The Apple iPod is being hailed today for helping initiate a music download revolution in the UK.

Figures published by the British Phonographic Industry have shown that legal song downloads have risen from 260,000 to more than 4.5 million in the last 12 months.

This substantial figure easily offsets the declining sales of singles from shops which at 5.8 million between January and March 2005 is down 14 per cent from last year.

Combined then, single track sales have risen by 48 per cent year-on-year, the BPI said.

BPI chairman Peter Jamieson has suggested that with the continuing demand generated by mp3 players such as the iPod, a “golden age for the single” lies ahead.

This golden age will enter the fray as early as next week when download sales are combined with CD single sales for the first time to determine the latest chart toppers.

“These figures suggest that the addition of downloads to the official singles chart will take the market to new audiences and broaden the appeal of the singles market,” commented Mr Jamieson.

The BPI also revealed that digital music-buyers are disproportionately male and are surprisingly much older than traditional singles purchasers.

The under-25 bracket still accounts for 39 per cent of the declining CD singles market and 26 per cent of album sales but they make up just seven per cent of download sales.

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