WORLDWIDE MUSIC SALES UP

Worldwide sales of recorded music in the first half of 2000 increased 2% in value and 1% in units over the same period last year, according to International Federation of the Phonographic Industry figures released Tuesday (10/17).

Though the U.S., the world's largest market, reported a unit decline of 1%, it recorded a 5% boost in value to $6.12 billion.

European unit sales improved 6%, bolstered by strong growth in Germany (5%) and the U.K. (6%).

Improved CD album sales in Europe (10%), the U.S. (5%), Asia (7%) and Latin America (11%) contributed to an overall rise of 7% from the year before, offsetting a 16% drop in global sales of cassettes. Sales of singles also dropped by 16%.

IFPI's mid-year report said Britney Spears and other teen acts helped lift music sales in the United States, but rampant piracy and weakness in the Japanese market left sales growth modest worldwide.

In Japan—the world's second largest music market—an obsession with mobile phones including the popular Internet-linked iMode combined with a weak economy to dent sales by 3% in value terms.

"We have still not returned to 1998 levels of sales, and this is attributable to the growing piracy problem in a number of major markets," warned IFPI Chairman/CEO Jay Berman.