Online Music Alters Industry Sales Tempo

Online Music Alters Industry Sales Tempo The labels could gain if they persuade people to spend more, but some worry that 99-cent singles will beat out more-lucrative albums. A year after Apple Computer Inc. launched its iTunes Music Service, the online music industry is selling songs by the millions — and that may not bode well for the major record labels. ¶ Online services account for just a small fraction of overall music sales, but they're growing rapidly. And the new choices they give consumers threaten to remix the recording industry's traditional revenue streams, pumping up the volume of singles and subscriptions and turning down album sales. [Los Angeles Times]