Billie Eilish has recently criticized the music industry's practice of releasing multiple physical copies of albums as a 'wasteful' cash grab. The era of purchasing signed CDs at music stores has long passed, with the rise of digital sales and streaming services reshaping the music landscape.
Between 2001 and 2010, physical music sales plummeted by over 60%, resulting in a loss of $14 billion in annual revenue. In contrast, digital music sales surged from zero to nearly $4 billion during the same period. By 2022, streaming had become the dominant revenue source for the industry, accounting for 67% of total sales.
