New Music Industry Briefing For Friday August 25th, 2006

– Despite rising digital sales a new study predicts that overall music sales will continue to decline through 2010. (BBC)

– New Bridge Street ratings show that "the average MP3 player owner has 349 songs…Also notable from this study was that 67% of radio listeners ages 12+ said they are not interested in being able to listen to music on their cell phones". (FMQB)

– Did you know Cracker Barrel has sold 2.5 million CD’s?  And now they’re releasing a special
"Song Of The Year" package with major country stars. (Celebrity Access)

– Soul legend Solomon Burke has a country CD set for September release. (Hollywood Reporter)

– Beck talks to WIRED about releasing new music in a post album world. (WIRED)

– Guitar sales in the UK are at an all time high. "It’s probably got a lot to do with guitar bands and kids being inspired by young singer-songwriters." (Guardian)

R.I.P. – Jazz Trumpeter Maynard Ferguson.