2 million, represented a 23% drop compared to 2017, the compact disc is now in its 36th year following its launch and is still the second […]