UK album sales up in first quarter of 2013

Combined digital and physical album sales in the UK increased slightly in the first quarter of 2013 according to new figures from the BPI and Official Charts Company. This is the first increase since the final quarter of 2009. Total sales for January to March were 23.3 million, up 1.4% on the same period last year. Download albums accounted for 38.5% of all sales (up 17.8% on last year), with CD sales decreasing by 7.2%. Vinyl sales, meanwhile, were up 78.1% year-on-year.