In this, the year-ending sales figure season, the numbers have been given a skewed, positive spin. Nielsen convinced the media that 2008 was a record-setting year for music. As Digital Music News wisely pointed out, the BPI has also took to the peculiar choice of trumpeting unit sales in its end-of-the-year sales figure release.

The British market has just come off its "biggest sales year on record in unit terms," according to the BPI (as quoted by Digital Music News' Paul Resnikoff). Such positive spin is like a forced smile, and onlookers are, hopefully, able to see right through it. Since singles are replacing downloads, the number of units sold does not give an indication of revenue collected. The term "in unit terms" is practically worthless and hides the obvious pain of the industry.

What actually happened last year? UK album sales fell 3.3%, digital album sales increased 65% and digital singles grew by 33%. (Read this BBC News article with the UK sales information.) Not bad, but not great.