Posted: 18th Sep, 2010 By: MarkJ

The British Phonographic Industry (BPI), a self-confessed representative voice of the UK recorded music business (Copyright Holders), reports that the number of
legal digital music downloads over broadband internet connections in the UK has now surpassed the 500 Million mark.
Downloads year-by-year:
2004 5.77m
2005 26.44m
2006 53.10m
2007 77.96m
2008 110.27m
2009 149.65m
2010 102.30m (to August)
2010 170m (estimated year end)
In addition, despite
Rights Holders and the government consistently suggesting that "
illegal" copyright
file sharing (p2p) has had the opposite effect, the BPI confirmed that legitimate music downloads had seen "
steady growth over the past six years". Indeed they add: "
Booming sales of downloads mean singles sales are now at an all-time high".
BPI Chief Executive, Geoff Taylor, commented:
"This milestone underlines how artists, labels and retailers in the UK have worked together to make Britain one of the world’s most vibrant digital music markets. There are nearly 70 legal music services, more than any other country, and consumers continue to embrace the choice, value and innovation on offer. 500 million downloads is an astonishing achievement especially given the ongoing backdrop of widespread illegal downloading the music industry still faces."
The Minister for Communications, Ed Vaizey, said earlier this week:
"Protecting our valuable creative industries, which have already suffered significant losses as a result of people sharing digital content without paying for it, is at the heart of these measures."
Seems strangely healthy to us.