Physical albums have outsold digital products for the first time since 2011, according to newly released reports from RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America). It also makes 2017 the first time since 1999 that material purchases of music have grown for 2 years in a row.
Streaming is still the number one source of revenue for the record industry with almost 2/3 of all music industry revenue coming from paid streaming subscriptions through places like Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music and more. In fact, total revenues from streaming platforms were up a full 43% from last year.
Revenues from digital downloads dropped a full 25% in 2017 while sales in vinyl increased by 10% causing physical album sales to surpass those of digital downloads. You can read the full report from RIAA, here.
