Santa Helps Digital Music Sales

Christmas helped push digital download sales to their best week ever , report Billboard . Sales of iPods and other music instrumentalist were a heavy part , and music execs said sales of gift cards were also behind the spike . How crowing of a calendar week was it ? Four track exceeded the previous one - workweek criminal record set in October by U2 ’s “ Vertigo . ” Ciara ’s “ 1,2 Step ” took the figure one chart situation with just under 50,000 sell .

Sales Up, Stocks Up

After a few down years , the U.S. music industry finish up the year in positive territory . CD sales for 2004 were up 1.4 % . The stock of the major euphony chemical group , however , fared much well . The stock of Universal Music Group ’s parent company , Vivendi Universal , was up 32 % in 2004 . Sony ’s origin was up 12 % . EMI ’s broth gain , fuel in part by speculation of a merger with Warner Music Group , was 66 % . All of this , of course , is n’t quite in the land of some tech stocks ’ meteoric ascension ( Apple was up 201 % , Napster was up 95 % ) but it show that investor believe that record labels ’ worst is believably behind them .

Vinyl’s Will To Survive

The New Zealand Herald’sarticle on vinyl ’s resurgenceas a music format was all the more interesting because it manoeuver out that the country ’s last vinyl platter - pressing plant life closed in 1987 . Still , the area is seeing that many others around the world are also seeing : Digital music ca n’t kill euphony lovers ’ exuberance for vinyl records . The net is a godsend for vinyl lovers . eBay is essentially a worldwide garage cut-rate sale , and at online stock likeDusty Groovea shopper can find all kinds of rarities that used to be found in those local record shops that are drop like flies these days . Digital euphony is the future , no doubt about it , but old habits die hard , do n’t they ?

CES Wrap-Up

The annual Consumer Electronics Show ( CES ) in Las Vegas ended the other day , and digital music rooter got to see the next line of gismo and services . Engadget has a CES sectionthat group together all its stake from the trade wind show . For a more Mac - centric view of the show , see MacCentral ’s CES news program archive .

Renting vs. Buying

Glenn work out in the music industry in New York City . He writes about the industriousness and music in general at his blog , Coolfer .