News 

Albums have until now been the poor relation in the nascent digital market, but the surge in sales - on the back of huge overall growth in 2007 - is another indication that the market is beginning to mature. There are now clearly many music buyers who buy most or all of their music from services such as the iTunes Store.

The rise in album sales may also placate those who have mourned the death of the long player - a diverse list that includes 50 Cent and Neil Young.

Single sales were also up sharply in the first three months of this year, at 42.3 per cent higher than the same period in 2007.

The charts company's figures contrast with a recent report by The Leading Question, a research firm, which claimed that the percentage of UK music fans regularly paying for downloads is shrinking.

"The percentage of music fans regularly buying music downloads has gone down from 16% in 2006 to 14% by the end of 2007," it said, while declining to divulge that data from which these proportions were taken.

Tim

"Many UK music fans are telling us they are dissatisfied with the current legal, paid for digital music experience," he said. "They might buy a few tracks from iTunes when they get a new iPod for Christmas but few go on to become regular paying downloaders."

Together with Music Ally, a "digital music business information and strategy company", The Leading Question has set out a five-point-plan which Walker believes the music industry needs to implement.

This includes bundling music with other products and entertainment services, more innovate release schedules along the lines of recent experiments by Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails and a change in the way charts are compiled to "reflect the other ways that people are consuming music" - namely free, unauthorised downloading.

The plan also says we should trust the DJ.

"Online means anyone can access or own John Peel's entire record collection," - not true, try this list for starters - "but the instant and massive availability of music on demand means you need a trusted guide like John Peel more than ever."

Paul Brindley, managing director of Music Ally, stressed the need to rethink release strategies.

"Business models need to change radically if the music business is to stand any chance of halting the current decline in sales," he said. "It doesn't have to be all doom and gloom."