In Belgium lwa was last year, a quarter more music legally downloaded than in 2010. This is reported by the BEA, the Belgian advocate of the music industry. As a reason for the increase was a substantial increase of the offer given.
In 2011 there were in Belgium is 9.29 million songs and 1,03 million full albums legally downloaded. That is an increase of, respectively, of 15.8 and 25.6 percent compared to the year before. The figures are taken from the reports of all the major service providers active in Belgium, such as iTunes, Simfy, Free Record Shop and Fnac, and the websites of various record labels. The online sales were in 2011 19,49 million euro.
According to Olivier Maeterlinck, director of the BEA, the increase is primarily due to the increase in supply. Not only increased the number of providers; also the offer of online music grew from 12 million to 15 million songs. The new Belgian home page of iTunes would also be of influence are: labels can be via the Apple shop now exclusive campaigns for the Belgian market.
For 2012 there is again a substantial growth is expected. The entry of streaming services. such as Spotify, Deezer and W7, according to BEA, the market will only grow. According to the BEA evidence figures from abroad that labels and artists do not have to be afraid that the streaming services the physical and the online sale will kannibaliseren.