CD market benefiting from falling prices

FALLING CD prices helped the UK recorded music market achieve record results in the second quarter of this year. Compiled by labels trade body the British Phonographic Industry, the Q2 figures show a 12 per cent increase on Q2 2002 in album shipments to nearly 46 million units in the three months to June. But the corresponding value increase was only five per cent to £202.5 million. Those sales, driven by consumers taking advantage of cheaper CDs, helped the UK record industry notch up all time high-annualised album shipments of 228.3 million units. The average CD has never been cheaper in the UK. In Q2 2003 the average CD price was £9.79. That compares with £10.03 in Q2 2002 and £10.29 in Q2 2001. CR

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