Official industry figures from the Entertainment Retailers Association have confirmed that digital downloads of films, video games and music reached £1billion in 2012.
Sales are up 11.4% in comparison to 2011 but sales of physical CDs, DVDs, Blurays and video games have fallen by 17.6%. It is easy to see why people are favouring digital downloads rather than going to a shop to buy a CD; what could be easier than simply clicking on the song or album that you want and waiting a few seconds or minutes for it to download?
Although physical sales are down, they still account for over 75% of the entertainment market, but it can’t be denied that high street entertainment chains are struggling in the current economic climate. I think it’s a real shame that film and music shops are having a difficult time on the high street but I have to admit that I haven’t been into one of their stores for a long time.
With so many mobile devices being used, it’s obvious why digital downloads are so popular. Everything is portable these days and digital downloads allow for music, video games and films to be saved and enjoyed on a range of devices including laptops and phones. Accountants Deloitte* have predicted that this year sales of smart phones will reach the £1bn mark, making an even bigger market for digital downloads in the UK. With falling prices for handsets and improved downloads speeds, the digital download market is just going to keep growing year on year.
*http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2013/jan/06/smartphone-sales-1bn-2013