Album sales declined in 2013 by eight percent, with the top-selling album of the year, Justin Timberlake's The 20/20 Experience, selling nearly two million copies less than 2012's chart-topper, Adele's 21. The 2.43 million Timberlake's album sold this year marks the lowest total since Nielsen started reporting sales figures in 1991. It is only the second album to not reach 3 million units sold.
The decline even spilled over into digital sales for the first time. Digital track and album sales fell 5.7% and 0.1%, respectively. This is the first time since iTunes launched its store that digital sales have gone down, a sign that streaming has increased in popularity.
[via Time]
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