The IFPI released statistics for the global music market, and the news isn't good...but it's not the end of the world either. Total music sales -- measured as wholesale sales -- were down 3% in 2005. CD sales were down 6% and music DVD sales were down 4%.

The RIAA just announced that U.S. music sales were down 0.6% in 2005, at $12.27 billion. Included in that number are new sales figures for mobiel music, digital subscription services, digital music videos and kiosk sales. If not for the addition of these revenue streams, the number would be a lower 3% drop. Digital music is taking shape, and was much stronger at the end of the year than at the beginning, but its increase was not enough to offset the drop in physical sales.