Digital music sales surpass CD and vinyl

The Recording Industry Association of America’s released sales numbers for 2011.

And one big piece of news? Digital formats now make up over 50 percent of total music shipments in the United States, which means they now beat CD and vinyl sales.

Here to talk with us in today’s Mid-day Extra is Joshua P. Friedlander, vice president of strategic data analysis at RIAA.

He says one of the biggest shifts this year is that digital sales now make up over 50 percent of the music market. One thing that helped boost those sales: a little-known artist called Adele.

Another unexpected bump came in the sales of vinyl, which continues to improve even as CDs fall out of fashion. Blame it on all those hipsters?