iTunes continues to push past Walmart in music distribution
updated 06:20 pm EDT, Thu May 20, 2010
Amazon grows at a slow pace
Apple has continued to gain market share among music distributors in the US, according to a Billboard report. Apple's market share grew to 26.7 percent in 2009, up from 21.4 percent in the previous year.
Walmart still holds the second spot, although the company's market share has continued to decline to 12.5 percent. Other retailers, such as Best Buy, showed similar lackluster numbers, as many moved to scale back floor space dedicated to CD sales.
Amazon's performance improved slightly in 2009, with market share rising from 4.9 percent to 7.1 percent. The company's digital distribution, when viewed as a separate entity, nearly doubled its take to reach 1.3 percent, although still falling short of iTunes. The company has still proven unable to put a dent in Apple's sales, despite previous analyst expectations.
Apple's move to allow variable pricing on iTunes tracks has been credited as a primary factor behind the 2009 increase, although it remains unclear if the company will maintain strong momentum despite an overall decline in digital sales.
