Over the past 10 years, digital music distribution has moved out of the niche and into the mainstream.
In 2012, digital music accounted for almost 60 percent of recorded music sales in the United States, making it the most advanced music market in the world.Other major markets, such as the United Kingdom, see the same trend towards digital music distribution but are still a couple of years behind the U.S. market.
The growing adoption of smartphones played a decisive role in the rise of digital music services, as smartphones have made the whole process of purchasing, managing and consuming digital music much more convenient. Moreover, high-speed cellular networks have freed streaming services such as Spotify and Pandora from the shackles of a fixed-line internet connection, making them more attractive to today’s on-the-go consumer.
United States Lead the Way in Digital Music Adoption
Description
This chart shows the digital share of recorded music sales in the world's largest music markets.
