According to a study by Strategy Analytics Inc., U.S. digital music sales will total US$3.4 billion this year, while US$3.38 billion will be generated through the sale of CDs and vinyl.

For the year, sales of digital albums and tracks will increase by 6.7%, while revenue generated from streaming will rise 28%. Combined, these two make up 41% of music sales in the U.S. Meanwhile, CD and vinyl sales in the U.S. will slip nine per cent in 2012.

Overall, though, recorded music spending in the U.S. will total US$6.38 billion in 2012, good for a 2.1% increase year-over-year.

Ed Barton, Director of Digital Media at Strategy Analytics Inc. says that streaming music services like Spotify and Pandora will be "key growth drivers" for digital music sales over the next five years. He believes that usage of such services and what customers spend on them will advance rapidly during that period.

On a global level, Strategy Analytics believes that digital music sales will be higher than physical music sales by 2015.

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