5 ms·

What are the sources of this numbers? What digital distributers are counted? Are they all? Are these the numbers from only sources directly represented by the R

by thedark 17y ago

What are the sources of this numbers? What digital distributers are counted? Are they all? Are these the numbers from only sources directly represented by the RIAA? Does this count non-label record sales? Does this count revenue from sales of records like Radiohead's "In Rainbows" release? There is more that can be asked. I am not sure what I can conclude or deduce from this graph; when there is a small nagging glare of "Source: Recording Industry Association of America" down at the bottom, tracking my gaze.

adrianwaj 17y ago
There's a box around download album sales reading $0.60 - what's that? 60c albums only? A lot of the value for units shipped comprises of the cost of the physical value of the media and its transportation. Is the comparison legitimate if it compares the value of CDs shipped VS download sales? Too bad the gravy train has ended for the RIAA - recouping losses by suing file-sharers is like a kid throwing a violent tantrum when their toy broke.
- pyre 17y ago
  > There's a box around download album sales reading $0.60 - what's that? I think that's in millions (or billions) of dollars. Notice that there is also '1978: $8.1' next to LP/EP and '1988: $6.1' next to Cassette. I think they are trying to label the peak of sales (those black bordered sections) with the volume of revenue. {edit} It says 'billions' at the top {/edit}
  - adrianwaj 17y ago
    ok, well iTunes sales were $3.34 Billion in 2008. That's over double the combined RIAA figure of album and singles sales. http://tr.im/yZ7K http://tr.im/yZ7K I remember reading that Apple doesn't take a large cut of that amount if that even mattered here, so sounds like these figures are wrong, especially when other online music retailers are taken into account.
    - stepherm 17y ago
      I think they probably consider buying a single track from an album and buying a 'digital single' (a small release with 1 or more tracks) two different things. I doubt the former case is considered a 'single' in the traditional sense of the word in the music industry.

by thedark 17y ago

adrianwaj 17y ago

There's a box around download album sales reading $0.60 - what's that? 60c albums only? A lot of the value for units shipped comprises of the cost of the physical value of the media and its transportation. Is the comparison legitimate if it compares the value of CDs shipped VS download sales? Too bad the gravy train has ended for the RIAA - recouping losses by suing file-sharers is like a kid throwing a violent tantrum when their toy broke.

pyre 17y ago
> There's a box around download album sales reading $0.60 - what's that? I think that's in millions (or billions) of dollars. Notice that there is also '1978: $8.1' next to LP/EP and '1988: $6.1' next to Cassette. I think they are trying to label the peak of sales (those black bordered sections) with the volume of revenue. {edit} It says 'billions' at the top {/edit}
- adrianwaj 17y ago
  ok, well iTunes sales were $3.34 Billion in 2008. That's over double the combined RIAA figure of album and singles sales. http://tr.im/yZ7K http://tr.im/yZ7K I remember reading that Apple doesn't take a large cut of that amount if that even mattered here, so sounds like these figures are wrong, especially when other online music retailers are taken into account.
  - stepherm 17y ago
    I think they probably consider buying a single track from an album and buying a 'digital single' (a small release with 1 or more tracks) two different things. I doubt the former case is considered a 'single' in the traditional sense of the word in the music industry.