Digital music - share of overall music sales in Germany 2004-2021

Digital music sales made up 76.4 percent of total music sales in Germany in 2021. This was an increase compared to 2020 at 71.5 percent of all music sales. Figures had increased significantly since 2004, which confirms the overwhelming trend: digital music formats are here to stay, as is paying for music online.

Online music shopping

Buying music online is convenient and easy. The music industry has been noticeably impacted by digitalization. Consumers can buy and download music in digital formats from various online retailers, saving the music files on the device of their choice, then listening either at home or while on the go, a trend that is sure to continue picking up considering trends towards increased mobility, excepting the COVID-19 lockdowns, and the widespread use of mobile devices. Online music purchases enable browsing and choosing at the consumer’s convenience, at any time, and technically speaking it is also usually a very quick process. Digital music files, in turn, do not take up the space that cassette tapes, vinyl records and CDs used to occupy, nor do they get damaged in the ways that physical carriers can. However, some consumers may either still hold on to music they own in the aforementioned formats, also for reasons of nostalgia.

Buy or stream?

Buying music still faces competition from music streaming platforms, as using a streaming service does not necessarily require paying for access. Consumers may therefore listen to music digitally without spending money on it, even if with some limitations such as hearing advertising at intervals or not having as much control in choosing their music to listen to. It is still possible, however, that free listening might lead to the desire to purchase music for permanent ownership.