Mlsstl,
Yes, you're right that there is a difference between what is being counted and that's why the numbers are different.
Nielsen is the only organization I'm aware of that counts total record sales and I'm sure they use estimates in their count, so the numbers aren't exact but probably close.
The RIAA numbers for 2011 are:
Cds shipped - 241 million
Lps shipped - 5.5 million
Album downloads shipped - 105 million (I don't know how you ship a download)
RIAA numbers for 2012 won't be out for a while yet.
I put the numbers up because people say stuff like cds are not going to be produced after year end or that vinyl is outselling digital or whatever. The Nielsen numbers have some basis in reality and I hope they help people make better decisions and make for better informed discussions.
If someone has sales numbers from another source, put them up.
Yes, you're right that there is a difference between what is being counted and that's why the numbers are different.
Nielsen is the only organization I'm aware of that counts total record sales and I'm sure they use estimates in their count, so the numbers aren't exact but probably close.
The RIAA numbers for 2011 are:
Cds shipped - 241 million
Lps shipped - 5.5 million
Album downloads shipped - 105 million (I don't know how you ship a download)
RIAA numbers for 2012 won't be out for a while yet.
I put the numbers up because people say stuff like cds are not going to be produced after year end or that vinyl is outselling digital or whatever. The Nielsen numbers have some basis in reality and I hope they help people make better decisions and make for better informed discussions.
If someone has sales numbers from another source, put them up.