CDs make comeback

SURVIVAL OF THE SHINY ROUND THINGS: While we live in an increasingly digital world, predictions of the death of the CD are somewhat premature, according to the NPD Group, which has just released the results of a new study on the subject. “After years of losing buyers, caused by many consumers who simply stopped buying music, the total number of CD buyers increased for the second consecutive year, growing 2% to 78 million [in 2011],” the company said. Total music-track sales rose 4% last year, the first gain in many years, the study confirmed. Paid download buyers increased 14% in 2011, to 45 million customers. Digital buyers also spent more at the iTunes Store, Amazon MP3 and other digital music stores in 2011. The average annual expenditure for digital music rose 6% to $49. But although CD sales declined, the decrease wasn’t nearly as steep as it has been over the last five years. (3/7a)