Even jointly, late 2013 blockbusters from the likes of Beyonce, Eminem, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, and Lady Gaga were not enough to save the fledgling music industry as reports confirm worry that the industry is nearing its darkest days yet.
Predictably, physical CD sales have continued their slump as news has it that the CD album format is down 20.5 percent so far this year (31.9 million units sold from the 40.1 million units scanned in the first quarter of 2013). But, the once flourishing alternative (i.e. digital sales from outlets like iTunes and Amazon.com) are also reflecting swift and downward movement. So much so, that its decline is nearly matching the rate of physical CD sale decline for the first time in history.
While the industry nears a state of panic, relief has come via popular streaming outlets like Pandora and Spotify as they boast increases in activity and revenue…