Let's take a break from CD talk. Other formats are seeing sales growth, reports The Hollywood Reporter. Music DVD sales increased at a higher rate in 2005 than DVDs in general. Music DVDs, which accounted for 2.7% of all music transactions, grew by 4% compared to the 1% in the growth rate for the entire DVD business. Mass merchants have seen music DVD sales rise 7%.

And the DualDisc format isn't doing too poorly. They accounted for 15% of total music sales. Combining CDs and DVDs in the same package (as opposed to putting them on the same disc) is also popular. "The days of a single-format world are over," said Bill Sondheim of Sony BMG.

Harry Safter of Sony BMG said music DVDs offer a good branding opportunity for a band, and pointed to a Los Lonely Boys DVD that was put out to bridge the gap between albums.

But most majors aren't heavily pushing the DualDisc format, Sony BMG being an exception. From things Coolfer has heard and read, consumers are just fine with a two-disc package that includes one CD and one DVD. The DualDisc format sells, certainly, but that's often because the consumer isn't given the option of buying the CD.

The most recent RIAA statistics are for the 2005 midpoint. The dollar value of music DVD shipments (net of returns) was up 3.3%. DualDisc sales are included with CD sales and are not broken out separately.