Mail order record club and online sales — which account for 27% of overall industry sales — rose 5.5% last year, despite slumping overall retail sales, according to news reports citing the Recording Industry Association of America. Unit shipments, however, were flat year-over-year in 2000.
The increase comes amid a sharp decline in overall sales over the final six months of last year.
The Association also attributed the decline to the rise of online distribution services such as Napster, through which people can electronically “swap songs” without paying royalties.
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