Billboard #2 Sells Just 1K Downloads As Decline Accelerates

How quickly are download sales declining? It took just over 1000 track sales to grab the #2 spot on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart for the week ending August 16th. 

According to a breathless Billboard writer impressed by the 1000 track milestone:

"(G)I-DLE is proving their hot debut was no fluke with their latest single "Hann (Alone)."

The new girl group hits a new peak on Billboard's World Digital Song Sales chart where Hann (Alone) debuts at No. 2. The whistle hook–heavy track sold more than 1,000 copies in the week ending Aug. 16, according to Nielsen Music, to mark the group's best sales week in America for a song to date. Hann (Alone) is also the best-selling K-pop song in America this week, taking the title from iKON who held the honor for the last two weeks with Killing Me."

Multiple sources tell Hypebot that Apple will be phasing out download sales on Apple's iTunes sometime in 2019, as streaming becomes the dominant delivery method.

While we have not heard rumors of Amazon following Apple, there has also not yet been any industry movement aimed keep the format available, despite its ease of distribution and high profit margins.