Classical Music Download Sales Soar: 12% Of Total iTunes Sales

My high school music teacher is probably very upset that we don’t write more about the classical music end of the business. And while I’ll admit that sadly it excites me about as much as it excites you; we were intrigued by a Guardian UK that read "Big demand for classical downloads is music to ears of record industry".

Surprisingly classical sells much better digitally than on CD. Classical accounts for only 3%-4% of total sales of music in stores but on iTunes it is 12% of sales.  One recent release saw 75% of its sales via downloads.  The ability to buy single tracks is also attractive to those just dabbling in the classics;  and the single track sale may lead new converts to a genre that has been declared dead several times in the last few decades.

Just as the cost savings, universal availability and net marketing of downloads has benefited niche genres; so too may classical music turn out to be a major beneficiary of the digital revolution.

Read the full Guardian UK article here.