Album Sales Drop Accelerated To 18% In May

On the eve of the annual NARM music sales convention,  Nielsen Soundscan delivered the sobering news that the decline in album sales accelerated to 17.8% in May compared to the same month in 2008.  Last month's sales were 37.7% lower than in May 2007.

The drop compares to declines in recent month of 11-13.5% and suggested a even sharper sales fall off then most had predicted. However, the figures do not reflect most direct to fan sales from indie and d.i.y. artists via their own sites and at shows.  While not nearly enough to counter the overall decline, this direct artist to fan relationship is one of the bright spots in an often bleak music sales landscape.