iTunes takes over a quarter of 2009 US music sales
The iTunes Store was the source of more than a quarter of US music sales during 2009, even when squared off against combined digital and retail competition, figures from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry show. Apple contributed to a modest 1.1 percent growth in domestic digital sales, and a 9.2 percent increase for digital internationally, pushing the sector to $4.3 billion. The music industry as whole has continued to decline however, falling 7.2 percent to be worth $17 billion.
Sales have been slipping every year since 1999. The IFPI cites piracy as one of music's "biggest obstacles," and suggests that local government clampdowns could help restore the industry to profit. 2009 sales dropped the most, proportionately, in the United States and Japan, which together accounted for 80 percent of the $1.3 billion in global losses.
Apple has few challengers in the digital arena; even Amazon and Microsoft are believed to have just fractions of Apple's share. Microsoft has not published much data from the Zune Marketplace, making it difficult to do an accurate comparison. At the same time though, iTunes is estimated to account for 69 percent of online music sales.
the Phonographic Industry
Is it wrong that I first read this as Pornographic?
X-posted with Natter:
Hanson (yes, that Hanson) has a new song out called "Thinking 'Bout Somethin'," and the video is a tribute to the Ray Charles number in The Blues Brothers. The song itself is really catchy.
Bob Pollard of Guided by Voices is doing the soundtrack for a Pete Rose documentary. (Ganked from Baseball Think Factory where the ding dang curse words get ####'d out.) There was a funny article about Pollard and his brother getting into the local high school hall of fame, where the people who came to cheer him knew all about his no-hitter and were surprised to find out he was a musician.
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SPIN: So. How the hell did this happen?
POLLARD: Matt Davis, who runs Rockathon Records, which is essentially our distribution, our label, had a friend who knew the director, Terry Lukemire and producer, Aymie Majerksi, who were both semi-fans. They were looking for someone to do all the music and Matt said, “Bob’s got thousands of songs, he’s all you need.” I met with them a few weeks ago and saw a rough cut and they said they wanted a lot of anthemic stuff. It’s Pete Rose, he’s got heart. Muscle and heart. They’re using instrumental versions of songs that already exist, but I’m also gonna write one new song for them for the main theme—five minutes long and building up to a big crescendo. I’m picking all these kick-ass songs for it. They want me to slow it down in certain spots, but it’s Charlie Hustle, man.
Growing up in Dayton, Ohio in the ‘60s and ‘70s, you must have been a Cincinnati Reds fan, right?
Totally. He was everybody’s hero. We’re only 40 miles out of Cincinnati, plus Pete Rose played minor league ball here in Dayton and his Uncle Buddy was a major league scout who was based here. Plus, Mike Schmidt is in the documentary, and he’s from Dayton and, you know, he played with Pete later on with the Phillies. So there’s a lot of Dayton going on in this thing. Pete Rose was everybody’s hero—everyone in Little League slid headfirst into first base because of him. The movie is supposed to be premiering July 9 in Los Angeles.
Earlier this year, you and your brother Jim were elected into the Northridge High School Hall of Fame. Is it weird to think that you’re in a hall of fame for athletic achievement and, thanks to his gambling, Pete Rose isn’t?
It’s not quite the level of Coopserstown, but yeah. You could make a lot of money on a bar bet: “One of these two men is in a baseball hall of fame. Can you guess who?” I guess I got in mainly for baseball—I pitched a no-hitter—but I played football and basketball, too. This documentary doesn’t focus on the negative ####, but I think he got a raw deal. What the ####? He did what he did but his accomplishments stand for themselves. If I were Pete Rose, I’d be like, “#### your Hall of Fame.” But obviously it’s important to him, so he should be in it if that’s what he wants.
Lost in the Grooves doesn't crack the Top 20 Music Books of All Time - but it does rate an honorable mention.
Surely it is no coincidence that this book has more Buffistas per square inch than any other ever published.
Which version of "Head On" is better? The original by The Jesus and Mary Chain, or the cover by the Pixies?
I like the Pixies version better. It seems odd to me that the Pixies covered a song that was only two years old - apparently their record label pressured them into doing the cover.
I like the Pixies version better, too.
Mike McGonigal compiled a fantastic oral history of Galaxie 500 for Pitchfork: [link]
Robyn Hitchcock's last album, Propeller Time is getting some very good reviews. (I type this as I watch "Sex, Food, Death and Insects" on cable, and they're talking about Nashville in the winter and Arthur Kane.)
